DOG’S NAME: Camila

      AGE: Roughly 5

      OWNER: Mariela

      FROM: Amigos de la Calle, Heredia, Costa Rica

      LIVES: Florida Keys, USA

      ‘In Costa Rica, where I grew up, the street dog population is very high, so our family had always adopted dogs straight from the streets. I got my first street dog as a teenager and I never went back; they are survivors, really smart dogs who have learned how to read humans, can sense the good and the bad in people, and when they find the love of a family they won’t let it go.

      These days I live on an island in Florida Keys with my husband, but we came across Camila because she was being fostered by my mum back in Costa Rica. At first, my husband didn’t feel ready for another dog as we had recently lost our German Shepherd – we don’t have human children, so our pets are our children, and to lose this one was devastating for both of us. But we knew at some point we were going to adopt a dog, so why wait? So we went to Costa Rica to meet Camila personally.

      Camila had had a terrible start in life. The first picture I saw of her was one my mother sent me: she was tied to a short chain in a house’s back yard elsewhere in my mother’s neighbourhood, with no food, water or shelter. In Costa Rica the rainy season lasts nine months, and she was clearly suffering. It was later discovered that she had a broken leg, too. After lots of phone calls it turned out that Camila was already on the radar of an animal charity, Amigos de la Calle, and had been taken to hospital to have her leg fixed, but was in that house as a transition because they couldn’t find anyone to foster her. So my mother took her. She stayed with my mom for a year, letting her leg heal and getting better, but my mom hadn’t really planned on having a dog – and we wanted one.

      Once we met her, I knew she was right for us, although my husband wasn’t sure initially. But she’d spent a year living in Costa Rica, and I was afraid of how she was going to react when we got her home. After all, she’d only met us a couple of times, she’d never seen the ocean and I have a cat in the house.

      I should have been more worried about the journey from Costa Rica to Miami, however. I think she had a horrible and stressful journey that, with plane cancellations and other problems, meant that it took over seventeen hours. When the plane landed at 2 p.m. it was extremely hot and humid, and when I went to take her out of her crate she was growling and very aggressive. I quickly put a leash on her and offered water and food, but she didn’t want anything.

      I drove her to a nearby park where she went to the bathroom and drank a little bit of water, and when we got back to the car she rested on my legs. I could tell her stress levels were really high, but if I made any attempt to pet her she would growl at me. I was getting worried this was not going to work after all, given everything she’d been through, but I wanted to have hope. Two hours later at home we took her for a short walk at the beach and showed her her food, her water and her dog bed. She immediately went to the bed and lay down like she knew it was her place.

      Initially, though she got very close to my husband, she was a very shy dog, who never played with toys and always seemed to be waiting for us to give her a command. This made me sad, as I wanted her to be like any other dog. I wasn’t sure if she was unhappy or just confused. She was very shy with strangers and would charge at people who wanted to pet her, so we had to be very careful with her in public places. Now, after two years, she understands that people just want to give her love and she is the one who goes closer to strangers to be petted. She also knows how to have fun now! We got her a doggy pool, which she loves – she loves everything to do with water – and we also managed to teach her to paddleboard.

      Once we were able to help her get over her fears, we could see Camila for who she really is: a playful, loving, smart and sensitive dog. We believe she is so thankful that she tries to do everything right for us. She’s also very protective of us, and was so right from the start. On our first trip to Costa Rica Camila had slept at the foot of the stairs, but one night she came upstairs and woke me up. It was the first time she had ever done that, and she wasn’t barking, but almost crying and placing her paw in my face. I didn’t know her well at the time and I thought she was just not used to seeing me in her house, so I dismissed her, but then she went to my mom, who went downstairs thinking she might need to go outside. When she walked by the kitchen Camila stopped, and my mother realised that she had left something cooking in the kitchen that was about to catch fire.

      And last year when we were on vacation in the Smoky Mountains National Park, getting ready for an early morning walk, I turned around and there was an adult black bear about eight feet away from us, looking right at us. I was frozen and mesmerised by the beauty of the animal – as a biologist I have a deep appreciation of large mammals – but I was very worried about what Camila might do. Very slowly, Camila walked over and placed herself in front of me. She never barked or growled, but I think she was ready to protect me. Slowly I pulled Camila close to me and we walked to our cabin without losing sight of the bear. Thankfully he left and went on into the woods.

      The best thing about Cami is that, like many dogs, she is a constant reminder of the importance of being thankful for what we have and enjoying every moment. She seems happy all the time, and enjoys the simple things, like her pool after her morning walk or a simple ride on the paddleboard. She is such a great companion, and an irreplaceable part of our family.

      To adopt a dog is the best decision you can make. It will change your life for ever – they bring so much joy and they appreciate the love and safety of a family because of their past experiences. Another advantage is that almost all stray dogs are mixes, so they don’t suffer with the congenital health problems that pure breed dogs can. I think humans have a lot to answer for when it comes to dogs’ suffering – whether that’s inbred dogs from puppy mills, or stray dogs on the street. So if you love animals, why not to be part of the solution instead, and give a homeless dog a family?’

      ••• CHAPTER TWO •••

       No Going Back

       ‘More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin’

      Ecuador, November 2014

      Getting into the boats for the final leg of the race, I was reminded yet again what a compact and uncomfortable thing the kayak is. Even if it isn’t pitch dark, as it was this time, it is always a challenge to assemble our kit, pack it in the boat and get ourselves balanced and ready to push off. But this time I wanted the whole process to go on for ever. The last thing I wanted to do was get into the boats and push off.

      I knew that behind me, standing a little way back, the dog was watching as we made our preparations. After nearly two days with him I knew that he was exhausted and weakened by the terrible wounds on his back, and I strongly suspected that he had used up all his strength on the short swim that he’d had to make crossing the river a few hours earlier.

      Slowly, still trying to eke out the time, I helped Staffan put the boats in the water. Pitch dark as it was, I knew that no one could see how I was

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