Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinic is now in its eighth year and has provided 8,107 sterilizations through June. In March, we decided to transition the clinic from appointments for owners to exclusively serving rescue animals. Our decision to change was driven by the needs we saw in our community, and the relationships we’ve developed with rescuers.
Vallarta’s streets and local shelters are overflowing with litters of unwanted cats and dogs. People fill Facebook daily with postings of photos of animals they have rescued but can’t possibly keep. There is no end to the number of animals left on the streets to fend for themselves and abandoned animals pose several problems for everyone. They are a direct result of unplanned litters that could have been avoided by spaying or neutering.
Over the past two years, more and more rescuers contacted us to ask to bring as many as 15 to 20 animals to one clinic. We accepted as many as possible while accommodating our regular appointment schedule. Accepting rescues in addition to our appointments meant our numbers became too large to accommodate in our clinic. We had to find a way to keep our numbers down and we decided to work more closely with local rescue groups because this directly addresses the core problem of managing the overpopulation of dogs and cats in Puerto Vallarta.
One of our goals was to streamline our resources and focus on the “rescue community.” While the onsite process has been somewhat streamlined, the organization leading up to the clinics has yet to be reduced – a challenge that needs work. The change also means that donations we sometimes received from grateful owners have stopped – also a challenge that needs work. Rescuers need our help and support and don’t have funds to help the clinic.
Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinic needs your help now more than ever. We rely totally on donations to continue our work. We use licensed veterinarians and vet tech teams to provide the surgery services, and dedicated volunteers provide the after-care essential to ensure the cat or dog is recovering safely.
We now typically do 70 to 80 animals per clinic, which requires a minimum of $30,000 MXN. Also, always needed are towels and sheets for recovery, sponsorships for coffee, water, and snacks and lunches for the vets and volunteers.
Please help us by donating through a new 501(c)(3) established to support animal rescue efforts in the Puerto Vallarta area called Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta. More information will soon be published on the non-profit organization’s website and Facebook page.