The nursery idea is basically to create nursing areas for pregnant momma dogs and her pups that had nowhere else to go. These areas are supposed to have a space for the puppies with a sealed concrete floor, an area for the momma to do her business and be completely away from the other dogs.

The nursery idea was born out of 3 elements:

• The need for foster homes in the area
• Yesenia's desire to make money by selling puppies
• And my determination to help her with a rescue twist

The plan consists of 3 parts. First the construction, second caring for the pups and third putting all of them up for adoption. Yesenia's original idea was to find 2 dogs similar looking and breed them. Then the idea was to sell the puppies. She heard that people are prepared to pay pretty decent money for puppies.

But there were a couple things she hadn't factored in.

• Her momma dog was only going to give her a litter twice a year
• She needs to vaccinate and deworm them at least
• Breeding and selling mutts is not going to get her anywhere.

So I cracked a deal with her. I explained all of these and suggested that she just castrate the dogs and that I would find her pregnant dogs for her to take care of. In the facebook groups there are so many cases, I could probably find her one every day.

I suggested that instead of selling these mutts that she put them up for adoption vaccinated and dewormed and ask for an adoption fee. This adoption fee I said she could keep for herself as her reward for dedicating herself full time to the nursery.

It's so difficult to find someone to take in a pregnant dog that many rescuers will help with donated food. I said that I would vaccinate and deworm the puppies for 5000 (around $12) and whatever else she managed to get as an adoption fee was hers to keep.

Yesenia loved the idea because it incorporated her love for animals, her need for money, the ability to have a constant flow of puppies in the house and the fact that she was actively able to help.

Getting started Yesenia needs to build one nursery to be able to receive one dog and puppies. She understands the requirements and has already cordoned off space for it. She put up a 2 and a half meter high fence and she has started to collect scraps of wood to make the nursery.

She will still need a few tings she won't be able to find which I will start gathering for her in the meantime:

• Chicken wire
• Cement
• Varnish to seal the cement floor.

If this turns out to be successful, we will get another momma dog. If it works we can build another nursery and have 2 momma dogs at the same time.

For anyone that wants to get involved there are a bunch of ways that you can start helping:

Building materials

Yesenia needs fencing, chicken wire, mesh, scrap wood from pallets, shets of zinc, nails, cement and varnish.

Accessories

Bowls, towels, blankets, dog food, cleaning products

Volunteers

Digging a hole, nailing together slats of wood, holding down sheets of zinc, laying cement and later varnishing it. Coming up with ideas to improve the idea.

Help with puppies, publish and share adoption posts. Transport puppies to their new homes.