For a while, Manchas had been wandering around the Uco Valley, often stopping by a local winery looking for something to eat. The people working there began to recognize him and eventually contacted The Vines Foundation to ask if we could take him into our Refugio.
Manchas didn’t spend much time at the shelter. Once we started sharing his story on social media, several people expressed interest in adopting him. Finding a home for a rescued dog involves more than finding someone willing to take him in. Our Animal Welfare team takes the time to speak with potential adopters, learn about their homes and make sure each dog will be treated as part of the family, rather than simply being used to guard a property.
One of the people who saw Manchas was Nicolás Ferreira, or Nico, who lives in Mendoza, almost 90 kilometers from the Refugio. He came across a post shared by another animal rescue organization, part of a network of groups that regularly help each other find homes for rescued dogs.
Nico immediately contacted Mariano Vicente, who leads our Animal Welfare Program. He wanted to adopt Manchas, but he couldn’t travel to the Refugio for another week. He asked if we could wait for him.
Before they had even met, Nico ordered an ID tag with Manchas’ name and prepared a doghouse with his name on it. A week later, he made the drive to the Refugio to finally meet the dog he’d seen in a photo.
Today, Manchas lives with Nico and Lola, another rescue dog Nico had adopted the previous year. He went from wandering around wineries looking for food to having a home, a companion and someone who had been preparing for his arrival long before they met.
But there’s another part to this story.
Nico is a winemaker and one of the people behind Irrepetible Wines, a project dedicated to working with historic vineyards in Mendoza that are at risk of disappearing as land changes ownership or is converted to other uses. Sometimes, that means producing wine from one of the last harvests of vines that have been growing for generations.
Through adopting Manchas, Nico got to know The Vines Foundation and the work we do in the Uco Valley. And this year, he decided to contribute in a different way. Irrepetible Wines is donating an experience to our Gifts for Good auction, helping raise funds for the programs we carry out in the community.
It began with a dog looking for food outside a winery. Today, Manchas has a family, and Nico has become part of the community helping us care for others.
Be Part of More Stories Like This
From October 16–26, join Gifts for Good, The Vines Foundation’s online auction, featuring extraordinary experiences donated by members and friends of The Vines community.
Every winning bid helps sustain our programs in Tunuyán, allowing us to continue providing food, education and essential resources, and to be there for more families and children like those in this story.
