Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Though the shelter was destroyed by the devastating flood caused by Hurricane Nora on August 28, the Puerto Vallarta SPCA is continuing its efforts to save dogs. While they are back on site, utilizing the little usable space that remains, the dogs in their care require food and, in some cases, medical care. And you can help. Here’s their latest announcement:
We Refuse to Keep Our Tails Down: Saving One Dog at a Time
SPCA Puerto Vallarta is still operating and continuing its efforts to save dogs following a devastating flood associated with Hurricane Nora, August 28. Our buildings were destroyed and the property irreparably damaged. Temporarily, we are not bringing in any new dogs until we have determined where we are going to be located.
We are so grateful for the many substantial donations we have received since the disaster. The money will help us get back on our feet. We will either be rebuilding in place or possibly at a new location if the engineers tell us that it is not safe to occupy our current facility.
The Board of Directors is determined to continue the dream of founder Janice Chatterton to benefit the animals of Puerto Vallarta, and will announce future plans when we are able to do so, which will include a fundraising campaign to start construction.
The point is that there will be a future for the SPCA PV and that through the hard work of selfless employees and volunteers, we will reopen for rescue services, medical help, and adoption services for dogs in Puerto Vallarta as soon as we can. Our efforts will be limited at first, but as we build back our capacity we will increase the number of dogs we can care for.
The SPCA PV has met with and will continue to meet with our partners in Canada and the United States and they fully support the plan to rebuild. The State of Jalisco has reached out to us. Also, we are grateful that the local government is demonstrating needed support. Our Sister City, Santa Barbara, California, has offered to help. Our donors and supporters have been so generous, and animal behavior consultant/pet book author Steve Dale is involved as a member of our advisory committee.
We Are Operating
Although we had to evacuate the shelter during the hurricane, we are back on site now and utilizing the little usable space that remains. We do have temporary electricity. No water… We need a new cistern in place.
Our Director, Luz Maria, is in the process of filing for Federal emergency support offered in response to the storm. The paperwork is intimidating and voluminous. We are supporting 21 dogs in foster homes and we have 18 dogs in residence at the shelter now. Adoption flights are scheduled for October. We have spay/neuter clinics scheduled and they will continue.
There is no guarantee that we will get approval to build where we are due to the proximity of Rio Pitillal. We have engaged with the architect who designed the original shelter. He has provided us with new drawings that provide for a structure that will be located away from the river.
We are seeking estimates for the cost of the reconstruction. Wherever we end up, it is going to be very expensive and we will need your financial support down the road. Meanwhile, the dogs that are in our care continue to eat and require medical care, even donations of towels and blankets can help.
We will provide you with status updates as we rebuild. Stay Tuned to our Facebook page for the latest news and information.
In the meantime, SPCA Puerto Vallarta is in need of pesos to help with day-to-day operations and other necessities. You can help by going to spcapv.com and clicking on the DONATE button.
