Bootees for dogs

For most Galapagos visitors crossing the bizarre sharp-edged lava fields is an impressive experience. It is a difficult exercise and one wonders how other creatures manage to cross these fields. Of course, the goats have no problem.

An estimated 100'000 of these hoofed animals now threaten the survival of the
15 000 giant tortoises. The feral goats have inflicted lasting damage on the flora. With no natural enemies they have flourished. The survival of the giant tortoises and other species is highly dependent on whether one can free the islands from these voracious animals.

Now that the islands of Pinta and Santiago have been successfully freed from introduced goats and pigs, work has now started on Isabela. The largest island of the archipelago presents a great challenge with its five volcanoes and multiple lava fields. Nowhere has such a large habitat ever been freed from introduced species. 30 hunters and 80 hunting dogs, which help to locate the goats in the thick vegetation, are at work on the project.

However the dogs have great difficulties - when crossing the sharp-edged lava they injure their paws, and need several days to recover. The absence of the dogs could endanger the project. To protect the dogs' paws small leather boots have been developed, similar to those used for sledge-dogs. However, the rate of wear on these dog boots on Galapagos is very high. So please help us to keep up the supply.

With CHF15 you cover the cost of a set of 4 boots which a dog can wear for a month, with CHF90 it is equipped for 6 months, and with CHF180 for a whole year.

Please call us or transfer your contribution to our account ("Boots")
Nr.0823-217275-31
Credit Suisse
6301 Zug
Swiss Friends of the Galapagos Islands.

Thank you for your support.