To our lovely GLA Animal Rescue Project Alumni,

We still can’t believe how much time has past since our trip in Costa Rica! It just seems like yesterday we all met at the airport on our very first day and played what seems like hundred of icebreakers to get to know one another. As you read this letter, perhaps you are back in school, on another adventure, or working on the next steps in your life but we want you all to know we here in Costa Rica are still reflecting on all the wonderful memories we made together. It is truly incredible what an impact you all made!

We are so proud of the hardworking young adults that you are and the bright future that you have at your fingertips. You each have such diverse and valuable attributes that allowed you to change the lives of the dogs at the shelter, Antonio’s family, the animals at the VIDA clinics, and the community as a whole. As our last group this summer, we look back fondly on all the memories we made and all your efforts here in Costa Rica. We are very excited to let you guys know that in December, a handful of GLA alumni from other animal rescue programs will be returning to Antonio’s shelter to adopt: Whippet, Camila, Corre Caminos, Caca (the four dogs in front), and Harry (the dog with the burned half of his face). Your names will forever be written on the walls as a memory of the hard work, love and dedication you ALL contributed to this cause. And thanks to your help, the dogs are starting to go to caring homes where they will receive all the love in the world. We hope that the knowledge that you have gained on this trip will serve you in the future communities you are a part of! We all met people from different backgrounds than our own and it is important to remember to give back when possible. I would like to commend you for your tolerance, perseverance, and strength. At times, we all faced difficult challenges but they were handled with grace and determination. You did it!

We thank you ALL for the fun memories we have made together! Our group was filled with all kinds of students from different backgrounds and places, with varying personalities and interests. No two were alike; and that is what made it so special! We experienced Costa Rican culture by learning to salsa, eating rice and beans at every meal, working on our bargaining skills at the markets, hiking through forests and by waterfalls, visiting Ruins and Basilicas, and living with our wonderful staff at the hotels. We frolicked on horses, visited a bird zoo, learned the coffee making process, went white water rafting, flew through the trees zip-lining, became pro surfers and paddle boarders, and you all assisted in spay and neuter surgeries! This trip has truly been one for the books and you ALL have accomplished so much. We are SO proud of you and will always remember this trip. Thank you all again for helping to make so many memories in this amazing place!

Some special moments from our trip:

-Working on the animal shelter by paint chipping, painting, walking and loving the dogs.

-Yelling “Pura Vida” as we white water rafted down the San Carlos river!

-Sipping on organic coffee at the coffee farm tour.

-Relaxing in the hot springs while overlooking the beautiful Orosi Valley (and munching on some very yummy yuca and plantain chips!)

-Visiting ZooAve and seeing all of the amazing birds, a Danta, monkeys, sloths, and so much more!

-Visiting local school children and teaching them about animal well being and playing games with them.

-And how could we ever forget Karaoke night?!

We have accomplished so much! Never forget how special you all are and how much of an impact you have made. We hope you never forget your Summer 2018 in Costa Rica!

Muchas Gracias,
Your staff

 

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Dear our Lovely GLA Squad Animal Rescue Alumni,

We still can’t believe how much time has past since our trip in Costa Rica! I can still remember meeting you all the very first day at the airport. I remember orientation day like it was yesterday and what felt like hundreds of icebreakers that we all did to get to know each other. You are most likely back in school or working on your next steps in life but we wanted you to know that here in Costa Rica we are still thinking about all of the memories and the impact that we have made!

Everything that you guys have done here in Costa Rica has truly made such an incredible impact! We are so proud of the hardworking young adults that you are and the bright future that you have at your fingertips. Each and every one of you has positively effected our lives, the dogs at the animal shelters lives, Antonio’s family’s life, VIDA’s life, and the community as a whole. As you all know, you were the first group to complete this Animal Rescue 21 day Program and we want you to know that your legacy will live on. Due to your generosity in making and contributing to the Animal Shelter GoFundMe account: the dogs are getting plenty of food, toys, medical care, and beautiful living conditions with fresh coats of paint. Your names will forever be written on the walls as a memory of the hard work, love and dedication you ALL contributed. We hope that the knowledge that YOU have gained on this trip will serve you in the future communities you are a part of! We all met people from different backgrounds than our own and it is important to remember to give back when possible.

We thank you ALL for all of the fun memories we have made together! Our group was very close knit with only 13 students and we could not have asked for better individuals to make this trip the blast that it was! We experienced Costa Rican culture by learning to salsa, eating rice and beans at every meal, listening to Champu sing his favorite song, interacting with the community, taking hikes through the forest, visiting Ruins and Basilicas, and becoming friends with Marvin Junior’s family. We visited local markets, frolicked on horses, learned the coffee making process, went white water rafting, flew through the trees zip-lining, became pro surfers and paddle boarders, and you all assisted in spay and neuter surgeries! This trip has truly been one for the books and you ALL have accomplished so much. We will always remember what a blast this time was together! Thank you all again for helping to make so many special memories in this amazing place!

Some special moments from our trip:

-Working on the animal shelter by paint chipping, painting, walking and loving the dogs.

-Going horseback riding, some of us for the first time ever!

-Flying through the sky zip-lining.

-Learning the process of making organic coffee.

-Visiting ZooAve and seeing all of the amazing birds, a Danta, monkeys, sloths, and so much more!

-Yelling “Pura Vida” as we white water rafted down the San Carlos river!

-Celebrating two special birthdays and the 4th for July!

-Visiting local school children and teaching them about animal well being and playing games with them.

-And how could we ever forget Karaoke night?!

We have accomplished so much! Never forget how special you all are and how much of an impact you have made. Summer 2018 spent in Costa Rica will never be forgotten!

Muchas Gracias,
Quinn and the Costa Rican Team

 

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Session four, come back!

Our last trip of the summer wound up being a bit of a roller coaster ride, with higher highs
and some low lows. Overall, the trip was full of kind souls committed to rescuing animals
through park maintenance, working at the animal shelter, community pop up clinics, and
even, perhaps, in time, adopting a local pupper?!

You all did a lot of work, and that work will ripple in Costa Rican communities for years to
come. How many students will understand animal welfare more after our visit to the
Liberian elementary school? How much more money will go to wildlife conservation after
the upkeep we did at Manuel Antonio National Park? How much better will those dogs’
lives be after the painting/building we did at Refugio Voz Animal? We hope you’ll carry the
seeds of change with you as you get back to school and return to your home communities.
And your group understood the motto: work hard, play hard. We ziplined into fields of
cows, rode on the backs of horses in the clouds, and rested together in the hot springs. We
killed each other in fierce games of Mafia, learned new Pokemon playing Contact, and found
out just how fast each person was in a variety of card games.

Some highlights we’ll never forget:
-S’mores on the last night
-Ermia’s attempt to jump over a swamp while ziplining
-Burying Neil in the sand at Manuel Antonio
-Floating in the depths of the Pacific at Manuel Antonio
-Ian’s endless stash of games (and his amazing poetry)
-Helping the dog whose toenail broke during a walk
-Eating so. Many. Trits.
-Neil’s free style
-Annika’s and Alisa’s group sing along to “Counting Stars”

 

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Dear Students,

What an electrifying trip! It’s been a while but it feels like it was only yesterday we were catching loose dogs on clinic days, snuggling puppies at home visits, and helping Antonio and his family with their shelter.

VIDA was extremely impressed with your group, and so were we. From the first moments of the trip, your passion and dedication to helping animals was crystal clear. You threw yourselves into daily tasks, whether that meant helping a cat feel a little safer before surgery, or separating over zealous puppies from their less social bunkmates. The vets had so many praises for you—it’s clear that many of you will go on to change the way the world treats animals.

When it came to adventure, you took a lot of risks and had a lot of fun! Some of my favorite memories from this trip:

-Axe/banana pranks
-Drew saving a frog from a wall of wet paint
-Discussions about veganism and animal cruelty
-Our surprise baby sloth friend after clinic day one
-Finding random dogs and horses near our hotel to pet
-Making friendship bracelets together
-Dancing on the last night
-Casey giving his horse a pep-talk in the mountains
-Dying Lindsay’s hair
-The rip tide we left behind at Manuel Antonio National Park
-Passing those on the highway walking to La Basilica for Dia de la Virgen in Cartago
-Oreo s’mores
-The market after ZooAve

Best,
-Kira, Rebekah and Lindsay

 

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Dear Students,

It’s been a while but I hope you’re still embracing the pura vida we learned together in Costa Rica. From the views of the valley to the steaming hot springs to the adrenaline of zip lining, I’ll never forget your group.

Working with a new group of students is always amazing, but your group went above and beyond expectations. You worked hard, stayed vulnerable, and overcame fears despite immense self-doubt. I’m so, so proud of you. Whether it was your enduring love of scraping paint, running after dogs during walks, or helping each other finish each and every zipline, you all found ways to make Costa Rica your own, to leave your mark on the memory of GLA and the communities around you.

The work that you did in communities will persevere for years—decades, even. Those puppers in Orosi will live in more comfortable conditions thanks to you. The dogs and cats you worked with vets to spay/neuter in Parrita and Liberia will no longer contribute to the stray population—more pets will stay in loving homes. And of course, the beach will be cleaner and prettier thanks to you—not to mention plentiful in almonds and shade, eventually.

Costa Rica is something special, but it doesn’t feel quite as special now that you’ve left it. Hope to see you soon.

A few highlights:
-The surprising delight of the cow hotel
-The equally surprising, but perhaps less delightful hike to Marvin’s house
-Learning Salsa with Luis
-Devouring ice cream at ZooAve
-Melanie becoming a true tree hugger
-Blessing trees
-The moody waves from beach cleanup
-S’mores with Chikys

Much love,
-Kira, Rebekah, and Lindsay

 

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