Save a Mexican Mutt - SAMM

Hola Mexico Lovers

Over the next few months I am going to explore how Mexicans are helping their animals.

Less than a week after my return from October's TNR in Havana, I was on the road to Mexico.

Yes, on the road ... all 4,000 km.

I will begin the Cuba campaña report in the next posting.

During my stay here, in San Miguel de Allende, I hope to work with local animal welfare groups.

Thanks to serendipity I was introduced to Nancy Sylvor.

Nancy, a long time resident of San Miguel, knows all the "players" in this town's animal welfare circles.

Through Nancy I was introduced to Kelley Karger, founder of

Save A Mexican Mutt (SAMM).

Since 2003, SAMM has been rescuing Mexican dogs from unknown fates and sending them north to adoptive home in the USA and Canada

On July 27, 2011, SAMM held it's first spay/neuter clinic in Colonia San Luis Rey. Twenty animals were sterilized.  As they state on their website, "Now, we are getting to the root of the problem."

After speaking with Kelly on the telephone, I was invited to join in on one of their sterilization "Blitzes".

SAMM is focusing on the need to spay/neuter in communities surrounding San Miguel de Allende.

In the morning I hit the streets in the to meet Kelly for the drive to Cieneguita.

 Our rendezvous point was a dusty tract of land in front of the train station.

From there I followed her on a series of dusty roads-- we could have four wheeled through a creek as a short cut-- for the 19km drive to our destination.

 Our host, Holly, greeted us and we began setting up.

 What a wonderful location.

Sandra's registration area was open air.

 

 Prep, surgery and recovery were set up in the ranch's newly built tack room.

 

 Patient #1 got a combing.

 Dr. Octavio Capitan looked on as Paloma, his tech, preped patient #1

 A great group of volunteers tended to the patients in recovery.

 The dueños (owners) often took over as the patients were waking up.

 SAMM places a great emphasis on education.

 Signage and handouts were all around

 

 "No one should have to live on rooftop.
Let him come into your home and make him part of your family"

 At this event a horse trailer was turned into a "classroom".

Vicky went over the basics of responsible pet care.

 It was a great day. A combination of 35 dogs and cats were sterilized.

I'm looking forward to the January Blitz.

 Holly treated some of the ranch dogs to leftover chicken from lunch.

SAMM will be taking a break for December and half of January.

This is to give volunteers a rest and to spend time with their families. 

Many of which live north of the border.
It is also an opportunity to replenish the financial coffers.

Matching funds donation.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012 SAMM (Save A Mexican Mutt) has a generous donor who will match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $5000 USD.

Donations can be made with a credit or debit card through the SAMM website at www.saveaamexicanmutt.org or checks made payable to Save A Mexican Mutt can be dropped off at Solutions, Recreo #11, Box 334.

SAMM is a U.S. 501.c.3 non-profit organization and donations are deductible on U.S. tax returns.

Spanky Project - The Film

Thank you to Jonathan Fortier and Rachel Heynsbergen for producing this short film.

Jonathan directed and Rachel shot and edited.
Their support of our work is much appreciated.
Welcome to the team.

 I would also like to express my thanks to Dr.Belovich for his ongoing participation in our aim of "helping Cubans help their animals".
Oh, and to Krystal who ended up on the cutting room floor.
I hear the director is saving her footage for the
Anniversary Edition DVD.

With your donation we can continue into a tenth year.

Amistad - CCFA Newsletter

The Spanky Project would like to send a big thank you to the

Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association Toronto.

They kindly gave us a page in Amistad their newsletter.

The Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association promotes friendship, understanding and co-operation between the peoples of Canada and Cuba.

Please visit their site and consider becoming a member.

 

Here is a peek at the page.

Here is a link to

CCFA Toronto Newsletters. 

September / October 2012 is where our article appears.

How The Spanky Project Helps Cubans and Their Animals
This initiative is named in honour of my beloved dog, Spanky, who passed away
on September 5th, 2003.  The original plan was to, with the help of foreign
travelers, get needed supplies to groups that were helping dogs, cats and horses in Cuba.
 It was my hope that with the millions of visitors to Cuba every year, a small portion would consider this a worthwhile project and extend a helping hand... or, as we say around here,a helping paw. Travelers from around the world have purchased and delivered supplies.

Fast forward  and now the Spanky Project has introduced international veterinarians to their Cuban counterparts.
In December of 2010, history was made when Drs. Michael Belovich, Michele
Travers and Linda Pallet and I were granted Cooperation Visas for a week long visit to Havana. This was for the first Cuba Canada Veterinary Co-operation week. This trip had many firsts including Canadian veterinarians being invited to lecture at the Consejo Cientifico Veterinaro de Cuba in Havana.


In September of 2011, the Spanky Project signed a “Covenio” with the Consejo Cientifico Veterinario de Cuba. This collaborative agreement allows us to work throughout Cuba.
As funding allows we will move beyond Havana to establish new programs.

With donations from individuals and donations in kind from animal health science companies we have focused our programs in and around Havana.  These efforts include massive free deparasitization and sterilization campaigns. This has resulted in the reduction of Havana’s stray dog population -- most notably in Habana Vieja.

Our work in Habana Vieja comes with the full support of the Society for Heritage, Community and the Environment (SPCMA) Sociedad Patrimonio, Comunidad y Medio Ambiente an NGO operating under the Office of the Historian.


With this success, our efforts are turning to “Gatos sin Hogares” aka, Cats without Homes.
In October, the Spanky Project will be back in Havana with international animal welfare group, Animal Balance.
We will launch Cuba’s first TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) of feral cats.
Working at the community level, we will train “colony keepers” how to trap cats and monitor the colony. The health of these colonies will improve thus reducing zoonotic disease transfers.
Our goal is to sterilize 100 pet cats and 100 feral cats in our five day campaña resulting in a humane reduction of the population.


If you, too, would like to help Cubans help their animals  ..
... your tax deductible donation can be sent to:

Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund
Attention - Sharon Skup
56 Riverwood Terrace
Bolton, ON
L7E 1S4

please write Spanky Project on the memo line.

Your support could not be more timely. We are still in debt for supplies delivered during our February program.

Please keep up to date with us by visiting the Spanky Project blog at ...
www.spankyproject.blogspot.com

www.spankyproject.org

Skeeter, our dog, has a cause ...

 

VOTE FOR ME!

Time to help another good cause and it won't cost you a cent.

Every vote Skeeter gets at the Fido Casting Call earns $1 for Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides!!!
Help her gets lots and lots of $1 for this great cause!!
PLEASE vote once a day until September 10th!!!

Skeeter also has a chance to win some prizes.

Here are her comments about that ...

"But... seriously... I don't want to win anything. I am happy in our truck and really would not like having to be clean and polite in a limo. I HATE even the thought of "doggy spa". I have a sneaky suspicion there is water, soap and brushing involved with that. As for the ad campaign? I really do not take direction very well. I'd be spending most of my time at the craft service table TOTALLY ignoring the director. I want lots and lots of dollars for the DOG GUIDES so I really want to come in second... :O)"

Please share this and help a good cause!

September 1 Update!!

Thanks to all that are helping Skeeter support Canada Dog Guide.

You have raised her in the rankings from the high 4000s to, as of this 9:00am Sept 1 2012

100

Please keep voting.

Once a day until the 10th.

Breaking News ..

... well -- actually-- from last September.

The Spanky Project held a sterilization campaña for pets in San Jose de las Lajas.

This event included veterinary students from the Agrarian University which is located in the town.

Each pet was escorted through the entire process by a student.

Forty students spent the day with us.

Much was learned.

This was also a historical event.

 It was the first mass sterilization of pets in the newly created Province of Mayabeque.

How's your Spanish?

We made the evening news.

Here is the recently obtained footage.

Totals for the day.

34 patients

6 cats ........ 5 female 1 male

28 dogs .... 27 females 1 male

No complications !

More than that ... our commitment to Cuba's future veterinarians will continue.

With us at this historic event were Emma Clifford and Dr.Byron Maas of 

Animal Balance.

and

  Dr.Slavek Zenkov who is a principal veterinarian with 

APAC - Varadero.

 
Please share this post on facebook or your Twitter feed.
Convenient buttons are located just below.

Thanks Wally!

We, here at the Spanky Project, are grateful for the support we get from people that have been touched by Cuba and her animals.

Wally Moran sailing writer, charter skipper and soon to be movie maker, has contacted us about wanting to help the dogs of Cuba.

He has re-homed a dog from Varadero so he definitely has a connection.
That story I will leave to him.

Wally has set up a fundraising page on Indigogo titled
"Saving Cuba's Dogs".
He has some interesting awards for anyone who donates to help out, and the minimum donation is only $2. For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can help us to help Cuba's dogs.

Thanks Wally from the Spanky Project.
Oh, and don't forget to share this fundraiser on your own Facebook page or Twitter.

This fundraiser begins August 2nd and runs for 45 days.

THIS FUND RAISING EFFORT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.
PayPal feels this campaign violates OFAC Regulations.


You can still help Cuba's dogs.
In Canada cheques can be sent to...

Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund

Attention - Sharon Skup
56 Riverwood Terrace
Bolton, ON
L7E 1S4

Please be sure to write Spanky Project on the memo line.

Canadian Registered Charities
(Revenue Canada Charitable registration#88876 9197RR0001)

If Wishes Were Horses...

 This was our last working day on this trip. 

Above, Dr.Gispert presents Dr.Traver with a Cuban baseball cap. 

This is in thanks for a horse motifed cap Michele gave him during her last visit.

Our first activity was an early morning deworming for the coach horses of Habana Vieja.

The garage is located in the shadow of the Talapiedra power plant.

Michele made quick friends ...

... while it took Dr.B a little time for his friend to open up.

 

The Cocheros arrive at the garage in their personal "vehicles".

They then hitch their horse to one of the "Tour Carriages"

In addition to the deparasitization, Dr.Travers consulted
on the concerns that some Cocheros had with their horse's health.
Much of it was hoof related.
Are there any farriers in the house?

Next stop...

Clínica Veterinaria ¨Jose Luis Callejas¨on Calle Carlos III

Our best laid plans for the afternoon came to an abrupt end due to

"No Hay Corriente"

Electrical line maintenance had blacked out the clinic for most of the day.

  

 Our plan was to sterilize the dogs from Quinta de los Molinos located across the street.

With the power out, much of the staff was released for the day.

The same for workers from Quinta that were to handle and care for the dogs

This clinic is the largest in Havana and possibly all of Cuba.
It is not only a challenge to maintain the structure ...but a greater concern is maintaining a supply of much needed medicines.  

To help with the struggle we had supplies to leave with
 Dr. Rafael Pino Ventosa the interim clinic director.

It is a large facility ...

 During the visit we discussed future collaborations with Dr.Pino.

 

If I wish really hard ...

... maybe a campaña at Carlos III could be a reality.

I would like to thank the great team we had on this trip.

But wait there's more.

A little back ground on this visit.

Have a look at our blog posting

Cuban Vets Rock.

In Cuba, it is common for Veterinary Consultorios to be located in the veterinarian's own home.
On this evening we visited Dr.Angel Mario in his home consultorio.
Dr.Angel Mario Rodriguez - Airport Frontier Vet and Rockin' Guitarist.

You gotta like it when the doctor makes them smile.

There was lot's for us to smile about on this trip!