Rebecca Manzi Peru has declared the ancient Chiribaya shepherd dog a national cultural heritage, recognizing its historic role in Andean society and its unique genetic identity.
@Four Paws Groom School
When Peru’s Congress voted to declare the Chiribaya shepherd dog a national cultural heritage, it wasn’t just about protecting an ancient breed. It was an acknowledgment of history itself—of a bond between humans and animals that stretches back more than a thousand years. The decision, made official through Law No. 32442, ensures not only the preservation of this dog’s genetic line but also renewed attention to its role in the Andean world.
A dog woven into daily life
The Chiribaya civilization thrived between the 9th and 14th centuries, and within it, this dog was not simply a pet. According to researchers, the Chiribaya shepherd was a key figure in managing South American camelids—llamas and alpacas—creatures whose wool sustained an entire textile economy. Without these animals, the production of fine Andean fabrics would have been impossible, and without the dogs, herding them would have been chaotic.
Traces in the earth
Between 1993 and 2006, archaeologist Sonia Guillén and her team at the Centro Mallqui uncovered 43 mummified dogs in the coastal valleys of Ilo and Moquegua. They were buried alongside their human companions, carefully wrapped in cloth. Such burials suggest not just affection but prestige. Archaeologists interpret these findings as evidence that the Chiribaya believed in a form of canine afterlife—an idea almost unheard of in pre-Columbian cultures. Some have even drawn parallels with the way cats were venerated in ancient Egypt.
The genetic fingerprint
Recent studies have confirmed that the Chiribaya shepherd carries an exclusive haplotype, marking it out as distinct from other dog breeds. Its physical traits are striking: a long body, slim legs agile like those of a hare, a tapered tail, and a coat that ranges from beige and cream to yellows, with shades drifting into red and black. Even today, many mestizo dogs on Peru’s southern coast still show behavioral echoes of the breed, especially their instinct to herd. It is a living inheritance that stubbornly resists disappearance.
A place among Peru’s native dogs
Until now, the Peruvian hairless dog was the only officially recognized native breed. With this declaration, the Chiribaya shepherd joins its ranks, expanding Peru’s cultural and biological legacy. Institutions like the Museo de El Algarrobal in Moquegua continue to guard the archaeological remnants of the Chiribaya civilization, keeping alive a story where loyalty, utility, and reverence merged into a single relationship between man and dog.
Fonte: Ley N° .32442
