Imantag, Ecuador, is a land of color and contrast, known for its agriculture production and breathtaking landscapes. It is one of the rural parishes that is near Cotacachi, where many indigenous cultures coexist in small and impoverished villages.

People in Imantag work the fields, planting, sowing, and growing food for their families. The dogs roam free alongside the men and women, while the cats spend their days and nights hunting mice and rats. Unfortunately, there are no veterinary services in this village, and as a result, animals reproduce without control.

Most families in Imantag already have too many dogs and cats, only because they can’t stop them from reproducing. Coqui’s is the classic tale of the dog born in one of these villages. He was likely born into a home that could no longer care for more animals, and with no options to place the puppies, Coqui and his littermates were put inside a sack of corn and were abandoned in a field. A woman named Maria found the sack and the puppies; all except Coqui had already asphyxiated. 

Like many individuals in her parish, Maria has more animals than she can properly care for. She has an affinity towards them and can’t bear to see them suffering in the streets. As with Coqui, she has already welcomed 12 dogs into her home. Without access to spay or neuter services, animals in these villages reproduce with no control, and without preventive care, they contract diseases and viruses that cause suffering and even death.

Amici Cannis is committed to helping families in indigenous villages, like Imantag, curb the number of animals being born in their homes so they can provide better care for their pets. 



Our team has visited Imantag a total of four times in recent days, providing check-ups and determining what type of care each animal needs, in addition to being spayed or neutered. It is during one of these visits that our team met Coqui, thanks to Maria’s interest in accessing our services and providing him and her other eleven dogs with the care they need. Little Coqui was neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed, and he is now living a healthy, happy life with Maria and the rest of the pack.