Mozambique Dog Names

Sometimes a dog will have to travel a long way to get to their forever home. Carmen, a five-year old street hound, is a native of Mozambique. As a result of the work of MAPS or Mozambique Animal Protection Society, the first and only rescue organization in the country, Carmen found a home with a couple in Jay, Vermont. The organization’s founder, Claudia Neto, explained that Carmen had been in the shelter for more than a year and it seemed that there was no hope for her to find a home. Neto shared her story on Facebook, which led to a friend connecting Neto to the potential forever home. Carmen was rescued from a university clinic in Mozambique where dogs are frequently taken off the streets so that students can practice surgical and medical procedures. The pups are locked in very dirty cages for weeks and months and get no exercise while they are operated on and stitched without aftercare. Carmen spent a long time in the medical clinic until Neto was given the go-ahead to take her to the shelter to be rehabilitated and ultimately adopted.

Unfortunately, after more than a year, Carmen was still there, waiting for a home. After so much time in the shelter, Carmen began to show signs of “kennel trauma”. She was circling her pen, bounding off the walls, and more. It was apparent that she needed to leave the small space of the shelter. This led to Neto’s Facebook efforts which included assistance with Carmen’s international transport if necessary.  Carmen’s journey is significant. She and Neto will fly from Maputo in Mozambique, to Johannesburg, South Africa. From there, they will fly for 16 hours to New York, from which they will drive to Vermont. Fortunately for Carmen, no quarantine period is required as long as when she arrives in the U.S. port of entry the veterinarian gives her a clean bill of health. While no import permit is needed, an export permit from Mozambique is long and expensive, which is somewhat puzzling considering Mozambique’s cultural view of animals is often seen as somewhat indifferent Fortunately, Neto was willing to do the needed work to ensure that Carmen has the chance to live a good life in her new home. Neto is now building a new organization called PATA Mozambique, which stands for People for the Aid and Treatment of Animals.