A few weeks ago I volunteered to document a dog sterilization clinic in Cancun, Mexico, with CANDi International.  I also documented the street dogs of Mexico and a local rescue group facility.  I find it difficult to put this experience into words in a way that would truly say how I feel.  This was a life changing experience.   The dogs of Cancun touched my heart and taught me about: compassion, cruelty, love, hard work, and taking action for a cause.

I was also deeply moved by the volunteers and organizations involved in this clinic.  Their compassion and work ethic to save these animals is truly inspiring.

This will be a3 part blog series:

Part 1: the clinic

Part 2: the street dogs

Part 3: a local rescue group facility

I find it difficult to put this experience into words in a way that would truly say how I feel.  This was a life changing experience.   I was deeply moved by the volunteers and organizations involved in this clinic.  Their compassion and work ethic to save these animals is truly inspiring.

About CANDi International:

CANDi International is a non for profit organization.  CANDi believes the answer to reduce animal overpopulation is sterilization and education and promotes these solutions through the support of tourism industry corporations and pet loving travelers. “100% of all donations to CANDi go to the animals to end their suffering in this vacation paradise,” says Darci Galati, founder of CANDi. 

Our Mission: “To save the lives of stray cats and dogs in Mexico and the Caribbean through spay, neuter, adoption and educational programs, supported and funded by the tourism industry, travelers and pet lovers.”

Statistics:

One unsterilized female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in just six years and one unsterilized female cat and her offspring can produce as many as 425,000 kittens in seven years.

As the average wage of workers in Cancun is approximately $300 a month, allocating funding to the needs of stray animals is out of the question. Free sterilization clinics organized by CANDi and its partners are the only resources available to locals to control the stray animal population in their community. And unlike the U.S. and Canada, there are no animal protection laws or national animal protection organizations like the SPCA to promote animal welfare so the estimated millions of stray cats and dogs in Mexico are left to die starving in the streets or killed by inhumane methods such as electrocution, poisoning, and drowning.

About the clinic itself(representative from CANDi International):

“From January 20th through the 24th we held a free sterilization clinic in the poor community of Bonfil.  There are thousands of streets dogs and no humane treatment to control their population.  Bonfil is about 10 minutes from the Cancun airport.  Hundreds of animals weresafely sterilized during these five days, saving thousands of unborn puppies and kittens from lives of starvation, disease, and inhumane treatment.Thanks to corporate support, in 5 days, CANDi and its humane partners sterilized 852 animals.  40 puppies were rescued from the streets and now are in a safe shelter until they are healthy enough to be adopted.  A cocker spanielwas also rescued that had been machetted across the head by its drunk owner.  The surgery took over 3 hours and the dog is now safe at Isla Animals until she is healthy enough to be adopted.  The clinic was covered by television, newspaper and magazines.  The magazine who interviewed CANDi said,  “CANDi clinic’s are the most trusted by the people of Cancun.”   The local community support and the support of the local rescue groups is incredible and we could not have done this without their help. We did an average of 10 street dogs a day through the support of the local animal groups.   Another clinic is planned in Bonfil the end of April.  The needis so great and we are hoping it will be our biggest campaign of 2000 animals.  We are currently in the process of trying to find a corporate supporter to raise $15,000 for this clinic.”

To donate to this great cause, please visit their website, any donation makes a difference: CANDi International

A special thanks to the veterinarians of VIDAS!