Associacao Amiga dos Animais is a small animal rescue organisation based in Brazil who aim to care for the many stray and abandoned animals needing their help. I hope to spend some time also volunteering to help.

From what I have been told, this charity has fallen on hard times and has not got enough resources and facilities to carry out their work. By spending time volunteering there, I also hope to promote their cause through painting and publicity, with the help of my penpal.

Since ultimately I hope to set up a nature reserve, spending a short time gaining experience and getting to know the culture and  the area would help me a lot. It would allow me to spend time also getting to know the process required for founding a nature reserve and whether it is a viable scheme, or otherwise discover the existing conservation policies and developments in the area.

When I graduate this summer, I hope to have a zoology degree, which would help further this plan. I have also found a local school which would allow me to teach English as a native speaker if I gain a TEFL qualification. So my next plan will be to apply for a TEFL course (having already forwarded my CV) and organise a trip to Brazil, teaching English to pay my way and volunteering for Associacao Amigas dos Animais.

I hope this venture can help even in a small way…

Here is the blog from Associacao Amigas dos Animais:

http://associacaoamigadosanimais.blogspot.com/

Please visit for interest and to show your support…the remaining 50% of any profits raised by Pet Portraits will be used to help with my plans to support them and investigate setting up a nature reserve in Brazil.