Giancarlo Alva, the canine rehabilitation specialist

For Giancarlo Alva, a 38-year-old former soldier and father, his love for dogs knows no bounds. For some time now, he has dedicated himself to a vital mission: rehabilitating dogs with aggressive behavior. Giancarlo suffered a car accident and lost a leg. This has not been an obstacle. Supported by his crutches, he walks and even climbs hills to carry out his work. For him, despite being disabled, this is not a hindrance to his work; on the contrary, he does it with the utmost commitment to helping families facing these challenges. Before entering a family's home to assess the dog's condition, Giancarlo speaks with them first. "How long has the dog exhibited this behavior?" "Has it suffered any aggression before?" These are fundamental questions before seeing the dog and beginning rehabilitation. To accomplish this difficult task, he uses methods to calm the dog. He establishes his presence in its territory and, through his firm voice, uses words and tactical movements to help the dog freeze and relax. Mostly when Giancarlo begins this process, the dog makes abrupt movements that are initially difficult to control. He records the dog's rehabilitation process to raise awareness that dogs with aggressive behavior are not a danger, but rather that they undergo a rehabilitation process and can become sociable animals. After the car accident that caused him to lose a leg, Giancarlo had a difficult recovery process, but he didn't give up and kept going. His prosthetic leg is a clear example of this. In his depression over what happened, Giancarlo heard the word of God. God guided him and gave him the strength to undertake this humanitarian mission: to help rehabilitate dogs and give them a better life. Postscript: Giancarlo has a canine rehabilitation center called "Happy Paws" in Ancón. He works there with his children, who also share a passion for caring for dogs.