Dionisia Morales, a Santa Cruz de la Soledad housewife, gently stroked Tata’s head as they patiently awaited their turn on the final day of the free pet sterilization program held March 2, 3 and 4 at the town’s Casa Ejidal. A few months ago the elderly grandmother agreed to adopt the chocolate-colored boxer mix from a friend, taking on the added responsibility of helping care for her litter of five young pups. She’s happy that with Tata’s spaying, she will never have to repeat the experience.
Seated all around her are dozens of village people who have brought in cats and dogs of every imaginable size, color and genetic mix, both male and female. In such close quarters, the animals appear surprisingly calm. Perhaps they sense their owners’ relief at knowing they can look forward to a future free of troublesome mating behaviors and the burden of unwanted offspring.
During the three-day Campaña de Esterilizacion, 175 cats and dogs were whizzed through the improvised surgical theater, run like a well-oiled assembly line by a dedicated team of professional vets, veterinary students and local volunteers.
Repeating the successful sterilization program held in Chapala last November, this month’s campaign was an exemplary community project that involved a cross section of local animal protection organizations, municipal government officials, Mexican and foreign helpers, and official backing by the state health department.
Mexico’s Haghenbeck Foundation lined up two vets from Mexico City to lead the surgical team, with retired Colorado vet Bob Strand and Chapala vet Erik Sanabria coordinating the logistics.
While lamenting that they were unable to handle the extraordinary demand, organizers are pleased to see that so many Mexican pet owners are catching on to the multiple benefits of spaying and neutering, helping reduce strays that become a public nuisance, and ultimately improving the quality of life for both domestic animals and humans, as well as putting less stress on lakeside’s over-crowded animal shelters.
Rabies Vaccination Week March 11-17
Next week is National Rabies Vaccination Week in Mexico This means 685,600 doses of rabies vaccine will be made available free of charge to dogs and cats at each of Jalisco’s state health centers (clinicas de salud). Certificates will be given for animals undergoing the immunization. Shots can be administered after the first month of an animal’s life.
There will also be 627 mobile vaccination booths set up around the state in the program that runs from March 11 to 17. For more information call (33) 3030-5000.