Click here to see the latest “Golden Paw” Award news Presenting the “Golden Paw” Award
Please click here and fill out the form with the required information. Thank you for your interest in this program! Latest news on the “Golden Paw” Award The nominations for the next Golden Paw Award are due by May 15. If you know someone who makes our community a truly better place through the work they do with animals, please click here to fill out the form on our website or email us at info@mckee-jaco.com. Nominations may come from any community member. Please read the nomination guidelines before filling out the form. The “Golden Paw” Award for Brenda Morales from Tárcoles THE “GOLDEN PAW” AWARD is presented twice a year by both OUR ORGANIZATION and by the magazine “PETS Y MAS”, and its purpose is to honor local people in our communities for their compassion and service toward animals. On June 22nd, 2011 this award was presented to Brenda Morales Gonzales. Brenda came to Costa Rica by way of Nicaragua some 18 years ago, and it is here that she learned to love animals, soon making the decision to dedicate her life to dogs. And this is where she continues to learn so much about them, and where her affection for them grows so much.
About 5 years ago Brenda was living with her husband Juan and son Marvin on a farm in Quebrada Ganado, and there wasn’t a week that went by that she didn’t end up bringing home some injured or abandoned animal which needed help. Because of her big heart, very soon the family was surrounded by 12 dogs, which became too much for the owner of the farm, who soon asks Brenda and Juan to either get rid of the animals or leave. Now Brenda and her family are heartbroken and don’t know what to do, but it seems that 2006 is to be Brenda’s lucky year, as she meets Patricia Holmer, a Canadian lady who just happens to live up the road apiece in Tarcoles, together with her husband Tonny and over 10 dogs and cats, most of which have been rescued from the streets. Patricia, a big- time animal lover herself, offers Brenda and her family a place that she and her husband are taking care of, a short 200 meters from where she lives, and she gives her permission to bring all 12 dogs she was taking care of on the farm. This is the start of a great relationship between these two extraordinary ladies.
Today, between 20 and 30 animals live full-time on Brenda’s property, all rescued from a miserable life with irresponsible owners or from the streets, and she and her family not only take care of them, they also make sure that the animals get both the necessary medical care as well as spayed/neutered, in order to find good homes. Brenda’s son Marvin is (besides Brenda) the main caretaker – he’s learned how to inject animals and give them their treatments so that they don’t need to be brought to the clinic every day. Every free minute of each day Brenda and Marvin spend taking care of these animals, and they both have part-time jobs in addition to all this hard work they do at home! Their animals live in good conditions on a large fenced piece of property, and there is always enough food and fresh water for them. But the most important thing they have is the love and attention they get from all 3 family members — something they never knew in their previous lives. I’ve known Patricia and Brenda for over 5 years now, and I’ve completely lost count of the number of animals rescued by them - thanks to these extraordinary women, so many animals have had a chance for a new, better life, and we can only hope that more and more people will follow this example. The Golden Paw Award for Karin Hoad from THE “GOLDEN PAW AWARD” is presented twice a year by both OUR ORGANIZATION and by the magazine “PETS Y MAS”. Its purpose is to honor local people in our communities for their compassion and service toward animals. On January 14, 2011 the award was presented to KARIN HOAD, the director of ASOCIACION ANIMALES DE ASIS IN HEREDIA for her excellent work with and for abandoned animals in the Central Valley.
“GOLDEN PAW” AWARD now in central valley We proudly announce that starting this year, the Asociacion Pro Bienestar Animal (member of the McKee Project Costa Rica) will present its prestigious “Golden Paw” award together with the magazine Pets y mas. Once a year, as in the past, the presentation will take place in Garabito County, and the second presentation will take place in the Metropolitan Area of San José. The “Golden Paw Award” is presented twice a year to honor local people in our communities for their compassion and service toward animals. Please click here to see a recent Pets y mas article on the award. Presenting the “Golden Paw Award” THE “GOLDEN PAW AWARD” is presented twice a year by our organization to honor local people in our community for their compassion and service toward animals. On June 16th, 2010 the award was presented to Shirlene Chinchilla Perez from Quebrada Amarilla. Shirlene, a sweet young girl with a big heart, together with her husband Carlos Bermudez, are really putting the effort towards making Quebrada Amarilla and the surrounding area a better place to live for all animals. Their house is full of happy, healthy pets, many of them rescued by Shirlene or Carlos, and many that were just dumped off in front of their house by irresponsible owners. Yet all of them find a loving home there, where they are cared for until they can get adopted. A visit to their home reveals just how much they care about our furry little friends — there’s the group of little abandoned kittens exploring their new place, the 5 adorable little puppies found in a box in front of their house happily playing with each other and there is an injured dog that was left on the side of the road that is now receiving the proper care.
Shirlene and Carlos not only take care of animals in need, they also make sure that they find good homes and get spayed/neutered as soon as possible. Together they both run a little factory where they produce beautiful clothes, especially all kinds of shirts with logos on them, and a percentage of their income is always put aside in a special box in order to pay for castrations of their foster babies. I’ve known Shirlene and Carlos for over 5 years now, and I’ve completely lost count of the number of animals rescued by them — thanks to this extraordinary couple so many have had a chance for a new, better life. We can only hope that more and more people will follow this example.
Rossy helps all animals who happen by her restaurant or her house. She feeds them when they are hungry, makes sure that they get fixed and fosters them until they get adopted. All animals are welcome at her place — she has 3 cats and 9 dogs of her own, with many others that are just visitors. Some of them she found injured on the street, others just came to her place and never left — and why would they?
If you would like to see the presentation “Life” — tune in to Channel 11 in January — we will inform you of the exact day and time. On June 16th, 2009 the award was presented to Maudy Cordero Cordero, a student of Colegio Técnico Profesional in Jacó. Katja Bader |
Thank you Rossy, for all the time and love you give to those furry little friends who need your help. 
Maudy, who is only 15 years old, is trying really hard to make Jacó a better place to live for all kinds of animals. Her house is full of happy, healthy pets, most of them rescued by Maudy or someone in her family, and all of them loved and cared for until they get adopted. There’s the happy parrot singing away in the almond tree, saved by Maudy from a miserable life in a small cage, there’s the gang of little abandoned kittens scampering around the place, all hand-raised by Maudy and her Mom Aurora — this means bottle-feeding them every 4 hours, day and night. There are the adorable little puppies found in a box on a bridge, injured birds and whoever else is in need of human care.
