At most mezcal palenques you’ll find a few dogs laying around. Whether they are companion animals, street pups, or working as security, they are part of the mezcal ecosystem. Our friend, and talented photographer, Anna Bruce, loves mezcal and dogs more than most, and her devotion to both led her to create a beautiful book in support of our canine friends. Madre is proud to sell her book, Perros y Palenques, and raise funds for a great cause. We spoke with Anna about this work and all the dogs in her life.
The idea for the book evolved during the early days of Covid lock down. In Oaxaca there were considerably more dogs being left on the street at that time that needed, at the least vaccinations, and at best new homes.
We were also isolated from the creative community we are normally part of. Collaborating with the artists who donated their work to the book was a way to stay in touch while raising money to help animals in need. The theme of Perros y Palenques came from a series of images I had been collecting since I started documenting the mezcal process back in 2013 – I asked artists in Oaxaca to respond to the series of images, either with their own new work, or with interventions into the photos.
All proceeds go to two non-profit organizations in Oaxaca: Caravana Canina and Teo Tails. Both organizations run spay and neuter campaigns and help to vaccinate and re-home street dogs.
Currently, we have 5 dogs (a new one last week). If anyone is interested in our pack we have pics on insta at: @rambling.fam