Phew!
I've been involved in them since the beginning, but the first year was just as a volunteer in cat recovery. The past 3 years I have also done the Volunteer Coordination through YAPA (Yucatan Ayuda Para Animales). YAPA is a bridge group that assists several dog/cat rescue facilities as well as Planned Pethood (PPH) with pretty much whatever we can help them with. I do a lot of the communications for YAPA, as well as am on the 'Steering' Committee, although I'm not always sure what we're steering towards. A better world for companion animals I guess. And this year I also helped in a few other areas, but enough.
Anyway, this year the PPH Spay n Neuter Campaign processed 2804 animals, with 2775 of those spayed or neutered. Sometimes an animal is rejected from spaying or neutering for medical reasons, but at least it gets a check up and some minimal treatment offered onsite, maybe just antibiotics, or recommendations for care. But typically a vet will offer services after the clinics are over.
Anyway, 2775 animals spayed or neutered in just this one campaign. AMAZING! I am so proud of all the vets, techs, and volunteers, it is a tremendous effort.
This campaign spans 8 days, with one rest day, 7 work days Vets come in from around the world. Volunteers from all over as well. There are typically 4 days here in Merida and 3 days in beach areas, typically Progreso -This year it was 2 days in Progreso, and 1 day in Cholul
And this year the day before the clinics here in Merida I came down with a horrible flu. One thing I did learn after leaving my employment in the USofA, things can and will happen without me actually being there. When I worked I went in no matter what because I felt like I was that - what, needed, important??? But guess what after I left, things continued, now I was told by co-workers that not nearly as much was getting done, and not nearly as well, but you know what, the world didn't end, and my office didn't fall in to a black hole.
So anyway, back to topic, I knew enough to know that if I didn't go, and possibly infect hundreds of people the show would still run. And it did, admirably and amazingly. Although I did go down several times just to see how things were going, check in on the volunteers, and then also to take in our 2 foster dogs for spaying.
Oh, and my cooking group for the past 3 years have created a 3 course, homecooked, healthy, vegetarian meal for 50+ servings. This year it was a vegetarian lasagna, gorgeous salad, bread, and brownies.
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There is a vet and his clinic, located in Denver Colorado who spearheads this whole thing. Jeff and his wife Janet, own and operate Planned Pethood Plus.
Their story is pretty amazing, but I can't go into all that here, read about it here.
And if you can find it in your heart you can donate money to the cause, these clinics do so much, and cost so much. You can click this link to go to the donation form.
and if you live in or around the Denver area please consider them as your pet care professionals and know that the money you spend there ends up with benefits around the world!
unfortunately I didn't take a single photo, well except for our 2 fosters, but there are tons all over facebook. PPI FACEBOOK
EVOLUCION'S FACEBOOK
MELODY'S FACEBOOK