We are a non-profit organization! Our goal is creating the best family dogs. From feral /shelter dogs to family dogs! That moment defined everything.
Our goal is to train and socialize street dogs & shelter dogs. We create the best family dogs! #mayandogrescuefoundation The Root of My Journey
I grew up between Manhattan, Long Island, and West Winfield, New York, navigating a life that blended the fast pace of the city with the grounding presence of nature. My early career spanned real estate, advertising, and photography, where I worked with t
op international hotels, resorts, restaurants, celebrity chefs, and spas, providing visual storytelling for campaigns, advertisements, and media. Yet, despite my professional success, something deeper called to me—something that had been a part of me since childhood. My connection with nature and animals began on my uncle’s farm, where I spent weekends and summers. The dark, rich soil with shimmering minerals fascinated me, and the vibrant colors of freshly harvested vegetables showed me life’s true hues. I tasted meat from animals that had lived off the land, just as they had in times long past. These experiences shaped my understanding of the natural world and instilled in me a deep respect for life in its purest form. Throughout my life, I found myself drawn to animals—dogs, horses, birds—rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding homes for them whenever possible. Guatemala: The Unexpected Calling
My journey to Guatemala was not planned—it was something of a storybook tale, a dream that manifested into reality. For years, I had recurring dreams of a woman speaking a language I did not know, yet somehow understood. When I shared this experience with a friend, she revealed that the woman I described was her mentor, a Kaqchikel-speaking Guatemalan woman. Six months later, with no prior knowledge of Guatemala, I found myself there, first in Antigua and then in San Marcos La Laguna, where everything changed. On my first night in San Marcos, walking in the rain, I heard a brutal dog fight. A friend’s dog, Daisy, ran into the fray, where a small, wounded puppy lay beneath a pack of larger dogs. Without hesitation, I scooped up the bloodied, terrified puppy and brought her with me. The puppy, later named Cypress, became my first rescue in Guatemala—the beginning of the Mayan Dog Rescue Foundation in April 2017. From One Dog to a Movement
I originally planned to stay in Guatemala for 30 days, then move on to Mexico and later India for a yoga teacher training program. But Cypress led me down a different path. One rescue became many. Through social media, I found foster homes and forever families for dogs in Guatemala, the United States, and Canada. As I prepared each dog for travel—navigating pet passports, import regulations, vaccinations, and health certificates—more people began reaching out, asking for help with other dogs in need. Calls and messages came from across Guatemala—from San Marcos, Antigua, Jocotenango, Xela, and even coastal towns like Las Lisas. With limited resources, I relied on my network and the generosity of locals who offered their homes and land to help me care for these animals. My journey expanded into Mexico, where I connected with animal welfare organizations and people who believed in the mission. More Than Rescue: A Vision for Change
Rescuing dogs was only the beginning. The deeper I delved into this work, the more I saw the need for sustainable change. I witnessed firsthand the conditions of communities affected by poverty and natural disasters, such as the aftermath of the Fuego volcano eruption. Beyond animal welfare, I turned my attention to food security and environmental sustainability. I initiated programs where locals collected plastic bottles in exchange for seeds and nutrient-rich soil, empowering them to grow their own food. However, I faced resistance—many NGOs preferred relying on foreign food donations rather than investing in sustainable local agriculture. Despite these challenges, I remained committed to my mission: to provide food, water, education, and a second chance at life for both animals and people. A Mission Rooted in Responsibility
The foundation of my work is simple: dogs, like people, need food, love, and shelter. But beyond that, they need mental and physical stimulation, training, and socialization to thrive. I have spent years working with feral, injured, reactive, and shelter dogs, using energy-based, real-world training methods. My pack of former street dogs plays a crucial role in rehabilitating new rescues—because dogs understand dogs better than we ever could. Through my work, I aim to educate dog owners on the importance of training and socialization, not just for their pets’ well-being but for public safety. The reality is harsh: an untrained, reactive dog is a liability. Without proper guidance, these dogs face euthanasia, abandonment, or a life of suffering. The responsibility lies with us, the owners. This is the core of my journey—one that started with a single rescue and evolved into a movement to create better lives for animals and the people who care for them. The Mayan Dog Rescue Foundation is more than an organization; it is a testament to the power of compassion, resilience, and the belief that change begins with a single step—or in my case, a single rescue named Cypress.
23/05/2026
We're inviting all of the dog owners and dog trainers dog volunteers to come join us this weekend here in Antigua for a dog walk dog talk dog social dog training event. I will continue inviting everyone to come join us on our donation based Sunday walk.
Bring your dogs bring a good attitude and let's have some fun.
Leave your bag of treats your clickers and your e collars at home. Guatemala.com Antigua Guatemala. Guatemala Fans The Dodo Mayan Dog Rescue Foundation Dogs are family Guatemala Hoy Antigua Guatemala
22/05/2026
They don't train dogs they only create family dogs.
They never worked with high-end designer dogs they never worked with a shelter dog never have they worked with a street dog. No they only work with stuffed animals
22/05/2026
Real life real dogs real results.... we don't work with stuffed animals in front of a computer screen we're in the streets working with our dogs working with Street dogs. No other dog trainer dog rescue dog walker dog groomer vet tech or veterinarian does what we do. All we do is create family dogs we're not drugging them we're not stuffing them in cages for 20 hours a day and our volunteers are not building cages and cleaning up p**p for 12 hours a day.
We are not avoiding a block or an Avenue because there's a vicious dog on it but walking right down the center of it.
You can listen to the birds on the wire or come join us
21/05/2026
What does it take to create a family dog? It doesn't take anything more than a solid routine mental and physical stimulation food love and shelter.
(5) five things and you can have a dog that can do anything and go anywhere with you.if you put the time into connecting with your dog or your puppy.
I'm going to say this again if you put down your phones connect with your dogs then you wont need any of these dog behavioralists to come sit with pen and a piece of paper in front of you and a to give you advice on medicating and drugging your dog into a lethargic couch potato
you're not going to need five dog trainers with five different clickers and five different kinds of treats just to get your dog to what to sit and give a paw.
that is not training in any way want to know why dogs are getting thrown back to the streets you want to know why dogs are being shuffled all over the world is because no one does what we do.
We get a dog we then work on rehabilitated get it spayed neutered train it in two different languages train it to be on leash and off leash in every scenario.
Every single Sunday for the past 4 months we offer donation based dog social dog walks dog training we invite the public we invite the dog trainers the dog behaviorist the dog groomers and dog owners dog walkers vet tech and veterinarians we show people we show humans there's a better way and an easier way to work withdogs.
We've had Mika for 8 weeks and in 8 weeks her transformation has been incredible her journey our process of working with Street dogs shelter dogs or high-end design and dogs is the same. We only create family dogs we don't make excuses.
20/05/2026
There’s a lot of noise on social media right now, and a lot of people speaking from behind screens instead of showing up in real life.
Hay mucho ruido en las redes sociales en este momento, y muchas personas hablando detrás de una pantalla en lugar de presentarse en la vida real.
The truth is simple: my door has always been open.
La verdad es simple: mi puerta siempre ha estado abierta.
Anyone criticizing the work we do is invited any day of the week to join us in Antigua for our walks, hikes, dog socials, training sessions, or our Sunday donation-based dog events.
Cualquier persona que critique el trabajo que hacemos está invitada cualquier día de la semana a unirse a nosotros en Antigua para nuestras caminatas, hikes, socializaciones caninas, sesiones de entrenamiento o nuestros eventos dominicales basados en donaciones.
Come see the dogs. Come meet the people. Come walk beside us.
Vengan a conocer a los perros. Vengan a conocer a las personas. Vengan a caminar junto a nosotros.
What I will continue to stand against is the normalization of drugging dogs, keeping them locked in cages, and shipping them out of Guatemala into another shelter system that does not solve the root problem here.
Lo que seguiré denunciando es la normalización de drogar perros, mantenerlos encerrados en jaulas y enviarlos fuera de Guatemala a otro sistema de refugios que no resuelve el problema de raíz aquí.
Guatemala does not need dogs exported to another country to sit in another cage.
Guatemala no necesita exportar perros a otro país para que terminen en otra jaula.
Guatemala needs education, structure, rehabilitation, socialization, responsible ownership, and community involvement.
Many of the same people attacking me online do not walk dogs in public, do not socialize dogs in real environments, and do not maintain balanced dogs capable of functioning in society.
Muchas de las mismas personas que me atacan en línea no pasean perros en público, no socializan perros en entornos reales y no mantienen perros equilibrados capaces de funcionar en la sociedad.
Meanwhile, I have personally been contacted by former volunteers and people connected to certain rescues asking for help, advice, intervention, and assistance removing dogs from unsafe situations.
Mientras tanto, ex voluntarios y personas relacionadas con ciertos rescates me han contactado personalmente pidiendo ayuda, consejos, intervención y asistencia para sacar perros de situaciones inseguras.
Volunteers should never be put into situations where they are being attacked by dogs, requiring medical treatment, rabies shots, or emergency assistance because of unmanaged environments and continual dog fights.
Los voluntarios nunca deberían ser puestos en situaciones donde sean atacados por perros, necesiten tratamiento médico, vacunas contra la rabia o asistencia de emergencia debido a entornos sin manejo y peleas constantes entre perros.
Dogs should not live in constant stress, fear, or chaos while people pretend everything is fine online.
Los perros no deberían vivir en estrés constante, miedo o caos mientras las personas pretenden en internet que todo está bien.
You can continue criticizing from a distance, or you can come join us and witness another way of working with dogs — one built on structure, socialization, exercise, nutrition, trust, accountability, and real-world experience.
Pueden seguir criticando desde lejos, o pueden unirse a nosotros y conocer otra manera de trabajar con perros — una basada en estructura, socialización, ejercicio, nutrición, confianza, responsabilidad y experiencia en el mundo real.
The invitation remains open.
La invitación sigue abierta.
@@topfansMayan Dog Rescue FoundationGGuatemala.comThe DodoAAnimal PlanetDDogs are family
20/05/2026
What happens when a pack of dogs meets for the first time?
¿Qué pasa cuando una manada de perros se conoce por primera vez?
Well… sometimes it goes exactly like this.
Bueno… a veces sucede exactamente así.
A few smells.
Unos cuantos olores.
A few pees.
Unas cuantas marcadas.
A little circling.
Un poco de vueltas.
A little tension.
Un poco de tensión.
A little curiosity.
Un poco de curiosidad.
And almost every time this happens, I begin walking away or leading the dogs to another area.
Y casi siempre que esto sucede, comienzo a caminar o a guiar a los perros hacia otra área.
Why? Because movement changes energy.
¿Por qué? Porque el movimiento cambia la energía.
When a calm leader leads with good energy, the dogs follow.
Cuando un líder tranquilo guía con buena energía, los perros siguen.
Once the “you smell me, I smell you” part is over and the dogs begin walking together, everything starts to shift.
Una vez que termina la parte de “tú me hueles y yo te huelo” y los perros empiezan a caminar juntos, todo comienza a cambiar.
The play style changes.
La forma de jugar cambia.
The mindset changes.
La mentalidad cambia.
The dogs begin to realize nobody is there to harm them.
Los perros comienzan a darse cuenta de que nadie está ahí para hacerles daño.
Sometimes the play is rough.
A veces el juego es brusco.
Sometimes it’s gentle.
A veces es tranquilo.
Sometimes it looks like old friends reuniting after years apart.
A veces parece que viejos amigos se reencontraran después de años.
But when the energy stays positive and stress stays low, 99.9% of the time the dogs begin to understand each other naturally.
Pero cuando la energía se mantiene positiva y el estrés bajo, el 99.9% de las veces los perros comienzan a entenderse naturalmente.
Even the strong alpha dogs, or the dogs used to leading packs, begin to soften and look at things differently.
Incluso los perros alfa o los perros acostumbrados a liderar manadas comienzan a relajarse y a ver las cosas de otra manera.
Then the real meet-and-greet happens.
Entonces ocurre el verdadero encuentro.
Then the play kicks in.
Entonces comienza el juego.
Then the dogs begin doing what dogs are supposed to do… play together, communicate, and coexist.
Entonces los perros empiezan a hacer lo que los perros deben hacer… jugar juntos, comunicarse y convivir.
Today my girls met more dogs for the first time, dogs that were once feral street dogs and are now also family dogs.
Hoy mis niñas conocieron más perros por primera vez, perros que alguna vez fueron perros callejeros ferales y que ahora también son perros de familia.
The introduction went smoothly.
La introducción salió muy bien.
A couple of sniffs, a little walk, a little conversation with the owner, and then we were all moving together.
Unos cuantos olores, una pequeña caminata, una conversación con el dueño y luego todos caminábamos juntos.
This is part of it.
Esto es parte del proceso.
Dogs speak dog.
Los perros hablan idioma perro.
Us humans have to understand that it’s a completely different language.
Nosotros los humanos tenemos que entender que es un lenguaje completamente diferente.
And sometimes it takes your own dog to teach you how communication really works.
Y a veces hace falta tu propio perro para enseñarte cómo funciona realmente la comunicación. https://www.mayandogrescuefoundation.org
Guatemala.com The Dodo Guatemala Fans Carmona Trails Pepsi Coca-Cola PepsiCo
Soul Dog Rescue The name says it all! They are out in the 4 corners boots on the ground! May 20th is HUGE day for them they need a Turck, A flat bed, A box TRUcK! ! who do we know that can give a hand and use of there truck or Rent a truck for them? @topfans
Visit Utah
Flatbed trailer, box truck or ??? Needed Wednesday, May 20th between 8am-2pm for a HUGE pick-up!
We have the opportunity to grab 10 pallets of pure gold aka dog and puppy food. This is a mega mega donation when you work in a shelter facility.
We are looking for somebody who might have the ability to help us haul these pallets from Denver to our Fort Lupton facility. The date is set for Wednesday, but the time is a little bit flexible. Please email [email protected] if you can help! Thank you in advance!
23/05/2026
19/05/2026