Fundación Rayito

Volunteer With Animals Abroad in Lima, Peru

About Fundación Rayito

Fundación Rayito started in 2017, inspired by a dog named Rayito who was born without two front legs. Using a custom-made doggie walker, Rayito gets around independently in life while moving the lives of others. He’s the face of Fundación Rayito, so you’ll see him show up often on the foundation’s social media pages.

There are currently four full-time volunteers that run Fundación Rayito. They pour their heart into caring for the animals, taking photos and managing their social media platforms, event coordination, and so much more.

When Fundación Rayito takes in a new animal, they give them medical treatment before finding a temporary home for them in the community. That way, the animal has a more conducive environment for recovering from any traumas they went through and has a loving foster parent to watch over their health. As a result of this foster care approach, the animals have a higher chance of getting adopted since they’re introduced (or reintroduced) to what it’s like to be with loving humans.

Animal rescues and rehabilitation are some of the many roles that Fundación Rayito plays in Lima. They also run spay and neutering campaigns, focus on animal care education (including denouncing the practice of cutting an animal’s ears and tail), and hold several animal-related events throughout the year.

Fundación Rayito’s Contact Details

Volunteer Opportunities at Fundación Rayito

 Below are the areas where Fundación Rayito needs the most help:

Fundación Rayito opens its doors to volunteers twice per month, offering you the opportunity to care for the animals and meet other like-minded volunteers.

In addition to you helping out with cleaning, grooming, and showering the animals with love, Fundación Rayito’s hope is that volunteers will spread the word to those they know to try to get the animals they spent time with adopted.

Donate to Fundación Rayito

Fundación Rayito is always in need of the following donations:

In addition to the items above, which Fundación Rayito gladly receives year-round, they also have special situations where they need monetary donations to cover vet bills and other emergency expenses.

You can check Fundación Rayito’s Instagram and Facebook pages to find out when they’re requesting gifts of money. They do an excellent job of keeping the public up-to-date on how they use the donations, oftentimes posting photos of the animals’ medical bills.

How to Adopt

Fundación Rayito has about 150 dogs and cats waiting to find their forever home with a loving family.

If you’re thinking about adoption, consider adopting a mixed breed, an older animal, or a large dog, as these animals spend a longer amount of time waiting to be adopted. In fact, Fundación Rayito shared the statistic that of every ten animals that get adopted, on average only one is a senior pet.

However, before adopting, it’s crucial that you’re prepared to care for your pet for the duration of its life. Therefore, to reduce the chances of mistreatment or someone returning their adopted animal, Fundación Rayito has a rigorous adoption policy.

To adopt a pet from Fundación Rayito you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Give them a copy of your DNI (a photo ID)
• Give them a copy of your paid electricity or water bill
• Agree to Fundación Rayito checking up on you
• If you live with others, everyone in your household must be in agreement with the adoption
• For puppy and kitten adoptions, you must promise to get them spayed or neutered when they turn 6 months old
• You must have your own house or apartment
• Complete an adoption file
• Phone interview with your entire household
• Home verification

One of the reasons that Fundación Rayito has developed such rigorous adoption rules over the years is because they’ve had many situations where people call them saying that they’re going to take a trip. They then leave their animal with the foundation and never return.

Whether you want to take your pet with you on a trip or want to adopt but know that you’ll be leaving Peru someday, traveling by plane with your dog or cat is possible. Learn about what to expect with our guide on How to Fly Your Pet out of Peru.

What to Do if You Find an Abandoned Animal in Lima

If you find an abandoned or abused animal in Lima, you can contact Fundación Rayito. They’ll help guide you with information on what you should do.

At this time, Lima doesn’t have a centralized animal rescue center or program where they’ll pick up and care for mistreated and abandoned animals. So, depending on your location and Fundación Rayito’s capacity, it may make the most sense for you to take the animal to a veterinary clinic and pay for its expenses. You can then work with the vet to see if they can find a home for the animal.

Connect With Fundación Rayito Online

Stay up-to-date on current events at Fundación Rayito by following their social media pages.

Leaving Pawprints

Leaving Pawprints connects travelers with animal shelters across the globe for free. We lay the foundation by communicating with the shelters to find out what support they need. If you want to volunteer abroad with animals in Peru, check out the animal shelters we’ve partnered with to find out how you can help.