1. Last weekend I went to an area called the Guatalupana. The government on the island has been absconding with property that belongs to the islanders. So a large group of Islenos squatted on a big piece of property mid island on the Carrabean side. It has been a few years now and they still don't have water, electricity or sewage. Most of the homes are shacks and many of the homeowners have dug wells or bought large water tanks that sit in their front yards. Of course there are dogs everywhere and when we have spay and neuter clinics we go there to pick up animals. And when we get donations we go there with de-wormer, collars, vitamins, food and medicine if needed. I would love sometime to be able to vaccinate all the animals but we will need a bigger budget for that as most of our funds go to the sterilization clinics. The children are wonderful and after many, many visits the people are used to seeing me hang around making a big fuss over their dogs.

2. There has been a wonderful group of people that have supported Isla Animals for years. Cheryl House has created this group and stayed with it to help us save pups and spay and neuter every cat and dog we can get our hands on. This year has been one of the best as far as donations and we are so grateful and pleased with the work it has allowed us to do. Below is the list of donors and the beautiful dog that has sadly passed but instigated such generosity. His name was Dr. Zhivago. Thank you all for your support. 2011 ROSIE'S BOW WOW CLUB The club for 2011 raised a total of $2,950. In memory of Dr. Zhivago Extra Large Bones $300 & Over Cheryl House. In Memory of Rosie Jan & Terry Gerken (Moby) Large Bones. $100 to $299 Lael House Wojcik, Honoring - Rookie Julie House Presa, Honoring - Trucco James & Kristin Yasord. In Memory of Vago John & Jean Epler Chris & Kim Cannon Roxane Osantowski, Honoring - Tequila - adopted from Plaza Almendros(AKA, Oreo, Patches) Kelly Ragsdale Valerie Kordyban David & Karen Childers Ron & Diane Seals Medium Bones $50 to $99 Karl & Deanne House Drew & Alison House Tom & Barb Carlson Small Bones $25 to $49 Mike & Tina Lawrence Julie Howard Dan Lindner Don & Jan Hardin Honoring Goldie, Plaza Almendros Cat

3. Jeff and I just got back to Mexico a few days ago. We're having a spay and neuter clinic next week and then the normal dog stuff from there. I would like to do a sweep of the island, door to door, working on vaccinations and spaying and neutering. I mean really - we've been back two days and we already have a very weak momma with eight pups. Then I got a call about another dog with eight pups and Jeff and I are about to go pick up four. This has to stop. I called my new momma - Momma Rina after the hurricane that wasn't. Here is our new mom warming up her pups after their bath this morning, such a good mom. This must be black dog week, out of the thirteen puppies there is only one white one. We are so looking forward to moving ahead this year. With all the rescue groups and people that we are working with now, we can get more done and we're hoping that we can get some help with this. Already we have some wonderful monthly donators, and it makes a huge difference. So many people ask me what they can do to help, well it's really easy. If we can get enough people donating $10.00 a month we will have a budget to work with. Ten people giving up two starbuck coffees every month can buy enough dog food for a week, or three spays or four neuters, or twelve vaccines, or five distemper tests, or four parvo tests, or two and a half medium crates, or ten bottles of specialty shampoos, or two bottles of de-wormer, or five dog rides to the airport, or five health certificates, and on and on. Every penny goes to the dogs, there is no administration, we pay Marcelino's salary (he works at the house and helps with the dogs). IT'S ALL FOR THE DOGS. We've been home three nights and already have two momma's with their pups. There is no where else for these dogs to go. We will find homes for the pups and spay the moms. Each spayed female is one step closer to a better life for dogs in Mexico. If you already donate, ask a friend to do it too, and ask their friends to do it as well. Ten dollars a month and we can make a huge difference together. I forgot to mention in this blog yesterday that the Isla Animals Website is set up to do monthly donations. If you scroll down to the very bottom of the front page there is a donate button, click on that and then there are instructions on how to continue. Thank you everybody, in advance, who donates. It makes all the difference. We are setting up for a big spay and neuter clinic today and getting ready for all the street puppies that we find.

4. We are doing another big spay and neuter clinic in Corales near Rancho Viejo which is next to Cancun. This is our second clinic in this location. Last time we ended up with over fifty puppies. We can put the dogs back on the street but never the puppies. We often re-home the dogs if we can as well. Anyway it has been the worst year for distemper that I've ever seen. Unfortunately we lost about 20% of those pups to distemper. It only takes one distemper pup to infect an entire group of un-vaccinated puppies. So this April we're going to test every puppy that comes in. The tests are two hundred pesos a piece, about eighteen dollars, we want to have seventy five available for that last week of April. I'm asking if any of you can help by buying one or two tests it would make a huge difference. You can donate on our pay pal and make a note that it's for distemper tests and that's exactly what it will be used for. This is an extra cost that we didn't figure into our budget when we were making the original plans. On a more fun note, Isla Animals has had a small explosion of puppies. First we got a litter of nine. Pepe spotted the mom and her pups next to the bull ring in Cancun and has been waiting for them to be old enough to bring here. Then we got a moma and her seven pups. Everyone is healthy, has already been tested for distemper and is adjusting well. By the way Rusty is doing much better.

5. The race was great. There's lots of room for improvement but for a first effort we are all very happy. To all of the incredible volunteers, Jeff and I are so, so grateful. And to those who helped set things up ahead of time with the city and the schools and the race route, we couldn't possibly have done it without you. We haven't finished with the tally because Jeff is still working at the music festival but as soon as we have numbers I will post them. We had over sixty runners thanks to all of you wonderful people who signed up to sponsor school kids. And for you generous supporters who sponsored teams of five, it added so much excitement. Unfortunately we couldn't fill all the teams but next year people will have a better idea of what's going on. The whole event was fun and involved the entire community. From the island government to the police department to the Navy that allowed us to run on the runway. We had help from the Red Cross, they sent their ambulance to be on standby. We had runners of all ages from many different countries. For the first year we couldn't have asked for more.

6. What could be better than getting a puppy or dog off the street. How can you beat putting meat on a starving animals bones or help out a dog before it's abused and learns to mistrust humans. It's the best feeling in the world. Help me prevent another box of unwanted pups being left on a vacant lot. I can do all that and more if I have the funds. Help us turn this Into this It's a great gift idea for the person who has everything. You can buy them a monthly donation to Isla Animals. I will make sure that every penny that you donate is put to work. It's the most wonderful thing to know that we can count on a certain amount of money coming in each month. It allows me to plan ahead in this work that is other wise, to say the least, financially chaotic. And if you are looking for something different you can donate a certain amount of spays and neuters in someone's name. The surgery averages out to $20.00 an animal and it's the bottom line solution to overpopulation and suffering of animals in Mexico. Donate and then let me know by email bayfirestd@aol.com so I can make sure that a Christmas card is sent to your friend or family member. They will love it.

7. Thank You to the Bow Wow Club For Your generous Donation!

8. Yahoo, we are now a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization

 

 

Donate $100 to Isla Animals today and get Alison's Book "No Urn for Ashes" FREE!

 

Dogs Rescued

BIRD POOP LUCK FOR BUTTERCUP

Here’s what happened. Jeff and I took the ferry to the mainland to send Buttercup to Calgary for the wonderful forever home that she deserves. Just as we were getting on the back of the boat where you have to sit if you have a dog, a big bird pooped right on my head. It was so disgusting and smelled like fish. I tried to wash in the bathroom but there was no soap and no paper of any kind. That’s why my hair looks wet in the picture. Any way I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be good luck even though I’m sure someone just made that up to make people feel better while they are standing there with bird poop on their head. If it is good luck then I hope it goes to Buttercup so she finds the most magnificent home.

The other news is about the three gorgeous fluff balls that we picked up at the park so they wouldn’t be taken by the city. Well the owners showed up today and we had to give them back but if the owners continue to let them run around unprotected we’ll pick them up again. There’s no rest for bad dog owners.

WE FOUND TOTO

I received a call from a woman who kept finding a little black dog on the wrong side of the fence around the Selina Grande, which is a small salt water lake in the middle of the island. She told me that every day she would lift the dog over the fence away from the water where he’d be safe. Then the next morning she’d find him back there. Perplexed she asked around looking for the owner. Sadly she found him and the story is that the owner doesn’t want the dog anymore. He put the dog by the water so he was trapped and couldn’t come home again. As sad and awful as that sounds, I’m thrilled it happened because now Toto is here with us and we are going to love him up.

But wait, there’s more, it must be short fuzzy dog week because this morning Tiffany called me to say that the three little dogs that live in the park in front of her house were going to be picked up by the city. The owner of these dogs denied that he was their owner so they were labeled street dogs and that is not a good thing for island dogs. Wow are they beautiful and they haven’t even had a bath yet and yes, these are three different dogs.

IT WAS A TRADE

A woman on the island has saved three dogs from the street. Now she has health problems and can’t keep them. So we arranged for the biggest dog to go to my friend who has a rescue in Cancun but there is always a trade. Guess what we got, a momma and her six pups.Am I ever glad they are here. The mom really needs some good food and the pups are hungry so we are feeding them some extra milk, they are about three weeks old.

Bursting with puppies again

We just got a new mom with eight pups. Are they ever wonderful. Have a look at the web page under “dog and pups at the house.” You’ll love it. Luckily I have volunteers to help out.
We sent eight pups to Calgary before Christmas, you can see some of them on the Pawsitive Match Web site.I love to see them in their new homes but I’m always sad to say “good bye”.

ROLLING UP MY SLEAVES

Jeff and I just got back to Mexico a few days ago. We’re having a spay and neuter clinic next week and then the normal dog stuff from there. I would like to do a sweep of the island, door to door, working on vaccinations and spaying and neutering. I mean really – we’ve been back two days and we already have a very weak momma with eight pups. Then I got a call about another dog with eight pups and Jeff and I are about to go pick up four. This has to stop. I called my new momma – Momma Rina after the hurricane that wasn’t.
Here is our new mom warming up her pups after their bath this morning, such a good mom. This must be black dog week, out of the thirteen puppies there is only one white one.
We are so looking forward to moving ahead this year. With all the rescue groups and people that we are working with now, we can get more done and we’re hoping that we can get some help with this. Already we have some wonderful monthly donators, and it makes a huge difference.

BACK TO MEXICO

We’re on our way back to Isla Mujeres with supplies and to get ready for a Mega training spay and neuter clinic. This will be our third clinic in Corales which is near Puerto Juarez and Rancho Viejo, which is part of Isla Mujeres but on the mainland. Between last October and May we did over one thousand cats and dogs. We are hitting the same area over and over. It’s a very poor neighborhood and the animal situation is awful, but getting better all the time.
It seems like just yesterday when we picked up our two cutie puppies that lived in our shower and found a wonderful home in the USA. We found them living under a boat and fed them. The next morning they were waiting for us and said they wanted to come along. They were amazing.

BUTLERS AMAZING HERITAGE

It’s so incredible how after many years of doing the same thing, there are still surprises. Last May I was walking along the street with Maia from Pet Project Rescue in Minneapolis. We, of course, are there for the dogs. When we see a black poodle that’s obviously nursing, we ask around to find out where she lives so we can check on her pups. We find the house and there are eight pups, covered with ticks and fleas, filthy and neglected.
We ask the owners if we can take the whole family home for a few days, clean them up, give them vitamins etc. They think we’re crazy but say yes. So we take her home and make a big fuss over her for ten days until the owners say they want them all back. We reluctantly return them while making the owner promise to spay the mom and add that if they can’t find homes for the pups we’ll take them. When we go back to check the house is empty. Then on December I, seven months later, I get a phone call from someone who has a momma and seven pups and she doesn’t want them. Of course I take them. It turns out to be the same mom and a new litter of pups that are one day old. And sadly the mom is a mess, much worse than the first time we saw her.
Okay long story, this May the vet brought me a pup, actually over a year old, he was sick and terrified. We called him Butler, he had the same body type as my poodle mom and was the right age to be part of that first litter that disappeared but come on, it’s a big island. Than I find this picture, it’s one of the pups from the first litter. You tell me, I know it’s him.Wait did I mention that I’ve kept Butler so long that he’s mine now, even Jeff likes him.

KAREN THE FREQUENT FLYER UPDATE

This is such a lovely ending to a long journey I just had to share it. First is the story of Karen at my rescue and then all of her travel trials and then a letter from the person who adopted her. It’s great. This is long but it’s worth it.

In Isla Mujeres and Cancun I’ve become the puppy person. Puppies are so difficult and at bigger risk when put in a rescue with older dogs. So Ricardo, who runs a rescue in Cancun and takes in any and every street dog and does a fabulous job and literally loves the dogs as much as I do, sent me two small puppies at the beginning of February, a male and a female, eight weeks old. They were tiny and adorable with bad skin and shaky knees from a calcium deficiency. I named them after Richard and Karen Carpenter.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Here is a wonderful before and after. Babs came to Isla Animals from a rescue on the mainland. She had bad skin, she was lethargic, thin and very shy. She stayed with us for a while and then went to Calgary. Look at her now.

KAREN THE FREQUENT FLYER

This is the story of misplaced enthusiasm. If we can’t find homes for our pups or dogs locally we send them to rescues in the US or Canada. Recently we connected with a new rescue in Toronto, Canada which is fun for me because I grew up there.
Six weeks ago we arranged to send five pups to our new rescue. Everything went well until the final exit through customs at the Toronto Airport. We had sent pups there before with no problems but this time the agent decided that our puppies were commercial, someone had to be making money off of this. It’s actually very funny, most rescues barely scrape by and individuals eat up their retirement accounts rescuing dogs. If there’s money in this, please someone tell me where to find it.
Well this agent stuck to his guns and actually sent all five puppies back to Mexico. These pups were in their crates for over thirty six hours and then we had trouble with Mexican customs on their return. Don’t these people have better things to do than to make life miserable for five little rescue puppies.
Finally we got the pups back. They were frightened, thin and dehydrated but okay after tons of hugs and food and water.
During all the fuss the custom agents told us that there would be no problems if we flew the pups with a passenger and not cargo. Okay a month later a good friend was flying Cancun to Toronto so we sent the now three pups back to Toronto (some of them got homes). Two of them made it through but Karen didn’t, her owner was waiting for her in Toronto and customs decided that if the owner was getting a new pup then money must be changing hands.
I just have to add here, how odd this is. I spend most of my life trying to convince people that these rescue dogs have value, as in a special life, and here we run into a problem where they are being assigned monetary value, like we are running a puppy store rather than a rescue.
Okay, long blog, sorry—— they take Karen away again and forbid her to touch her cutie paws on Canadian soil. Remember this is her second stint doing overtime in a crate surrounded by strangers. A situation which we usually deem worth it when they get to their new, wonderful, forever, homes.
Karen’s future was not looking good, another trip back to Mexico just seemed too cruel. The whole wonderful rescue community jumped into action. Finally we found out that Karen didn’t have to go back to Mexico, that being a threat to national security, she only had to get off Canadian Soil. So back on an airplane she went, after vets visits, more strange kennels and an added threat of quarantine.
Wonderfully she has landed in Denver where our local support is now helping her get back to health and will find her that home she deserves. Canada is now safe.