Rosemary Gordon is the founder of Asociacion Humanitaria San Francisco de Asis (AHSFA), an animal rescue center running a veterinarian clinic. We treat all animals, but have a specialty in spaying and neutering cats and dogs.
Rosemary was born in Peru out of an South African father and Peruvian mother. They moved to South Africa where she was raised and where she lived for a big part of her life. In the 1990s she returned to Peru and in 2005 she founded AHSFA in Colán, a small beach town in Northern Peru.
Due to the level of poverty in the area and a lack of education there is a high degree of neglect, both intentional and unintentional, imposed on domestic animals such as dogs and cats.
Some people just don’t have the knowledge of proper husbandry and probably don’t have the finances either. Therefore, the animals are not always given the best care. Others just treat their pets as trash or worthless beings. They don’t matter to them. Some of the animals get sick because of a lack of care. Or worse, they die. Others end up in the streets, homeless. Thrown out by their owners because they get tired of them. Or it’s their punishment for stealing food or something similar.
Rosemary decided that she personally could do something about the animal overpopulation and terrible number of homeless, hungry and sick cats and dogs. She dedicates her life to these animals and tries to educate the community about the importance of spay and neuter and proper veterinary care. She is driven by her passion in a place where no one shares her view and constantly questions her faith in humanity.
AHSFA also staffs one veterinarian and one assistant who run a mobile clinic in the nearby rural villages.
Rosemary employs 2 locals as well, part-time. They help to feed the animals, clean their cages, walk the dogs and do general maintenance of the gardens and the house.
The team is completed by foreign volunteers who can help year-round.
Volunteer with animals in Peru 