Help us build the ultimate sanctuary for Peru's dogs

Three words. One promise.Our dog rescue, disease prevention and community work in Peru

Chris Peru is a dog rescue and community charity in Lima, Peru. Rescue one dog and you've saved a life. Fix the reason there were so many to rescue, and you've changed a country. That's the work, and it comes down to three verbs.

Close. Closing dog lots

Closing Peru's 500 dog lots.

Dogs crowded on bare dirt, no water, no shade, no names. We empty them one at a time, bring every dog home to the hills, and make sure the gate never opens again.

Volunteers among dozens of dogs in a walled dirt yard under a tin roof — Inside the lot.

Dogs resting on torn, worn-out mattresses — Where they sleep today.

Dogs gathered in the yard, a big white dog lying in front — Waiting for lunch.

Volunteers in blue unloading muzzles and leads from a white van — Supplies off the van.

The team beside stacked food sacks, dog beds and a bucket of tennis balls — Food, beds and tennis balls.

Food sacks and dog beds stacked outside a blue metal gate — Unloading at the gate.

Chris and the Veterinaria Total Pet team in front of their joint banner — Better together, with Veterinaria Total Pet.

Chris with nail clippers beside a cat while a volunteer opens a food sack — Nail trims for everyone. Even the cat.

Chris crouching to scratch a dog under the chin — Chris, meeting the pack.

Banner reading Better together with the Chris Peru and Total Pet logos — Chris Peru and Total Pet, side by side.

Protect. Preventing rabies and zoonotic disease

Stop disease before it crosses over.

Rabies, leptospirosis, parasites. What makes a dog sick in the lot walks into a child's classroom a week later. Vaccines, sterilisation and clean water break the chain for animals and people at the same time.

And it starts at home. We help families fix the kitchens, bathrooms and water where illness takes hold, so they can live better lives in the homes they already have.

Before: a cramped kitchen with damp, stained walls, a worn sink and an old gas stove — Damp walls and nowhere clean to prepare food.

After: a bright kitchen with new white cabinets, grey counters and a tiled backsplash — New counters, cabinets and tiles.

Before: a small tiled kitchen with laundry hanging over the sink and cluttered open shelves — Laundry drying over the only sink.

After: a clean kitchen with new cabinets, a dark counter and fresh tiles — A kitchen with doors that close and room to cook.

Before: an electric shower heater hanging from exposed wiring — An electric shower heater on bare wires.

After: a new bathroom with a shower cubicle, sink and toilet — A safe shower, sink and toilet.

A kitchen corner with a rice cooker, blender and fridge against stained orange walls — Making do with what there is.

Pots on a worn gas stove beside a dish rack — An old stove, still doing the daily cooking.

Glass-fronted cupboards above a counter covered in foil, with damp spots on the wall — Where the next renovation starts.

Improve. Safe streets for pets and children

Safe pets. Safe streets. Safe places for kids to play.

A healthy dog makes a safer street, and a safer street makes room for children. We work with neighbours to clear the corners where rubbish and strays collect, then plant trees and street gardens, paint the walls, and build somewhere for kids to run. Better lives, for everyone on the block.

Before: a narrow street lined with parked cars and blank walls — The street: parked cars and bare walls.

After: the same street as a pedestrian space with trees, planters and a mural of a girl reaching out — Same street: trees, planters and a mural.

Before: a building gate with cardboard and rubbish piled on the pavement and a loose dog — The gate: cardboard, rubbish and a loose dog.

After: the same gate with fresh paint, young trees and planters along a clean walkway — Same gate: clean walls and room to walk.

A pedestrian plaza with large murals, wooden play platforms and planters — Murals, gardens and a play space, open to everyone.

Mural of a boy pointing skyward beside a blue bird and a golden bird, above wooden platforms — Local birds, painted big.

Mural of a young girl reaching out a hand, with a wooden platform below — A mural that reaches back.

Wooden ramps and play platforms decorated with paper butterflies — Ramps and platforms for small feet.

Plants and wooden decking in front of the mural — Green where there was grey.

A wooden pallet bench beneath a painted daisy mural — A bench under the daisies.

A street planter of young spinach plants with a garden label — Vegetables growing on the street.

A street planter with red lettuce and parsley seedlings — Lettuce and parsley, grown right here.

A clean sidewalk with young trees and planters — Trees along the walk.

A pedestrianised street with bike parking, bollards and a planted island — Bikes in, cars out.

Manos a la obra.It means “hands to the work.” We have plenty of work. We need your hands.

Volunteer with dogs in Peru, no degree or Spanish required. Every role below is work that needs doing right now. Find the one that sounds like you.

The Healers

Vets, vet techs, vet students

Spay and neuter days, vaccination rounds, stitching up the brave ones, and teaching beside our Peruvian team. Bring your licence details and your steadiest hands.

The Pack Keepers

Daily dog care, no experience needed

Feeding, cleaning, walking, brushing. And the slow, quiet job of sitting with a frightened dog until she decides you're worth trusting.

The Builders

Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, welders, anyone with a hammer

Kennels, shade roofs, fences, water lines, and brick by brick, the teaching hospital itself. You'll leave something standing.

The Messengers

Community outreach and education

Door to door with the vaccine teams, classroom visits, and helping families care for the dogs they already love. Spanish helps; a big smile helps more.

The Far-Away Crew

Remote, from anywhere, any hours

Grant writing, translation, photography, video editing, social media, web. The dogs will never meet you, and they'll still be better off.

The Whole Troop

Schools, universities, companies, churches

Bring your group and we'll build a programme around your dates and size. The best team trip you'll ever take smells faintly of wet dog.

Before you pack

Stay at least a week.Most people stay two to four and wish they'd stayed longer.
Get your shots.Rabies pre-exposure and a current tetanus are required.
Cover your own travel.Flights and lodging are on you; we'll point you to friendly, affordable places nearby.
Be 18 or older.16 and 17 are welcome with a parent or guardian on site.