Our names are Kathryn and Jorge. On a recent trip to El Salvador, we met a VERY special dog! Please consider donating to help us get him back to the USA with us.

In El Salvador, there is an extremely large stray, street dog population. With no owners, these dogs lack access to veterinary care, and have scare access to food, water, and shelter. The lucky dogs, may find an area where they are able to receive daily scraps of food, but the majority have to scavenge for food and fend for themselves. It is a harsh environment to live in, and as a result, many street dogs are quite rough around the edges. From horrible skin conditions and open festering wounds to massive tumors and severe malnutrition, we have seen it all in the street dogs of El Salvador. From living on the streets, many of these dogs have developed a less than nice demeanor to be able to gain the resources they need to survive.

At a small restaurant in the tiny beach town of El Cuco, something different happened. We had grown accustomed to having street dogs approach us while eating. Many of these dogs can understandably be a bit pushy when it comes to getting food scraps. While we were eating lunch, a lanky, scrawny brown dog with a long nose and wonky ears wandered up to us. We offered him a tortilla chip, but then, instead of scarfing it down as most dogs do, he gently took the chip and trotted away. Curious, we watched where he went and saw him go to dig a small hole, bury the chip, and cover it. Just like something you would see in a movie, but rarely in real life! Upon returning, we gave him another chip and watched as he went to a different spot and repeated the same process. This smart little dog knew that his access to food was so limited, it was smartest to not eat it now, but to save it for later.

We were in awe of this little dog, his intelligence and his quiet nature. As we left the restaurant, to our surprise, the dog accompanied us. As we continued the walk back to our AirBnB, we expected him to turn back as we got further and further from the restaurant. We were amazed as he not only stayed with us, but walked perfectly next to us as if he was already a part of our pack. He sensed something in us, just as we did in him!

From there, he not only stayed with us throughout the day, but throughout the night as well, curling up to sleep on a towel we laid down for him. As we continued to get to know him, we decided to give him the name Lorenzo. The more time we spent with him, experiencing his calm, kind demeanor, we knew he was a special soul and couldn’t stand the thought of seeing him return to the street. Lorenzo had captured our hearts, and so began our journey of trying to find a way to bring him to the USA with us.

The first step was to get Lorenzo to the capital, San Salvador, to get a much needed physical exam, vaccines, and microchip. Our first big challenge presented in the fact that we now needed to take a dog that had never been in a car, on a 3 hour car ride. Poor Lorenzo was nervous and very motion sick, but never once gave us any trouble. Although still very motion sick, he tried his best to settle and relax on our journey. How quickly he was able to adapt and his grace in doing so, left us even more amazed.

After getting Lorenzo the start of his veterinary care, we found a wonderful day care and boarding facility in the city where we would be able to temporarily keep Lorenzo until we were able to get his flight to the USA. And so we were presented with another challenge. Although Lorenzo lived around many dogs in El Cuco, his experience with them had purely been in a competitive manner where the quickest, strongest dog was the one to get the food and hold the necessary resources. This left him insecure about being in close proximity with other dogs. But again, his adaptability and sweet soul took the lead. He quickly went from nervous to comfortable and silly!

Recently, in the beginning of August 2024, the policies for transporting dogs from El Salvador into the USA have become extremely restrictive and extremely expensive. New policies have been adopted deeming El Salvador a high risk rabies country, resulting in many domestic airlines refusing to fly dogs as cargo. Although dogs 20lbs and under are allowed to fly in the cabin, at 33lbs, Lorenzo is too big. After speaking to countless airlines, we have been left with utilizing a company that specifically deals with transporting pets internationally.

We have been given quotes ranging from $6,000-$8,000, not including the veterinary care and boarding we have already done for Lorenzo.

These costs include

* Pick up from the boarding facility in San Salvador

* Rabies Titer Test + Export Health Certificate

* Export Documentation/Fees

* Flight Preparation + Check In 

* Pet safe flight as manifest cargo to major port in the US

* Quarantine in port of import in the US

* Designated customs representative

* Customs clearance + Import fees

* CDC Clearance including new rabies vaccination 

* Pick up from airport + Post Flight Care

* Delivery to our home in NC

* Travel kennel

We can’t stand the thought of having Lorenzo return to the life he was living, but are struggling to figure out how to manage the financial burden of transporting him to the USA.

We are seeking the help of our community and animal lovers to help bring Lorenzo home.