Street dogs find homes, vocations after being rescued by Mexican army

[July 16, 2021]    By Alberto Fajardo

ZUMPANGO DE OCAMPO, Mexico (Reuters) - An unoccupied kindergarten building has been transformed into a shelter for street dogs near an international airport under construction in Zumpango de Ocampo, on the outskirts of Mexico City.

A soldier embraces a stray dog at the "Doggies of Santa Lucia" shelter, run by the Mexican army at an unoccupied kindergarten building, which was created after the Mexico City's new airport architects and workers noticed a large amount of stray dogs wandering near the construction site, in Zumpango de Ocampo, Mexico July 14, 2021. REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan

The Doggies of Santa Lucia shelter run by the Mexican army was set up after the airport's architects and workers noticed a large number of stray dogs wandering near the construction site.

The shelter can host up to 50 dogs that will receive medical attention, food and shelter.

"The shelter's objective is to give the dogs a temporary home and to adapt them to live with humans and other dogs so they can be adopted by a family," said Second Lieutenant Carla Medellin, a veterinarian.

Not all dogs that arrive at the shelter are intended for adoption. Specialists and veterinarians will also look for dogs that can work at the airport by detecting COVID-19 patients or even drugs.

"Dogs can help us as medical alert dogs. They can detect cancer, hypertension, early diabetes or COVID-19," said Pamela Diaz, an architect at the airport. "Mainly at the airport, they will provide a way of carrying out fast tests."

(Reporting by Alberto Fajardo; Writing by Nina Lopez; Editing by Karishma Singh and Peter Cooney)

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