¡MEET PEPE!

(he’s named after a delicious Guatemalan chicken stew called Pepian)

'Sup dawg?

Pepe is a four-month-old rescue dog that we adopted from AWARE, an organization that runs a shelter for abandoned or abused dogs in Guatemala. The farm houses over 300 dogs and even some cats and bunnies. They also spay/ neuter, and vaccinate all of their animals.

At the AWARE farm with his friend Sorrell 

Hanging with his squad at the AWARE farm 

Using bacon treats to make him look at the camera

Getting acclimated to our level of sophistication

75 percent of the population here lives below the poverty line (~$3/day), making life difficult for most Guatemalans. This creates an unhealthy situation for domestic animals, and animals are generally not treated well. The streets of Guatemala City (as well as Xela, Antigua and other towns we've visited) are full of stray dogs, many emaciated and grossly neglected. 

So, when we got here we decided it made sense to adopt – and we are so happy we did because now we get to hang out with this playful, affectionate, goofy, cuddly little dude every day.

His mom is a border-collie and we think his pop is a Lab of sorts.

Also, Pepe’s been a cool tool for making friends. We’ve met a bunch of friendly expats and Guatemalans in local parks who have invited us to Halloween parties, on hikes and other dog-loving activities.

Hogging the yoga mat

Sleeping, running, inhaling food and pooping are among his favorite pastimes thus far. 

He’s awesome.