Dogs at Montevideo’s only street dog shelter have suffered a terrible tragedy! They really need your help now!
Our partner APA El Refugio is the only dog shelter in Uruguay’s capital. It deeply saddens us to tell you that in the middle of the night, a huge fire swept through tinder-dry vegetation surrounding the shelter, breached the walls and burnt kennels and enclosures where the dogs lived. What makes this catastrophe all the more heartbreaking is that for 360 rescued dogs, APA is the only hope of avoiding hunger, disease, and brutality on the streets of Montevideo.
The fire was so fierce that all the nightwatchman could do was call for help and fight the fire alone with the shelter’s fire extinguishers. He did his best but the heat from the fire was so intense that it made no difference.
APA El Refugio has a special place in our hearts because it cares for many special needs dogs. Poor Escandalo was one of them. Escandalo, an old boy around the age of 12, was rescued from the streets – he suffered neurological damage from the abuse he had received. He found loving care at the shelter and had a few happy years, until the fire raged.
Escandalo was unable to escape the flames and burnt to death. His friend Uma, an elderly Labrador, escaped instant death but immediately afterward died from a heart attack caused by shock and fear. Imagine how they felt as a wall of fire and searing heat roared towards them, and they had nowhere to go.