Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Playa del Carmen - Help Needed

On April 14th I received the following Email:

Hi Kim:
By a common friend in the island of Holbox, Morelia Montes, I got word that you will be traveling to the island to perform volunteer veterinary services in the community. She recommended you and took the liberty to give me your name and address. Maybe you might help us.
We live in Playa del Carmen, in Playacar, and we have a growing community of stray beach cats that wander around and are friendly to some of us. We are trying to neuter them, vaccine them and make aids tests (some have tasted positive), but there are lots of them, it´s too expensive because there aren´t enough volunteers to raise funds to cover these costs. We do have competent vets, but too many homeless cats. And we definitely want to have a healthy and controlled population. Because we love cats, and because we want to preserve our environment.

Would you be willing to come to Playa del Carmen when you come to Holbox? In such case, what do you need, and how many people in your party? Where would you perform the operations? etc. We will do our best to provide with whatever you need.
We are looking forward to hear from you and would appreciate your help very very much.

Thank you in advance, for this favor.

Sincerely,
Nelly.


How do you reply to such a plea? "No" has never been a word that I use in regards to animals in need. So I said I would work on this request. What I finally came up with was for me to send extra supplies to the group to help them alter the beach cats and care for the kittens in Peanuts Animal Shelter. I had originally planned to travel to Playa and take supplies. That evolved into Morelia connecting with them after my departure and delivering supplies. I believe they will also get our drugs that were confiscated in customs.

So today I received this email:
Dear Edson, Kim, and all the staff of feral cat project:

I want to thank you, in the name of the volunteer cat rescue team of Playa del Carmen, for your generous support in Playa del Carmen. Kim left a boz if important supplies for us in Holbox, plus a good amount of medication that will help us operate about 100 cats. With the help of two veterinarias who will be working for free, and the trapping and transport that Kelley and Laura will do, we will surely (in the long run)have a healthier and controlled population. Morelia also offered to lend us a couple of traps, which will make the catch easier.
We hope that in the future you can come and visit us in Playa del Carmen, where we are still offering you our home.
We heard that your clinic in the area of Holbox was a success.
Congratulations! You deserve all our respect. With such works, you will definitely save the planet.
Thank you again, and have a wonderful day.
Nelly and Ivan, Kelley and David, Laura, Claudia, Morelia, and volunteers.
Thank

This is so great. We need to help local groups alter animals. The need is so great and PEOPLE WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THOSE THAT CAN MUST PROVIDE OPTIONS!!

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