Aurora resident Amanda Gaeta said a dog came upon her on the beach on a trip to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica seven years ago.
Gaeta said she instantly fell in love with Teddy the dog, which was not well taken care of and had been hit by a car. While there, she connected with Pet Rescue Santa Teresa to get Teddy support — and eventually, get the dog to a good home with a friend in Ontario.
They “really helped me get through it,” Gaeta said. “Now Teddy is in a happy home … I just want to be able to help in any way, shape or form, be able to do that for all the other dogs and cats.”
Gaeta is now a local volunteer for the non-profit registered in Costa Rica, travelling to hold fundraising events in the GTA. The area group of volunteers held a fundraiser at Old Flame Brewing in Newmarket July 9.
Pet Rescue Santa Teresa takes in abandoned dogs and tries to get them into foster homes, plus runs low-cost spay and neutering campaigns. Co-founder Greg Murray said he moved to the area years ago from the U.S. as an avid surfer but soon found dog abandonment to be a significant issue where he lived. He recounted one recent incident of a pregnant dog left out on a rock in the ocean.
Seeing the abandoned animals, Murray said he wanted to help, even without a physical location, find the pets foster and forever homes.
“It’s commonplace, unfortunately,” he said of pet abandonment in Costa Rica. “That’s where we step in.”
Since connecting with the organization, Gaeta said she has worked with a small group of friends to fundraise in the Toronto area, as well as with her band. They travel around for different events, with more plans to fundraise in Newmarket in the future.,
“They all donate their time to make these really fun, exuberant events where we’re going to raise a bunch of money,” she said, adding they raised $1,000 at the Old Flame Brewing event last weekend. “It’s just a matter of finding locations that are willing to take us in and just trying to raise as much money as possible.”
The group raises funding through GoFundMe and Paypal. Murray said many of their donations come in small amounts, but a little bit can add up to a lot.
Still, he said they are happy to see others contributing to helping animals wherever they are.
“Important for us here focusing on pet rescue,” he said. “Equally important, all over the world, there’s all different kind of groups like us … They need help too. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for us. It’s also appreciated if it goes to your local organization.”
Volunteering time to help these creatures brings “pure happiness,” Gaeta said.
“Knowing that the little contributions are going to a very good place and just being part of something bigger than I am. Dogs are my life,” she said. “Just knowing you’re making your mark and changing the lives of these innocent souls is everything I need to sleep soundly.”
You can donate to the group through its Paypal or by messaging [email protected].
