Planning Underway

Our clinic is just a month away. We are busy ordering supplies and planning. This year Dr Marilyn and Dr Sherrie will again join us. They both have been with us every year. We can not thank them enough. The great staff from Planned Pethood Mexico in Merida, Drs. Tony, Nelson and Lilliana will also join us for the third year. Dr Aimee Castor from Seattle will come for the first time as will Dr Jeff Young from Colorado. Jeff and his organization Planned Pethood International support international spay neuter and has helped us from our conception. We are looking forward to a very productive clinic!!

Vanancio all grown up

On our last evening in 2008 Morelia came with this little orphan racoon that had been brought to her as a rescue. Here is Vanancio now, grown up, neutered and a happy healthy house pet. Morelia has an amazing way with animals of all species.

Merida January 2010

Planned Pethood Mexico is planning a BIG campaign in the Merida area January 11-15 2010. The goal is to alter 1000 animals in the 5 days of clinics. Dr Tony of Planned Pethood Mexico has helped with our clinics the last two years. Ed and I will travel to Merida in January and be honored to help with the clinic. It is so exciting to see so many efforts at spay neuter in Mexico!

,

2010 Planning Underway

Our clinics for 2010 are again planned for May. Ed and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary May 8 by altering animals! This has become a tradition for us. Clinic dates will be May 8, 9, 11 and 12. Many of our volunteers from previous years will again join us. We always have a need for more help especially veterinarians and technicians. More surgeons will equate to more animals being altered.

Letter of Determination

In March we applied for status as a public charity with the IRS. We had expected our letter of determination in May. IRS has had so many applications that instead of taking 60 days to process an application it is taking 120 days. July 13 our letter came and Isla Holbox Spay Neuter Project has been determined by the IRS to be a public charity. This is a huge step and relief.

Thank You!!

The only way we can help the animals we help and have successful clinics is with the participation and support of our volunteers.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Some are veterinarians or veterinary technicians and many are just dedicated “animal people”. All contribute to our cause. This year I asked those coming from the Seattle area to carry supplies to Holbox. Everyone was willing to help. I believe everyone got stopped in customs and had to explain what they were bringing into Mexico.

Holbox is an amazingly beautiful island. It is the perfect vacation spot. The clinic days are not vacation days. We generally leave for the ferry by 7 or 8 AM. The buildings have to be transformed into clinics. It is often hot and dirty. The animals are covered in fleas and ticks. Surgery is difficult as animals are in poor condition and lighting is often minimal. We never know how many animals are going to show up or when. We work until all animals are altered.

Our volunteers were great. Everyone did an amazing job and was very professional. It became routine to think out of the box. The animals all received the best possible care under the circumstances.

Thank you Sherrie, Taylor, Marilyn, Mike, James, Andrea, Laura, Bridgett, Carole, Merilee, Ashley, Moon, Deb, Coley, Ed, Tony, Heraldo, Jessica, Luis, Nelson, Lillian, Morelia, Alejandra, Alejandro, Elia, Roddrigo, and everyone else invovled.

Delema

Many of the animals that are presented for surgery are in very bad condition. They are malnourished and have an abundance of parasites, external as well as internal. The puppies are often extremely anemic and protein deficient. If these animals were presented for surgery at a clinic in the US they would be treated for these problems before being allowed to undergo the stresses of anesthesia and surgery. Our dilemma here is that there are no other options for these animals. We are here now and only have this one opportunity to spay neuter. If the animals are not altered while we are here they will be contributing to the overpopulation problem. This is one of the harsh realities. I believe we must take the risk and alter every animal we can at our clinics. Last year one dog died post surgery. The dog was an older female that was pregnant. She recovered but died during the night. Her owner was a little boy and he was devastated as was everyone involved. This year we lost two puppies during surgery. Neither animal was a good surgical candidate. Both were small, anemic and parasite ridden. Everyone involved was greatly upset. The owners of these puppies had been explained the risk and accepted the deaths. We altered many puppies that we were very worried about that survived surgery. It is an extremely hard choice to make. The answer is to have more spay neuter available to these communities. If we could arrange for a DVM to be here 3 or 4 times a year these animals could receive treatment for parasites and be better surgical candidates. The animals could be treated for parasites and then be altered in a month. This is of course what I am trying to set up. We have left supplies on Holbox including suture, 30 surgical packs, clippers, scrub, sterile drapes, sterile gloves, syringes and medications so animals can be altered by any visiting veterinarian.