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 Vallarta Living | August 2006 
The Pet Parade Marches On
 PVNN
| | While Laura is on vacation, Sherrill Madden has generously volunteered to visit the Acopio each week and snap pictures of the shelter's new arrivals. |
For the last two years, besides patrolling the busy streets, backroads and beaches for lost, injured and abandoned animals, the Puerto Vallarta Animal Shelter has been promoting the wellbeing and care of all animals in the Banderas Bay area.
A non-profit organization maintained by local animal lovers, each week El Centro de Acopio Animal takes in about 150 homeless, hungry and affection-starved dogs and cats that are just waiting to be adopted.
After visiting the shelter and learning more about the animal rescue and pet adoption services provided by El Acopio, video journalist Laura Gelezunas decided to help the shelter find homes for the countless number of animals they take in each week.
Today, Laura creates and produces the Banderas Bay Pet Parade, a BanderasNews weekly story that features exclusive video coverage of the cuddly little guys that are up for adoption.
Every week, Laura donates her time, effort and video expertise to create the Pet Parade for BanderasNews. And her charitable cause has not gone unnoticed. A huge success within the Puerto Vallarta community, the Pet Parade has garnered support from both caring citizens and the local media.
Heather Wilson, the Senior Writer-Editor for Producciones Viva, has been one of the Pet Parade's most dedicated supporters. Every week, Heather sends out emails that not only contain a link to Laura's weekly video, but also provide animal lovers with updates on the animals that she and her friends have helped to find homes.
The report Heather sent out last Friday was especially heartening, so we've decided to share it with our readers:
A Better Than Average Week for the Dogs at the Acopio
Heather Wilson
Hi, folks. Just to update you about this past week. Video 19 showed a gorgeous gold cocker spaniel and a sweet grey-beige poodle (also Daisy the pointer, whom Judith found a home for last week.)
We gratefully found a situation for the spaniel and the poodle, and when we called to arrange picking them up, Liliana, the bilingual Acopio secretary, told us they had already gone to good homes! The cocker living in PV and the poodle going to Canada.
Also this week, Liliana says a man adopted a pit bull, a woman adopted a big "street dog," and another woman named Laura, from an organization called Be Happy (or something to that affect in English,) took five puppies, a German Shepherd and two Great Danes! I am trying to reach her to see if she needs help in placing these dogs permanently.
Andrea found permanent homes for two dogs this week — one already in Toronto and the other leaving the country soon (with the help of Melissa) — that she had rescued a few weeks prior from the Acopio.
And, the best news of all, seven owners went to the Acopio this week to claim their own lost dogs! Sharing information and resources and the BanderasNews site have helped so much, along with the willingness of people to get involved. But, the concern now is for the next four weeks, when Laura Gelezunas, the videographer, is on holiday - but dogs continue to be picked up... |
Editor's Note: While Laura is on vacation, Sherrill Madden has generously volunteered to visit the Acopio each week and snap pictures of the shelter's new arrivals. These photos, along with a brief description of the new animals that are up for adoption, will be featured on BanderasNews until Laura returns. Thank you Sherrill, for continuing the community efforts to save these precious pets!
We'd also like to remind everyone that you don't have to wait until Thursday to find your new best friend at the Puerto Vallarta Animal Shelter. Adoptions officially take place on Thursdays between 10 am and 2 pm, but El Centro de Acopio Animal is open every Monday-Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. To make an appointment, please call Liliana [she speaks English] at 293-3690. |
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