territorio de zaguates

It was getting late and the roads were getting busy. We put a destination into our GPS to find it didn't exist. That night we arrived in San Jose late with plans to drive up to an interesting compound in an even more interesting modern human/dog time; a time where humans over-breed dogs for money or a state of meaningless visual perfection and traits that will almost never be fully taken advantage of, let alone used---a time where shelters kill and dogs are isolated for months and even years. The place we were going to in this beautiful jungle filled country with more thriving wildlife and luscious forests than almost anywhere on earth was Territorio de Zaguates: an open world for strays in Costa Rica beginning around 9 years ago with around 40-50 dogs and now exploding with fluctuations between 800-1200. Unfortunately nobody knew where this place was and the only way to reach it was by knowing where landmarks were or by the locals word of mouth. We tucked into a hotel that night, brainstormed how we'd get there in the morning and called it a day. 

The sunlight came showering through the drapes and I jumped up in my bed, I almost could not contain myself. The mere thought of an area devoted and dedicated to the freedom of our closest companion sent envisioning chills throughout my entire body; a hope for the future of what man created, what man molded, and sadly what man likes to control. A hope for a future of real coexistence was rushing through my brain. I washed my face, went down for some quick breakfast and hopped into the rental car with Gina. As I cranked over the motor and wiggled the stick through neutral like I was playing a fighter jet game she was popping in coordinates and charting routes like we were strategizing a Game of Thrones attack. "We'll go this way than turn onto this road! Thaaan cut across this wayyy.." flipping paper maps and sucking dry the last of our Wifi. The car squealed onto the busy streets of San Jose and off we went into the mountains not too far away. The motor roared with all...1 cylinders up the near vertical rocky roads and we kept getting closer and closer. "Turn here, turn there! At the next chicken coop make a left! at the church go right! See that little dark dirt road? THERE!" In a time where you can locate a lost kitten with GPS, directions never felt so 1990's..and we were loving it. 

Road after road, fruit tree after fruit tree we kept losing our way but getting closer and closer. Somewhere around the general area we started seeing an unusual amount of pups walking the streets and got the feeling we must be close. We began asking directions from locals which brought us a few more dirt roads and U-turns. Finally we got a tip from a kind old gentleman on the street that the 'red door' was the doorway to the land of strays, and it was 'THAT WAY!' (insert finger here). Bolting up the road we hit the red door, yanked the e-brake and got out. It was shut. No sign of noise, no sign of entry. We sat outside thinking.. 'we cant just go back..we need to get in here...this is it!' We were perplexed with options, some illegal, others funny, some requiring minutes of thought. We thought "lets just wait..." Twenty minutes later sitting on the gravel road with our faces in our palms, the bushes shook and black noses sniffed under the few inches of room beneath the red door. One dog two dog three dogs came walking out of the jungles and circled around us. We sat on the dirt, our brows raised and smiles across our faces as each came to curiously see what we were about. 

Bodies touched bodies, noses touched noses, bellies were scratched and mutual interest was exchanged. For a second I completely forgot the red door was behind me and got lost in the eyes of one brave little female with a lust for affection. Through an extremely lucky circumstance and some time after, the red door was opened and behind it a road leading upwards towards not just Territorio de Zaguates, but my boiling fascination. The barks and the howls, the yodels and the yips grew louder and louder and my grin wider and wider. One hundred, two hundred, four hundred, seven hundred and counting walking running snarling and screaming commune canines stood right in front of me. For a second I looked around realizing every fact; every scientific behavioral, domestic and wild fact I knew...and I took a knee. Around me males and females of every mixed breed known to man snarled in jealousy for touching rights, tongues warmed my sweaty face and the odor of a real dog took to my nostrils. I was in a world were stress panic aggression insecurities and envy was handled instantaneously. Without words tools or hesitation, the energy of order blew over my mind like a cloud of smoke.

I grabbed the closest mutt to me and dug my fingernails into his bug and dirt filled chalky coat and moved with him as two more jumped onto my back and examined the smell of my 8 day old un-Qtipped ear-wax. The inhalations and long breath holds of each dog followed by the tongue-out stares had me cranked like a pup who just pooped. I turned to the side and saw Gina surrounded by four dozen dogs, her hands in the air as if she was walking through a crowded bar with drinks in her hand; every dog wanting to pop up and smell her breath. She grabbed a young boy by the cheeks and started staring into him, examining him, connecting with him. I felt like someone laid me flat on the ground and restart my heart with a maul-hammer. "Yes!" I thought..."Ugh YES!". My mind took me back to the first shelter I had ever been in. The feeling of looking at them for more than a pet, the feeling  of something more than ownership; the revolting  feeling  of superiority, over a life so much as to be compelled to lock it up. 

In a pack of over 800 dogs I saw unity, I saw ability. I saw in a country whose economy and production is so far behind ours have something that is so far ahead. The few workers on this property explained that they do not run away, they always come back with each other; granted they roam around a distance over manly uninhabited terrain, they always return. Fights do break out and this is perfectly normal especially with such a large group of dogs, however they allow the dogs to work out for themselves who falls and who rises in rank. Only in extreme cases will they intervene to prevent a death. Every one of these dogs is up for adoption and can go home to someone looking at any moment of any day. To some dogs I would argue this could be more cruel than good in respect to the amount of freedom they have. However the energy as well as mindset towards dogs is quite different compared to here in the states, where if someone sees a stray dog they call 911 or animal control. Over there they're thrown food, squirted with a hose and sent on their merry way. 

Most of the dogs if not all are sterilized to prevent a higher number of malnourishment or unfeedable future bellies. They are let out of their spacious compound routinely for romps and exploration around the mountains and hills which only promotes greater social skills, sharper minds and overall well-being which in turn makes them a less neurotic more adoptable animal. No single cells, no unnecessary isolation and no euthanization. The problem with homeless animals or the acceptance of is a problem that will not be solved over-night. But with insight and examples such as Territorio de Zaguates one can more quickly move towards the liberating idea of freedom for our closest and fastest growing companion: our dogs, our mutts, our best friends. Please visit Territorio de Zaguates page on facebook, and if you're in the San Jose area, stop by and say hello to over 800 happy & free faces.