Amigo de los Animales - Isla Mujeres Mexico

We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.

Anna Sewell, Black Beauty, 1877

Newletters
Click on the Newsletter dates listed below to read the full letter.

5/30/2008	4/20/2008	2/22/2008
2/11/2008	1/31/2008	12/23/2007
12/7/2007	10/1/2007	6/2/2007
4/24/2007	4/17/2007	4/4/2007
3/21/2007	3/11/2007	3/5/2007
2/28/2007	2/4/2007	1/13/2007
12/14/2006	6/27/2005	1/8/2002

New York - May 30, 2008

For every living creature there are good days and bad days. Most Mexican dogs that I deal with are born to struggle and experience bad doggy days until they can hopefully find a kind soul to help them out.

Can I come in?

But that isn’t what this newsletter is about. This is about good days. An average good day could mean a healthy dog, or finding a home for one of our dogs. It could even be something as simple as the first time a sick dog wags his or her tail to let us know they are feeling better.

Faith - Milagro

However last week I had a spectacular day thanks to my wonderful friend Ina and her husband James. Ina is a veterinarian and has a clinic in New York City called Uptown Vets, 295 W. 112th Street, NY, NY, 10026 www.uptownvetsnyc.com She has been to the island many times and has always brought us supplies and volunteered her time, helping out in any way she can. She has also been working with a rescue group in New York called Pet Rescue www.ny-petrescue.org in hopes that they will support our cause. The extraordinary part is that Ina doesn’t take the puppies or the cute dogs that are easy to adopt out, she takes the dogs with problems. These are usually adult dogs with something broken or some complication that could not possibly be addressed on our little island.

Ray

Pedro

The first dog she took home was Pedro. She’d seen him on the beach and he had a deformed front leg. Obviously it had been broken and mended itself poorly, meaning it was bent in the wrong direction. Ina took him home to New York and worked on his leg. It took multiple operations to get in right. In the mean time Pedro, like the stellar island dog he was, wriggled his way into Ina and James’s hearts and then into their home for a permanent stay.

Pedro

Palomo

However, as wonderful as that may seem, it is still not the story I want to tell. We managed to send thirteen dogs to the United States before Christmas, trying to thin the herd prior to family visitors arriving hoping for a poop free environment. Three of these lucky travelers were old buddies of mine. Palomo, Ray and Pancha were dogs that had been at the house for over a year and a half. Palomo had a horrible wound when he arrived, and Pancha and Ray had both been hit by Taxies. As with Pedro, Ina took them in. She x-rayed them, took care of any minor problems, cleaned their teeth, worked with skin issues, and treated any location specific challenges. When they were ready the rescue org…get name… found them wonderful homes. I mean (imagine this) people had to apply for the privilege of adopting these incredible dogs that had spent their lives having rocks thrown at them.

Pancha

A few days ago she sent me the details after which I walked around on cloud nine thinking about where they had come from and what they had been through.

LUCKY HARRY - April 20, 2008

LUCKY HARRY

There are many families on Isla Mujeres that do not allow their pets inside their houses. Often times these dogs relocate themselves and are not missed. They find more attention and better food with the kind tourists that vacation on the island.

The Isla Gang

Three such dogs have been brought to my attention by different visitors who stayed in one of the rental houses on the Caribbean side of the airport. Many of them email me after returning to the US or Canada and want to know how they could help care for the group. One of the dogs was always everybody’s favorite. He is now called Harry.

Harry

Two weeks ago I received an email telling me that Harry’s eyes looked really bad. Unfortunately I couldn’t find him so I was ecstatic last week when Jeanette and Allan showed up at our front door with Harry. He is such a incredibly unique looking dog with a sweet and loving disposition and his eyes were for sure...a mess. You could tell it was painful to even open them in daylight. We bathed him and vaccinated him and de-wormed him and cut his nails and cleaned his ears and picked out a handsome collar for him because now.....he was looking hot. Then we called the vet.

New Eyes

Incredibly our young vet, Dr. Pepe Vega, had just done some continuing education courses in eye surgery and had time to operate on Harry that night (his condition is referred to as “entropyon”). The next day it was obvious that he already felt better. He sat up proudly and looked very comfortable at the house.

Jeanette and Allan and Harry

That Friday Jeanette and Allan took Harry home, they are wonderful people and Isla Mujeres will always be grateful to them for caring so much. I know that Harry will live happy life with them in Wisconsin.

THE CURSE OF 101 DALMATIONS - February 22, 2008

THE CURSE OF 101 DALMATIONS

We are constantly asked how we end up with so many dogs. This is a perfect example of a new arrival.
Ever since that movie came out Dalmatians have become one of the favorite breeds on the island. The problem is that these dogs need exactly what islanders are most challenged to offer. They need exercise, not just one walk a day but three long walks a day or a large area to walk themselves in. They also need training; they are smart but generally hyper if not controlled from a young age - at least in my experience.

Chinito

I thought we had come to the end of the purebreds, moving calmly into spotted more relaxed knock offs; all those beautiful markings on controllable mixed puppies. In fact I have just sent nine such pups to homes all over the US, they were wonderful and finding them loving owners was a breeze. Then last night an island couple brought me an unaltered male with the never ending story that their neighbors were not caring for him properly. They could barely get the poor guy to the door he was so nuts. After they left he cried by the door, I guess that even bad owners are missed.
It was late when they arrived so I put him in our sandy yard by the ocean. He was okay for a while and then just as we were drifting off to sleep he would howl, just once or twice, enough to disturb us but then he would quiet down again. After three such episodes I moved him into the courtyard, fed him once again and he quieted down.

Chinito the loco

While in the courtyard he pooped (sorry for the graphics but its relevant) at least six times. This tells me that he’d been tied up and as soon as he was allowed to move about his body was able to function properly. I have seen this many times. I took him back outside and introduced him to a ball which he greeted with a blank stare. But these guys are so smart I had him fetching it and bring it back to me, after he ran around the yard three times, and happy for more. If he lost interest I would bounce it on the ground in front of him until I caught his attention once again.

Chinito, the handsome one

Today he will get a bath and be neutered. After that I will introduce him to the rest of the gang. I told the couple that brought him in that they would have to take him back if he didn’t fit in but I would never send him back. What’s the point? He is probably a year old and would get crazier and crazier until they abandoned him to the streets and then it would be death by taxi for sure.

We wanted to add our other new arrival so we can brag about her when she gets beautiful. She has only been here two days and she is already feeling better. She was found abandoned by the road.

Frida-she is going to be beautiful

Lucky dogs - February 11, 2008

One of the things we always look forward to is receiving pictures of dogs in their new homes. It is so amazing to see one of our pups romping in the snow or lounging by a pool.

Who knew you could sleep on the bed

Her own lounge

An Island Dog in the Snow

Xcalak and Majahual - January 31, 2008

I had never heard of a town named Xcalak. I couldn’t even pronounce it - esh cal lack, but that is where Jeff and I were last week before moving on to Majahual – ma ha wall. It is as far south as you can go on the east coast of Mexico before you’d be in Belize and very rustic. The town has electricity. Houses outside of town don’t. The streets are sand and most of the roofs are thatched. There is no doctor and no veterinarian. Consequently my friend Kelly planned a two day spay and neuter clinic with help from the Humane Society International.

Hugs are always included in recovery

Our group met in Akumal and then drove south. There were five vets, four from the US and one from Akumal and many skilled volunteers. Our cars were loaded up with everything you could possibly need in an animal hospital and more.

Our wonderful, generous volunteers

Polly, our local contact, had found us a building next to the ocean. We needed space for a check in table, a prep area, an operating room big enough for three tables, and a recovery area and then of course a bathroom is always nice.

Xcalak Operating Area

When we opened on Monday morning there didn’t seem to be much interest but as soon as a few people showed up we were on our way. After that more and more locals arrived, dragging their dogs that had probably never been on a leash before. They used ropes, chains and old shirts and arrived on foot, on bicycles, or tricycles which have a three wheeled storage area in front where the poor dogs would be tied in and crouching in fear.

Tricycles

I wished we could explain to the animals what was going on. They wouldn’t be thrilled about the impending operation but we were also giving medicine for stomach parasites and vaccinations and check ups, including take home meds if we had the right stuff. Mostly what I wanted to tell the dogs was that being spayed and/or neutered would enhance their lives ten fold. It improves their health, calms them down and keeps them at home. It avoids males fighting over females in heat and sexually transmitted tumors and most important of all it improves human behavior towards their pets if the population is under control.

Please Spay Me

After two days in Xcalak we took a day to move to Majahual and were greeted by Kevin and his fiancé Geri. They had already arranged lodging and found a house for us to work in. Majahual was a sad site. It had taken a direct hit from hurricane Dean in August and was far from recovered. When we turned onto what used to be the main street we passed four enormous mounds of sand that had been cleared to make the road available. The houses that were left were dilapidated yet the saddest site was the vegetation, the trees and mangroves had been devastated. The landscape was covered with piles of dead flora mixed with garbage and surrounded by black straggly poles that had once been beautiful palm trees.

Majahual hurricane damage

On the first day in Majahual we fell easily into the rhythm that had developed during the two days in Xcalak. Everything centered on the operating table, keeping them full. If any link in the chain broke down the ultimate consequence was to treat less dogs.
It is an understatement to say that the locals aren’t completely warmed up to the idea of sterilization. We try to entice them with free vaccinations and de-worm medicine. These were gratis with the surgery but if the animal was only there for vaccinations the charge was 50 pesos ($5.00).

The Clinic Site in Majahual

Some animals were hard to give back to the owner’s, the quality of their lives unmistakably displayed by their physical and emotional conditions. So for the short time that they were with us we treated them like royalty, with love and respect and kindness. These would be the animals that thrived and our greatest hope is that it will set an example that would eventually set the standard. How incredible would that be???????????????????????

I wanted to take this dog home

Merry Christmas - December 23, 2007

Jeff and I have managed to send ten dogs to the United States in the last month and that is always excellent news. We wanted to thin the herd, so to speak, before our children visit after Christmas.

We also found some great homes on the island. Below is a picture of Rubi with her new best friend Daniel, she may be the luckiest dog alive.

Rubi

Her sister Taylor went to Minneapolis where I know she will be loved for many many years.

Taylor with her future family

We also tend to find young dogs abandoned on the island after the holidays. Poor little things are given to someone that is unwilling, unwanting or unable to keep a dog but couldn't refuse it as a gift so we are making room for them as well.

On the way

I have many people write or call who want to volunteer at the house by cleaning, walking dogs, training pups, helping at the clinic, there is always something. So to all of you who have helped out or who want to help out and who have donated or want to donate, we would like to say a huge thank you and we hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Mini Clinic - December 7, 2007

One of the most wonderful aspects of working with animals is the people that you meet. Animal lovers are a special breed, my kind of people and quite frankly I’m so completely absorbed in our project that it’s hard to imagine how a human can avoid the draw of a loving animal.

A year and a half ago a couple from Chicago came to our house and fell in love with one of our dogs, they took Pedro home and we have kept in touch ever since. Kerry is a vet and his wife Molly has lots of experience working with dogs and cats. Last week they came back to the island for four days and worked for two of those days with our vet Pepe. Steve Broin, who owns a beautiful bed and breakfast on the island called CASA SIRENA generosly offered them a place to stay. His hotel is near down town and has a wonderful open rooftop with a view of the ocean on both sides. Kerry and Molly loved it, which was part of our plan to keep them coming back. Ha ha.

Lori, Polo, Molly, Kerry

We trapped cats (something new for me) and brought in dogs and managed to spay eight dogs and nine cats plus neuter three dogs and six cats, twenty six animals in all as well as treating three others for various ailments. At the same time Pepe (Dr. Vega) pinned the leg of a lovely little kitty that had been hit by a car, she also lost an eye but is doing very well and already has a home.

Lori and Allan

We did, however, lose one little puppy that was already in bad shape when we found her but everyone held and loved her for the entire time she was with us. She was part of a litter of pups that had been abandoned by the mother’s owner. The good news is that two of the pups survived and are fat and happy and in caring homes plus we caught and spayed the mother.

Pepe

Laura, who lives on the island was there to help for both days, she trapped cats, hauled crates, held our sick pup and checked in the animals. Rosemary who owns the ice cream shop downtown came in on her day off to lend a hand. It was a busy week but worth every second spent.

Back On The Island - October 1, 2007

.
I cannot believe how long we have been off island. We were so lucky to have Lori Dunn, her daughter Zoli and her husband Polo staying at the house. They have taken excellent care of the animals in our absence and it hasn’t been easy. Sadly the island had a rash of distemper and we lost many dogs, mostly puppies but some of the older dogs contracted the disease as well. On top of that nine dogs were put through the hole by our door during the night. They were all sick and had to be put down. There is no cure for distemper, some do survive but usually end up with a nervous tic and bad teeth.
The good news is that the distemper germ does not live long in the environment so hopefully it has run its course. The other thing that I find encouraging, although it may seem odd, is that the islanders brought their dogs to us. It is at least recognition of a problem, whereas in the past the dogs may have been left to die slowly in the back yard.
WE CAN vaccinate against distemper. However the locals are still not used to the idea of spending money on their animals therefore it would be a great goal for the local government to offer this for free. The rabies vaccine is provided gratis all over Mexico and the program has been a huge success. The difference is that a rabid dog is dangerous to humans where distemper is only dangerous to the dog.

Meanwhile, as we wait for the Mexican Nationals to care for their pets we continue to find homes for any dog that crosses our path. I just got an email from a young couple who, when visiting the island in 2005, adopted one of our puppies. They wrote:

Hello Alison!

My husband Kipp and I got our dog Hank from you (a.k.a. Tigre) in 2005 and I just wanted to send you a little update!

Hank is an amazing dog. He is so smart, has a ton of energy and is loving life. His favorite pastime is swimming in Kipp's parent's pool. We also have a cat Fisher and Hank and Fisher wrestle all day, it's the cutest thing. Kipp tells everyone that Hank is his best friend, and it's true. They've gone on overnight hiking trips together and had many other adventures.

FLYING PUPPIES - June 2, 2007

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh what we have been through this month.
As per my last newsletter we are trying to thin the herd at our house on Isla before leaving for the summer months. This effort was made more pressing by the fact that we acquired many new pups in the month of May.

Likes attract! Right? Therefore most of my friends are involved in dog rescue. Two of these wonderful people, Sherry and Tammy, from Playa del Carmen told me they knew of two families needing help. One was a momma and eight pups at a construction site and the other was a momma and four pups at the pound. So my husband, Jeff and I drove to Playa to bring the puppies to our house on Isla.

My name is Mo and I can't wait to go to Denver, I was born at a Pemex Gas Station

The thing about puppy rescue is that their moms have no prenatal care, vaccinations, good nutrition, safe homes or help of any kind. Subsequently their pups start life below the bar--health wise. That is why they are such strong dogs; if they can make it - they are definitely the fittest. Finding a mother and her pups when the pups are young is the best scenario. Then we can protect and feed her and keep other dogs away from the family, avoiding skin problems, attacks, stress, etc.

When we send puppies to the US they have to be vaccinated and healthy. Each pup must have solid poop, be bathed, checked for tics and fleas, have good skin and show no signs of illness. Then we need official documents for each animal verifying this. Our final obsticale is to locate a crate that is the appropriate size for one or two puppies. Now you can begin to understand all the work involved in sending a puppy to the US before we even get to the airport.

My name is Prancer and I went to Denver

After everything is prepared we must arrange transport to the ferry which is usually a couple of men with tricycles. Once on the ferry boat we have to sit in the back and outside the cabin so we don’t bother the other travelers. Waiting at the mainland is a pre-arranged van; pre-arranged because taxis and regular transport companies will not take dogs, especially six crates full of them. Luckily we have found a company owned by our friend Salomon and for a fee he will take us with as many dogs as we have.

Finally we've made it to the airport. We drop the crates off on the grassy area in front of the terminal in order to let the dogs out for some air and inevitable crate cleaning. At the same time one of us gets in line at the ticket counter. When we get near to the front of the line we call (cell phones are a must) the person with the dogs and instruct them to come on in. We usually cause quite a stir as the porters unload six dog crates by the check-in desk. You should see the look on the faces of the travelers who have the misfortune of being in line behind us. You know they are thinking, “Great, that’s going to slow the line down.” And that traveler is right. We try to go early as possible to cause as little trouble as possible but six crates full of dogs are a problem where ever they go.

My name is Curly and I'm not healthy enough to go yet. When Alison makes me better will you please buy me a ticket to Denver?

Okay, now we are at the counter. They want to see tickets, papers, passports and dog certificates. Of course we have all of that. Then they take a look at the dogs. If we get someone who is sticky on details we will have to convince them that the two, three month old pups are actually six weeks old and litter mates even thought they don’t look a bit alike. Yes, we dog rescue people do fib a little – sometimes – only when absolutely necessary. Now we have arrived at the deciding moment. There are so many reasons that we might not be able to board it is hard to count. I will list some of the possibilities:

It’s too hot on the runway in Cancun
It’s too hot in Denver
It’s too cold in Denver
Our crates don’t have enough holes in them
Our crates are too big
We need some extra paper that we have never heard of
The dog is too big for the crate
Etc. etc. etc.

My name is Petunia, I went to NY and Ina is going to find me a loving home.

I could go on and on because we have been doing this for six years but sometimes we can’t go because the person behind the ticket counter is grumpy and finds some obscure reason. Last week we came up against one that we’ve never heard before. There was no oxygen in the cargo area. First we were told that it was the type of plane, then we were told it was a problem with the plane (oh great, what else is wrong with the plane – right). So after all the steps that I’ve described above we now have to call our van guy and load up our beautiful dogs to go back to Isla Mujeres. Can you believe it?

Next step is to reschedule our flight and try again which we did. We were told that a plane without oxygen in the cargo area is very rare. Two days later we went through the whole trip to the airport once again. Whoops!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same plane, back to Isla. This time we are told that they are now using this plane regularly and that we should call the day that we are traveling and they will be able to find out if it is the no oxygen plane. (Which we now are referring to as NOP short for nope). The only flight that we could get was two days later leaving at noon. We booked it because we were told that the no ox plane (NOP---E) was being used only for the 4 o’clock flight but to be sure we should call first, just in case. There is a flaw in this timing, if we wait until we can call the airport office which has banker’s hours and it is a go, we won’t be able to get to the airport on time. Believe it or not we took the chance and it was the same plane, meaning NOPE. To this day I can not understand how one plane could get around that fast.

My name is Charlotte, I'm in Denver and looking for a loving home.

The bad news is that we have dragged these poor dogs to the airport three times but the good news is the people at the airport are rooting for us now. They want to help in any way they can. We did finally pick the flight that works and got the dogs to Denver. Plus the people at the Cancun Airport didn’t charge us for three of the crates or for changing the flights. So there were no more costs incurred than if we had gone out the first day. Just the costs of our energy and dog-stress and that is always worth it in the end when they find loving, and forever homes.

Puppies to go....Cachorros para levar - April 24, 2007

Puppies to go…….Cachorros para levar

Every year at this time my husband and I head to Canada for the summer. I grew up in Toronto and my family is still there. Therefore we try to reduce the dog population at our house before we go and this year it is out of control!!! We currently have at least seventeen puppies and potentially five more. I am not comfortable leaving all these babes behind when it is the best and easiest time to get them adopted. They deserve loving homes.

I have two friends flying out in March on United Airlines which means I can send six crates with each of them. The great thing about puppies is that you can put two per crate and pay the same price so theoretically I can send twenty four pups. Plus I have one two year old female that has been waiting forever to go and she deserves a home of her own. Her name is Pancha and she’s a dream. My friend Lisa brought her to me from the streets of Cancun. You can read about her on the adoption page.

Pancha is the only--have to go--dog I have right now although I have quite a few. The--hopeful--group of pups are in a garbage heap next to the gas station across the street from Grand Puerto where you get the ferry to Isla Mujeres. When my son was filming in Rancho Viejo we stopped for gas and there were two nursing mothers. As always I asked around to find an owner and/or the litter. The man at the gas pump said there were two litters, thirteen puppies in all and showed us where to find them and he explained to us that the mothers belonged to the woman who manages the gas station.

Each litter was approximately three weeks old and the gas station attendant assured us that he had homes for a few of them which didn’t surprise me because at least half of the puppies looked like Doberman Pincher mixes. The other half looked like our usual wonderful Mexican mutt and those are the ones that will probably come to me.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to get these babes before they wonder off and join the starving dog population in the area and suffer the common fate of death by taxi or abuse or poison etc. I will post their pictures as soon as we get them plus the pictures of all the other pups I have.

My name is Mo and I can't wait to go to Denver, I was born at a Pemex Gas Station

If anyone reading this would like to help out--any donation is appreciated. If you elect to sponsor a puppy for $50.00 we will name that puppy after you or a loved one. Consider saving a life this week. Believe me, it feels great.!!!!!!!!

UPDATE

We went to the gas station to pick up the pups and sadly three had died. The attendants still wanted to keep three of the fatter ones and therefore we got seven. They are in pretty bad shape, very thin with skin problems. The difference between the time we first saw them and now is shocking.

We brought them to my house on the 17th of April and started them on vitamins and regular baths with special shampoo but still one more died. BUT as of today the rest of them are doing well, getting fat little bellies and growing hair on all their bald spots. I feel very good about their progress and hope that they will be fat little fluff balls by the time my friend leaves in a month from now.

Also I was contacted by Sherry in Playa del Carmen because there is a female dog and five pups that are scheduled to be euthanized in five days if they don’t find homes. I told her that I would take them if no one else did so we shall see how many them come to us from there.

Continually working towards a loving home for every animal.

Alison

Mexico City - April 17, 2007

Mexico City

In January of 2007 I was invited to attend the first FORUM ON SMALL ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION IN MEXICO sponsored by the International Humane Society, headquartered in Washington DC. It would run for two days, March 25th and 26th, with speakers from Mexico and the USA.

I was invited because of my association with Susan Monger who is the head of RAVS (rural animal veterinary service). She has come to the island many times offering free spay and neutering for the local population. She is also well aware of our continuing efforts on Isla Mujeres and on the mainland in Rancho Viejo.

It was a new experience for me and a treat to talk about dogs for three solid days. Many of my friends and relatives are sick of the subject. I met people from all corners of the country with the same concerns as I and who want to work together to alleviate the nation wide suffering of animals.

It was encouraging to see members of the Mexican Government interested in being part of the “solution gathering team”. I even had an official offer to help me deal with our local government. I’m going to tuck that favor into my back pocket for when I’ll need it most.

What we have always hoped for is a piece of property donated by the municipality and we would take anything. In fact, we always thought something by the city dump would be fine and not that appealing to anyone else. There are other areas in the Yucatan Peninsula that have been fortunate enough to have land donated by the authorities so they could spend their money on building a dog clinic and or pound. We need both on Isla.

It is imperative that we build a site to hold dogs that are picked up by the island dog catchers. Some place where the animals can be held for three days, offering their owners a chance to reclaim them. The system now puts the dogs down immediately and many sad dog lovers loose their pets because they happened to sneak out the door on the wrong day. There are many dogs at my house that we find in the street or people bring me but the city would never consent to bringing me the dogs they pick up. Therefore the island has no holding pens. Unfortunately there is no clinic either, the island vet is forced to rent housing spaces in the middle of neighborhoods for his clinic and the space he has now has no yard at all. In fact it has no sinks or working toilets, just one faucet near the floor.

Could not locate photo!

A permanent clinic and/or pound is something we will continue to work towards but until we can get some serious funding we will have to use my house.

Continually working towards a loving home for every animal.

Alison

Documentary - April 4, 2007

Documentary

We are very excited. My son Charlie is a film maker and offered to do a documentary on the condition of the dogs in this part of Mexico. He came here on March 25th with two camera men and we spent the week going to the Cancun dog pound and to Maria Alicia’s who cares for the dogs near the Cancun Airport in the same way I do here. He interviewed our new vet Dr. Pepe Vega and many of our volunteers plus my husband and I. Then we took him to Rancho Viejo. That is an area that needs a lot of work and we desperately need funding for the project which we hope to raise with the documentary. As I have mentioned many times, Rancho Viejo is part of Isla Mujeres but on the mainland and what we saw there was a clear indication of a place that desperately calls for help.
For some reason there does not appear to be any garbage pick up in the area so every street, and every corner is littered with garbage, literally piled high. This encourages the growth of ownerless dogs because it offers a constant source of food, albeit bad food, it’s still enough to draw hungry animals.
There is no veterinarian in the district and the attitude towards the animals is as uncaring as any I’ve seen. Bone thin is the norm and skin problems are ramped. Just having us there for the day sparked a tiny bit of interest. The children are always the first curious participants who want to know what we are up to and why. Sometimes they are very helpful, like the young girl who lent me her old bike to try and catch up with a puppy. Well I discovered far too late that it didn’t have brakes. As I barreled down the street in pursuit of the little guy I could see that I was heading toward some huge bumps in the road, but when I tried to slow down I realized that I had a problem. Instead of trying to avoid the pot holds I had to use them to reduce my speed. Sadly the puppy got away, he ran into a pipe and we never saw him again. If only he could have known that we were there to help.
I am trying to avoid the horrifying descriptions of what we saw. No one needs to picture it to know that the area is in trouble. I’m sure we can make a huge difference there. We need to start in the schools. I have coloring books that are in Spanish and illustrate the most humane ways to care for your dogs or cats. And of course we need to get into the region with spay and neuter clinics.

Black and White from the Cancun Pound

Charlotte and Salvador

We did end up with two new dogs and four new puppies after our week of filming. Petuna and Bruno were picked up at the pound on their way to being put down. We also picked up two tiny pups, (temporary names of Black and White) only a month old, from the same location. Plus during our time in Rancho Viejo we found one puppy by the side of the road who we named Charlotte, she is in pretty good condition. Lastly a young boy brought us Salvador. He needs a lot of work but he’s sweet and loves to play in our courtyard with the other pups. Seeing them play when usually they needed all their energy to survive is just about the best experience in the world.

This is what it's all about - March 21, 2007

This is what it's all about....March 21,2007

You've heard it before and you will hear it again, and again and again.....the only way to control the animal population is aggressive free spay and neuter programs. That coupled with education is key to our success. No animal is adopted out before it is sterilized and we attempt to catch feral dogs which we release after surgery.

Sadly, our napal cactus on the island have the blight and must be cut down. When the workers arrived at our house they informed us of a young litter in the brush on the south end of the island. We checked it out immediately and found a litter of eight day old pups and a mom that didn’t want us near her. We were able to scoop up the pups and after many attempts cornered the mom and carried them all to our house.

Rudi and Marcelino built a new pen on our deck with an area for the pups and a separate area for Mom so she could have some much needed alone time. She promptly chewed a hole in the fencing so she can come and go as she pleases but she never leaves our yard. The accomodations must be satisfactory! She’s a great mom and her pups are fat and healthy. She has become so sweet and friendly now that she realizes we aren’t stealing her babes....yet.

Momma and pups

This is a massive victory for us. Finding the wild dogs as pups and then spaying and neutering them before they join the local unmonitored population makes a huge difference not to mention the bonus of fixing a breeding mom. The dogs are a breeze to domesticate if caught before two and a half months old and if we can get the mother on a good diet while they are still nursing it alleviates a multitude of health problems. Look for these pups on the adoption page in 6-8 weeks.

So this was a great week on the island in achieveing our goal....A loving home for every pet.
Alison

Volunteers - March 11, 2007

Volunteers make such a difference in our work to help the animals of Isla Mujeres. Travelers that pack an extra suitcase full of supplies or leashes and collars. Or beg their local vet for medicines. This month we were extra lucky. Dawn and Red actually put an autoclave in a hockey bag and lugged it down here for Pepe's clinic. We are so grateful, we are very short on equipment right now.

Red and Dawn donating an autoclave

Dawn and Red also took two of our puppies home last year and wait unti you see them now!

Philipe as a pup at our house

Monty as a pup at our house

Philipe and Monty

Good News / Bad News - March 5, 2007

GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS

Let’s start with the bad news. Pepe lost his clinic. The reason is still unclear, something about a new owner but he had to evacuate in less than five hours. It wasn’t a great location anyway because it backed up against Salina Chica (a small inland salt water lake) and when it rained the water level would rise and cover half of the property with a stagnant, putrid swamp. Pepe had wanted to move but was hoping for more time to work out the details. Needless to say everything was moved to our house, what an ordeal. He has found a new location, however like many things in Mexico, it needs work. Hopefully he will be able to move in by the end of next week. In the interim we are taking emergencies here. The new location is in La Gloria which is the Colonia (small town) at the south end of Salina Grande (a large inland salt water lake) and easier to get to for many islanders.

The good new is that we have received some wonderful donations this week. It costs 400 pesos ($40.00) to spay a female and 200 pesos ($20.00) to neuter a male. The exchange rate may vary. These generous people known as the Portland Oregon Group and the Bow Wow Group donated enough money to spay and neuter ten animals with money left over to buy supplies. They traveled from Bainbridge Is. Washington, Portland Oregon, Monmouth Oregon, Creswell Oregon, Eagan Minn., Sand Point Michigan, Saugatuk Michigan and Ontario Canada. We are truly honored by the size of the donation and the trust they put in us to use it wisely.

Good Bye Supper

Good Bye Supper

This amount will make a huge difference in the island animal population as spaying and neutering is the answer to control. One bitch can produce two litters in a year, eight puppies in a litter, which computes to 67,000 dogs over a six year period. See how powerful 400 pesos can be?

These donations also provide vaccinations and funds for health checks so minor problems can be handled promptly. There are still many issues to address, like equipment, education and the continuation of our weekly spay and neuter clinics but this has been a truly wonderful week for the island due to the generosity of these Frequently Returning Visitors. (FRV’s) Thank you all so much from every critter on Isla Mujeres.

The Gang

A loving home for every animal…that is our goal.

Alison of IslaAnimals.org

Momma Houdini/Dulcita/Cocoa/Honey - February 28, 2007

A friend of mine called to tell me she had a dog in trouble so I went to her house to check it out. She lives on Sac Bajo and had been feeding this female for a while, then the dog disappeared. When she came back she was skinny and sad looking, holding her head very low like someone had been nasty to her. I took her to Pepe's clinic for a check up. Sadly, she has both ehrlichia, which is a tic born disease that attacks the blood and as if that wasn't enough she has heart worms as well.

Momma Houdini/Dulcita/Cocoa/Honey

Okay, we will treat the ehrlichia first, then the heart worms and then have her spay. She has already had a couple of litters and it isn't doing her figure any favors. She's a sweetie and loves to rest her head in your lap.

The reason she has so many names is that my friend called her Dulcita which means sweet. Rudi and Marcelino, who help me care for the dogs call her Momma Houdini because she keeps escaping and now it seems that every time someone comes to visit they know her. A tourist came by three days ago and said, "Cocoa, I wondered where you went?" Then yesterday a couple came to see the dogs, took one look at our girl and said, "Honey, we've been looking for you."

To me this is marvelous proof that people care and when a dog is that sweet they notice.

Miracle Dogs - February 4, 2007

There is hope for every animal. I am amazed at the condition of some animals I get. Not only do they survive but they heal and then give people and/or their environment a second chance. For example, when I get a young dog that is skin and bones, he will start to gain weight after we deworm him and take care of any other problems he might have. Then the little things that we expect every day become huge. Like the first time he wags his tail when he sees you, or the first time he barks or the first time he starts to play with the other dogs that he used to see as competition for food or affection.

A question that I am asked over and over is, “why spend so much time and or money on one dog when the problem is so huge and those recourses could go so much further on a grand scale?” My answer is always the same, “because they are there.” Slowly we are working on the big problem with spay and neuter clinics and education on the appropriate care of animals. In the mean time these little guys are already here.

Imagine your favorite pet, all the love and care you blanketed him/her with. Each one of these guys deserves that. It’s the same question that so many pet owners have to face when their animal companion gets sick, "how much to spend on their medical needs?" I have talked to so many people who have spent a fortune on vet bills to save their favorite dog or cat. I mean look at how many veterinarians there are. Someone is affording them a life style.

My reason for going into all of this is due to two dogs I’ve taken in this last month. One, Polomo, came to me from Cancun. He was almost cut in half. Someone had tied him up and never loosened his harness or they simply tied him too tightly. This poor guy had a huge open wound that went all around his body behind his front legs. People suggested I put him down, saying that he was too wounded. The vet and I thought he was worth a try, he hadn’t been offered much so far in his short life. Well, Polomo is a miracle, not only has he healed incredibly fast, and well, but he is still sweet and trusting. We are continuing to work on his skin and some other issues, nothing that is too expensive, but things that just take time and tenderness. He has made my month.

Our miracle Polomo

Then there is Tortuga, originally named “Feo”, which mens ugly in Spanish. A local woman called me to say that there was a dog in her neighborhood that was suffering. His skin was so bad that he was always bleeding somewhere and he was so skinny you could see all of his ribs. She was terrified to touch him but wanted to help so with persistence she managed to lure him into her back yard with food and called me to pick him up. I have rarely seen a dog with skin so bad. We brought him home and dipped him in a solution that kills most skin baddies and then took him to the clinic where he stayed for two weeks. Slowly his ears which were two bleeding scabs started to heal. When I visited him he would come out of his cage briefly and then run back in. The vet told me he loved it in there because that is where they fed him. So this little guy was willing to be in a box if someone was going to bring him food on a regular basis.

Finally he was well enough to come to my house where he had to adjust to living with many other dogs. Gradually he settled in and soon he started to wag his tail constantly. He simply and clearly got happier every day. It was obvious he had no idea life could be so good, regular meals, nice people and other dogs to play with all day in a safe environment. Even though he was totally healed he was still funny looking with short legs and scruffy hair the color of a hyena but he was safe.

Then last night someone came by looking for a small dog. I didn’t even show her Tortuga because most islanders want pure breeds or at least pretty dogs. Poodles are very popular. I kept showing her all of these little cuties but she wasn’t interested. Then she spotted Tortuga. It was love at first sight. Now the ugly, starved, scabby, unwanted little dog has a home with a wonderful family on the island. Miracles never cease.

A well healed Tortuga

PUPPY SEASON - January 13, 2007

Its puppy season again. I have no explanation for this. It’s not as if our seasons vary more than ten degrees but inevitably every January bursts forth with a plethora of litters. The first litter we found was at Playa Lancheros. The mother is the token dog for all of the staff there and she had her pups on December 8th. We supplied her with good food and kept an eye on the puppies. Then two days ago we arrived and found the construction next door encroaching dangerously close to the large tractor tire that they were living in. Plus, the woman that was watching out for them had left town for eight days so we brought the family here. We will take the mother back after the pups are weaned. Rudi, who helps me with the dogs, is feeding them extra milk every few hours.

The next litter we heard about is with a very good dog family. They want the mother spayed as soon as the puppies are weaned. There are four females and four males. We will probably receive six of them, mostly females because Islanders usually want males, that way they don’t have to deal with litters. This litter is all blond and pretty healthy. Then we found a group of four yesterday, all beautiful, fat brindled babes. I’m not sure how many we will get…hopefully all of them.

WHY?????...you may ask do I go searching for these families. The answer is:

LIFE OF A PUPPY I DON’T GET
Many Islanders still resist sterilizing their animals. The females often have multiple litters which can be entertaining while the pups are small. But, as soon as the pups need more space, start to make a mess and/or need food they are relocated (most often to a vacant lot) or given as gifts. Unfortunately they are not usually gifted to families who have carefully considered the ramifications of adopting a pet, but to children who see them as toys. These unlucky puppies are often abandoned when their care becomes a chore.

The relocated and/or abandoned puppies die slowly or join a wild pack of dogs or live a frightened, dangerous life trying to avoid taxis or poison or other dogs wanting the small amount of food they might find.

LIFE OF A PUPPY I GET
I am always on the look out for nursing females, usually stalking them until I find their litter. If the mother dog has a good family they are often thrilled to give me the puppies. If the mother is wild and I manage to find her while the puppies are small, they can be domesticated fairly easily. Once they are at my house I am able to provide them with good food, vitamins, tic and flea meds, parasite meds and baths to prevent skin problems. This boosts their immune system until they are old enough for vaccinations and sterilization. After that they stay with me until I can find them good homes either in the Mexico or the US or Canada.

Victory!!!!!!!!!!!!! - December 14, 2006

We spayed and neutered one hundred and eighty one dogs and cats, seventy on Isla Mujeres and one hundred and eleven in Rancho Viejo.

Three veterinarians came from the States, Michael Royals, Gary Bullard and Sharon Staples. They were accompanied by three vet technicians, Alex West, Cheryl Wood and Kimberly Hanna and three volunteers from Dignidad, Jill, her husband Don and their friend Claire. All these wonderful people paid for their own transportation and used their vacation time to help Isla Mujeres.

It had been a while since we’d had a clinic on the island so we decided to have one doctor stay here each day and work with Dr. Pepe Vega, our new island vet who offered his clinic for the campaign.

This summer the Boulder Humane Society donated at least sixty cages in all sizes. We have had every friend, family member or volunteer that flies from Denver bring in as many as they can. They make things so much easier for these campaigns, having a place for each animal makes it safer for every one involved. Some of the animals are trapped and some have never been on a leash. You can imagine how much they love being dragged to a different place where they are left behind with strangers. Not to mention feral or nervous cats.

We have started to work in Rancho Viejo because it is on the mainland but under the jurisdiction of Isla. We became aware of the sad state of the animals there when we visited after Hurricane Wilma with food and vaccinations. The locals happily showed up for vaccinations, deworming and sterilization. Sadly we had to turn down some dogs on the last day but plan to return in the spring for another clinic.

On the island we had energetic volunteers who kept things running smoothly. Pepe’s clinic is new, small and needs work. It does however have a large yard that we draped with tarps to fend off the rain which visited us for a short time every day. Many of the dogs were brought in off the street or were neighborhood dogs that no one owns but everyone feeds. We found a beautiful Dalmatian downtown that had been used for breeding and then abandoned. She was spayed and bathed and taken to a new home in Bacalar, a small community south-west on the mainland. Two of our volunteers were from that area and knew the perfect place for her.

After the clinic we found rides for twelve homeless dogs to go to the States where they will be put up for adoption. They were healthy, spayed, vaccinated, dewormed and beautiful. Plus very lucky.

The funds for the medicines and vaccines we used were donated by Nacer, an animal rescue and educational organization out of Denver. Plus housing was generously donated by Sea Hawk divers and the Nauti Beach Condominiums. Our crew was kept well fed by our best island cooks.

These clinics are exhausting, exhilarating, hot, dirty, educational, heart warming, heart breaking, memorable, and ultimately the best thing we can do for the animals. Populations control is the only way we can improve the lives of cats and dogs on a large scale.

We did bring in one incredible dog named Riesha. I will put her story and a picture in the story section of the website. I hope to update this website at least every week and we are always grateful for any donations.

Alison

Greetings all friends of the animals of Isla Mujeres! - June 27, 2005

It has been a long time since we’ve spoken to some of you and a very short time for others, and we thank you all of your kind letters, donations, and inquiries. We have finally updated our website and will now produce future quarterly updates. Please have a look and don’t hesitate to send us feedback of any kind, your comments can only help us!

Many of you have asked us what has happened to the animal project now that the bookstore is gone. We assure you that the bookstore was merely one face of the project and many advances continue to be made. The two major projects currently underway are the Dog Gone Foundation and the weekly Spay Day. You can read in depth about these and other current projects on the new projects page here on the website. However we are particularly proud of the more than 100 dogs that Alison and Jeff have sent to their forever homes via the Dog Gone Foundation since November 2004 (together with Alex and Steve from www.nacer.org). This is an accomplishment of near heroic proportions; however, with big results come a big budget, please don’t be shy about congratulating them or contributing to this excellent project.

We’d also like to announce that we’re not the only ones who think Alison (creator of the Dog Gone Foundation) is a saint in her own time. We were recently informed that Alison is a 2005 recipient of the Doris Day Animal Foundation Kindred Spirit Award. The DDAF created the Animal Kingdom Kindred Spirit Award as a way of saying “Thank You” to individuals who have shown extraordinary compassion or kindness toward animals, and to inspire others to follow their fine examples. We are very proud of her and don’t know what we’d do without her!

Dr. Delfino continues to be the only vet on the island, working long hours without stopping until the work is done. As we sit here writing this at 9:30pm he has just been called away to deal with a dog emergency. He finally has some help though; Alfredo who has been assisting him on the sidelines for some time now finally took the plunge and has become a full time employee. However, even with help they still have more work than there is time for, volunteers are always welcome!

Those of you who have asked where to take donations of money and supplies in downtown Isla can always take them to Mañana Restaurant (new home of the bookstore by the way). There are donation boxes and animal friendly staff to accept your contributions. You can also always stop in and see Dr. Delfino at his office or visit the donating page of our website in order to donate to a specific need or cause.

It’s been a great run, we are up to approximately 1800 spay/neuters, 350 adoptions, and thousands of medical treatments collectively since the project began over 5 years ago. Thank you again for all of your help, love, and support! None of this would be possible without all of you… you have truly made a difference on this island!

XOXO

Amigos de los Animales de Isla Mujeres
Dog Gone Foundation
La Clinica de Chipie
Every furry four legged animal living on this island

Hello - January 8, 2002

Just some quick news to keep you all informed of what's happening here!

At the New Year's Pachanga at Sergio's- there was an AWESOME auction help to raise money for charity!!!! It was so cool- what an amazing group of people! Over $400 was raised!

We are continuing with spays and neuters on a daily basis with donations we have received and the help of Gerardo (who works for the city), Delfino, and Delfino's substitute vet- Gabriel. Also with the help of a wonderful volunteer Allison.

We have a FULL house here at the bookstore! 4 kittens and 3 pups. Hopefully one pup, Isla, will be traveling to her knew home tomorrow! As for the other 6- we are looking looking looking.....

At Allison's house we have 5 pups in foster care. It is puppy play land over there! 2 are about 4 weeks- so they aren't ready to go for a while, but the 3 bigger ones will be spayed and neutered tomorrow and we be ready for homes in a few days!

We do have one pup that a family in San Diego would love to have- please let me know if anyone knows someone willing to transport her!

So- that is it to sum up!

We are, as always in need of time, money and supplies donations! If you are coming down, please stop by, take a dog for a walk, cuddle a kitten, help Delfino, ect....

Contact Us at bayfirestd@aol.com

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