Scroll down for Ancient Pet Cemeteries Found in Peru

From: lucero sayhua peña

Help Needed for Homeless Dogs in Peru.
Date: Monday 18 September
 
 Hello, my name is Lucero Sahara, I am writing to you on behalf of
Gladys Zegarra Chavez. Who is the Director of a small privately run
Homeless Dog Refuge in Lima, Peru called "En Manos de Dios (in the
Hands of God.)".
 
 I am also from Peru but have been living in Australia for the last
2 years, and having seen the severe problem with abondoned and
homeless dogs in Peru, i have been trying to help Gladys by donating
money etc when i can. I have been in contact with her by telephone
recently and she has asked me if i could help her (as she does not
speak english) to contact other organisations that may be able to
provide her with some assistance or sponsorship.
 
 Gladys has been taking in abandoned and homeless animals in Lima
Peru for over 20 years. She has been mainly financing this venture
herself with the help of donations, but her situation has now become
much more desperate as people have begun to bring here more and more
abandoned dogs, people from all around come and leave their dogs
tied to her gate as they know she will look after their animals, she
has over 100 animals living in her refuge, and is struggling to
maintain their kennels, pay for medical treatments, de-sexing etc.
and is also under pressure from her landlord.
 
 Having myself seen the huge number of abandoned dogs roaming the
streets in Lima i have been trying to help Gladys as i believe that
she is providing a great service to these defenceless animals and
also to the community in general.

 Unfortunately the great work that she has been doing is becoming
more and more difficult and without some outside assistance she will
not be able to maintain the care and help she has been giving these
animals for the last 20 years.

 She really is in great need of help and would appreciate any type of
 assistance that you or other organisations may be able to provide,
be they financial, donations of materials to maintain kennels, food,
medical treatment or even if you are able to connect us with other
organisations that may be able to help in this situation as it is
becoming quite desperate.
 
I have attached a couple of photos from the "En Manos De Dios"
refuge and the website address is
 http://www.enmanosdedios.org/nosotros.htm so you can see for
yourself gladys' work (but the site is in spanish.) >
 
 Please contact us if you would like some more information or if
you can help us in any way.
 
 Thank you very much for your time and kindness,

 On behalf of the many Animals
 Lucero.
- - -

 Ancient Pet Cemeteries Found in Peru

Posted by: "MaryFinelli@Comcast.net" MaryFinelli@Comcast.net

Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:06 am (PST)
 From another list:

ANCIENT PET CEMETERIES FOUND IN PERU
The Associated Press, September 23, 2006

Lima, Peru -- Even in ancient Peru, it seems dogs were a man's best
friend. Peruvian investigators have discovered a pre-Columbian culture of
dog lovers who built pet cemeteries and buried their pets with warm
blankets and even treats for the afterlife.

''They are dogs that were thanked and recognized for their social and
familial contribution,'' anthropologist Sonia Guillen said. ''These dogs
were not sacrificed.''

Since 1993, researchers have unearthed 82 dog tombs in pet cemetery plots,
laid alongside human mummy tombs of the Chiribaya people in the fertile
Osmore River valley, 540 miles southeast of Lima. The Chiribaya were
farmers who lived from A.D. 900 to 1350 before the rise of Peru's Inca
Empire.

''We have found that in all the cemeteries, always, in between the human
tombs there are others dedicated to the dogs, full-grown and puppies,''
said Guillen, who specializes in the study of mummies. ''They have their
own grave and in some cases they are buried with blankets and food.''

Guillen, director of the Centro Mallqui, the Bioanthropology Foundation of
Peru, said the dogs are known as Chiribaya shepherds for their herding
abilities.

She and her team are trying to prove the Chiribaya dogs have Peruvian
descendants that can be classified as an original South American breed.

''This shepherd is still among us,'' she said. ''We have found very
similar animals with the same characteristics in Peru's southern valleys
and we are starting investigations to determine if we are dealing with a
Peruvian dog.''

But some dog experts expressed caution.

Ermanno Maniero, who in 1985 achieved international recognition of the
Peruvian hairless as a distinct breed that evolved over more than 2000
years from Asian ancestors brought across the Bering Strait, said Peru is
full of breeds that arrived in recent centuries.

''We have found similar dogs'' to the Chiribaya shepherds, he said. ''But
it is better to take precautions before confirming the existence of a type
of original animal.''

Ricardo Fujita, a genetics researcher at Lima's San Martin University,
said the physical traits suggests a link between today's' short-snouted,
long-haired dogs and their possible Chiribaya ancestors. But the jury is
still out.

''We are conducting DNA analysis on the ancient dogs to compare them to
the new ones, but it will be months before there are results for a final
verdict,'' he said.