The phenomenon of community dogs in Aranjuez
If you walk along calle 76 between carreras 45 and 48, you will notice something you don't see in other neighborhoods of Medellín: dogs crossing the road with total confidence, waiting for the traffic light to change alongside pedestrians, and receiving greetings by name from shopkeepers. They are not common stray dogs. They are the community dogs of Aranjuez, a network of about 47 animals that have a collective owner: the entire neighborhood.
This phenomenon is no coincidence. Since 2019, a group of residents from the northern zone of Medellín began to organize themselves to care for the dogs living on the street, and what started as giving leftover food became an organized structure with schedules, feeding routes, allied veterinary clinics, and a WhatsApp group with over 300 active members. By August 2026, the network has already achieved more than 120 successful adoptions and maintains an up-to-date census of each animal.
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The most curious thing is that it is not a formal NGO nor does it receive money from the state. It is pure community management by the inhabitants of Aranjuez, who understood that animal welfare is also a way of caring for the neighborhood. Here we tell you who the key caregivers are, how the network works, and how you can become part of this community that has achieved what many formal organizations could not: giving the dogs of the 76 a dignified life.
Who's who: the caregivers who keep the network going
The network does not have a formal board of directors, but there are five people whose daily work sustains the entire system. These are the profiles you will see every day if you go near the area.
Doña Gloria: the matriarch of carrera 45
Gloria Restrepo is 67 years old and lives on carrera 45 with calle 77, in front of the main park of Aranjuez. She was the first to start feeding the dogs in 2019, when she noticed that a mixed-breed female dog named Mona had puppies in a vacant lot in front of her house. Gloria brought out an old mattress, a pot of food, and a bucket of water. Today, her house is the network's operations center.
Her routine starts at 5:30 in the morning. She prepares 12 kilos of rice with chicken and offal that she buys with the neighbors' contributions. At 6:30, the first dogs are already sitting at the door waiting for their breakfast. Gloria not only gives them food: she talks to them, checks their paws, and notes down any wounds or strange behavior in a notebook. That notebook is the network's informal medical record.
Doña Gloria knows each dog by name and by story. She knows which one is afraid of thunder, which one fights with whom, and which one needs medication for arthritis. Her memory is the network's most reliable database.
Jhon Fredy: the nurse of the 76
Jhon Fredy Rúa is 34 years old, works as a nursing assistant at a clinic in downtown, and in his free time becomes the paramedic for the community dogs. He lives on calle 76 with carrera 46, right in the heart of the area where the most animals are concentrated.
His routine begins at 6 in the evening, when he leaves work. He carries a backpack with gauze, saline solution, antiseptic, and bandages. He rides his bicycle along calle 76, checking every dog he finds. If he sees a wound, he cleans it. If he notices a limp, he assesses whether it needs veterinary attention. If he finds a new dog in the area, he takes photos and uploads them to the WhatsApp group so someone else can identify it.
Jhon Fredy is responsible for the network not having had to euthanize any animal due to neglected infections. His technical knowledge has saved at least 15 dogs that others would have given up for lost.
Aunt Nelly: the food collector
Nelly Zapata is 58 years old and is in charge of getting the food. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she visits the neighborhood's restaurants and cafeterias collecting the leftovers that owners set aside for the dogs. Restaurants like La Casita de Nelly (carrera 47 with calle 75) and Panadería El Trigal (calle 76 with carrera 44) save rice, meat, and vegetables in separate bags for her.
But she doesn't just collect food. She also collects donations from neighbors: old blankets, plastic plates, muzzles, collars, and medications they no longer use. Her house, on carrera 48 with calle 76, has a room full of these donations that she sorts and distributes according to each dog's needs.
Nelly is also in charge of the sterilization sessions. She coordinates with two neighborhood veterinary clinics that offer reduced rates for community dogs, and organizes waiting lists that already extend to December 2026.
Carlos Mario: the supportive driver
Carlos Mario Giraldo is 41 years old and works as a taxi driver. He is the network's official transportation. When a dog needs emergency veterinary care, when a litter of abandoned puppies needs to be picked up, or when an adopter comes from another neighborhood to meet their future companion, Carlos Mario is available.
He has a 2008 Chevrolet LUV pickup truck that he adapted with a cage in the back. The neighbors do a "vaca" (collection) to pay for the gas for the trips. Carlos Mario does not charge for his time or the wear and tear on his vehicle. He says he does it because one of the community dogs, a mixed-breed named Choco, alerted him with his barking that his mother had fallen in the house in 2022. Since then, he feels he owes his life to the animals.
On Saturday mornings, Carlos Mario also transports the dogs that go to the adoption sessions at Parque de Aranjuez, which are held every first Saturday of the month.
Teacher Patricia: the one who finds homes
Patricia Martínez is 45 years old and is an elementary school teacher at the Institución Educativa Barrio Aranjuez. She is in charge of adoptions. She is the one who takes the photos of the dogs, writes their stories on Facebook, and posts them in adoption groups in Medellín.
Her method is effective: she doesn't post generic photos. Each dog has a story written by her, with details that connect emotionally with potential adopters. For example, instead of saying "2-year-old mixed-breed dog," she writes: "This is Negro, the one who waits for the school children every afternoon. He has never had his own bed. Could you be his family?"
Patricia interviews adopters, verifies their homes, and follows up during the first three months. Her success rate is 85%, much higher than the average of traditional foundations.
The areas where the dogs are concentrated
The network has identified five main points where the community dogs establish their territory. They are not dangerous areas, but they do require constant attention.
Calle 76 between carreras 45 and 48
This is the heart of the network. About 15 dogs live here and have established a kind of "pack" with clear hierarchies. The leader is Tyson, a 6-year-old mixed-breed pitbull who arrived abandoned in 2021 and now protects the smaller ones. The shopkeepers on this block have installed improvised waterers with inverted water bottles, and there are three corners where the dogs sit to wait for food.
It is common to see the dogs napping in the doorways of commercial establishments. The owners let them in when it rains, and some have even placed old mattresses at the entrances. The coexistence is so peaceful that drivers already know they must slow down in this area.
Aranjuez Main Park
The park, located between carreras 45 and 46 with calles 76 and 77, is the network's meeting point. Vaccination sessions are held here on the first Saturday of each month, and this is where caregivers gather at 7 in the morning to plan the week. The most sociable dogs approach visitors seeking affection, while the shyer ones hide behind the trees.
The park has a grassy area where the dogs play among themselves while the caregivers chat. Neighbors who are not active members of the network also come to greet the animals, which has created a sense of community around the dogs.
