When Scott Kalmbach travelled to Guatemala, he knew that he would help build a home for a person who needs it, but he never imagined that he’d be giving an abandoned puppy a home. Scot is a realtor and he’s a part of the “Home for a Home” organization that builds houses for families in needs in Guatemala. Scott was working with his coworkers along the streets of Balanya, when he tripped from a tiny, adorable animal. That tan-colored tiny little creature was a puppy.
“She was wagging her tail so fast and furiously and kept falling over from all the excitement,” says Scott.
He took a photo of the adorable dog, but he didn’t have time to do more since he was busy. He promised himself to come back and see the dog again.
“I thought, ’If I find that dog when we come back to Balanya, I am going to bring her home with me. She was such a sweet little girl,” says Scott.
When Scott got back to his hotel, he looked for a rescue group that could help him with the dog. He even gave her a name-Chica. He found the group called “Unidos Para Los Animales”, and the founder Linda Green. Linda agreed to help Scott fly Chica to California, so the only thing left to do was track Chica down. Scott searched the village but couldn’t find her, so he asked some kids for help. The kids immediately recognized Chica and told Scot where she was. After 2 hours of walking, they finally arrived at the town dump.
“It was a vast hillside of garbage where both children and stray dogs picked through the heaps of trash, looking for something to eat or play with,” Kalmbach said. “Beside this tower of trash, laying in a nest of tall grass, was Chica, smiling with those eyes of hers and wagging that tail wildly.”
Scott picked Chica up and noticed she was in pretty bad shape. She was covered with bugs and fleas and she looked starving. Scott put Chica in his car and went to the rescue group. Chica stayed in the shelter for 1 month where she was taken care of, cleaned and vaccinated. She was finally readu for her new home. Chica flew to San Francisco and she was finally in her dad’s arms. Chica fit perfectly in the new family.
“She is fantastic with kids and has been a great stepmom to our other pets, including rabbits and goats. She is extremely affectionate and loves to sleep under the covers in bed. It’s hard to believe she had such a scroungy beginning, and now has settled in so well to a normal life,” he said. “I think many people meet stray dogs when traveling and don’t realize that it actually is possible to bring them home with you and give them a fresh start. She is such a love … I’m so thankful we brought her home.” says Scott.
