The number of abandoned dogs living on the streets is certainly not in any of the official statistics . It’s very common to see unleashed dogs on streets and avenues, probably left there by their owners, in the dead of night, who have just decided they don’t want them anymore. It’s a true legion of orphan dogs without a roof, food, affection... that they suffer, they are tired, hungry and ill.

“I can’t understand how so many people can look at the abandoned dogs that are sick, needing care and attention, and simply turn away from them”, says the teacher who has no less than seven dogs in her house, all found around the streets of Londrina, in the state of Paraná.

Ms. Makiolke is a woman with a very special love for animals. For the last thirty years she has been surrounded by dogs, most of them “adopted”. She admits she can’t ignore an animal that needs help. “What I do is very simple: I give them shelter and take care of them; if I can’t keep them I direct them for adoption.”

But the job isn’t simple . The animals that get to her house normally have many diseases: scabies, ticks, and sometimes bad infections. Each animal is personally taken care by the teacher. After the health is re-established, the psychological treatment begins.

Uyara says that they come from the street full of bad habits, addictions and very needy. Many have never had an owner; others suffer the stress of the abandonment.
“When they get here, they are like kids. It’s necessary to do a work with love, talking, impose limits, because they need all of that. They also need a special moment for each one, because they are very jealous and in need for attention”, she explains

The tacher finds dogs on the streets and takes care of their injuries with much love.

BATH, SHEARING AND GOING FOR A WALK

The routine of a family that has seven dogs is very busy. Even living in a house with a back yard, the teacher always takes her dogs for a walk . “That is when I have a special moment for each dog. It’s very good and it’s worth it! “ And at least once a week she asks her husband and daughter to take turns walking the dogs.

The baths are something you need to have patience doing. Especially when there are so many dogs. The teacher does the shearing. It’s a way that she found to bring the expenses with the animals down. “I know I don’t shear that good, but once a year, on Christmas, when I get a bonus wage and we get high spirited I take everyone to shear at the pet shop. At least once a year they look very cute”.

450 KILOS OF DOG FOOD

Feeding seven mouths is a complicated and expensive job. Each dog gets their food separated to avoid fights, two or three times a day. Together they eat 450 kilos of dog food every year. And most of them frequently go to the Vet. Some have serous diseases and need long treatments. Adding it up, the teacher spends R$2.500,00 to R$3.000,00 (around US$1,000) early with her dogs.

So, with all those expenses and difficulties, why would a woman choose to take care of abandoned animals??? Uyara says that her only objective is to make people notice and follow her example. They must see that the animals need to be treated with dignity. But after all she likes what she does and guaranties it’s worth it. “They give me joy, with them there isn’t a bad time. When I’m sad I get around them and become happy again".