Free Spay-Neuter Clinics Incredible Success

From January 11 to 15, 2010, in Mérida and the coastal communities, a group of volunteers joined forces to offer FREE sterilization of cats and dogs, in an effort to begin to control their overpopulation and to offer some dignity to their lives and prevent the suffering endured by so many unwanted animals. The goal was 1000 animals in five days…they finished the week sterilizing 1305 cats and dogs. The second annual clinic was held Jan. 9-15, 2011. Their goal was 1500 animals...they sterilized 1741 cats and dogs!!! The Jan. 8-14, 2012 campaign in Mérida and Progreso surpassed all previous records! The goal was 1500 animals...and 1975 dogs and cats were sterilized! http://yapamerida.blogspot.com/2012/01/3rd-annual-spay-n-neuter-campaign-is.html

Now for a little math: The number of dogs ONE unaltered female and her offspring can produce in 6 years is 67,000. The number of cats ONE unaltered female and her offspring can produce in 7 years is 420,000. So, for 1305 or 1741 or 1975 neutered cats and dogs, the number of unwanted animals which will not be born is, needless to say, staggering.

There were volunteer veterinarians from Mexico, Canada, USA, Korea, Slovakia, and Ecuador, veterinary medicine students, and many other volunteers who came to assist with transportation for animals and owners, pet and people registration, pre-and post-operative care, and soothing the nervous animals and their owners.

The organizations which participated were: Planned Pethood International with Dr. Jeff Young, Secretaria de Salud del Gobierno de Estado, H. Ayuntamiento de Mérida, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of UADY, AMEDEA-MANT A.C. (Asociación Mexicana por los Derechos de los Animales), Evolución A.C., AFAD A.C. (Albergue Franciscano del Animal Desprotegido), Grupo de Protección Animal A.C., Progreso, and Partido Verde Ecologista de México.

These events serve as an example for the whole country.

Thanks to all the volunteers, and, in the words from the Partido Verde Ecologista de México: “the most important thank you is for the RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS, who came early in the morning with their pets to be neutered, and waited patiently for their surgery and recovery.” Thank you as well to Beryl Gorbman, Julia Stewart and Cherie Pittillo, whose photos from 2010 are included here in the Related Gallery. Here are some of their comments:

From Beryl Gorbman:
“The 2010 spay and neuter clinics, held in various parts of Mérida, Progreso, Chelem and Chuburna, were a roaring success this year. Many groups, local and foreign, contributed time and enormous effort to make this work. In Progreso, people rode up to the clinic in their bike taxis, each carrying four and five street dogs. A stray dog wandered in and we grabbed him as well. Earlier in the week, we worked at various community centers in Mérida and for three days concurrent with the centers, at the UADY school of veterinary medicine in Xmatkuil. There, we kidnapped the school mascot, an orange cat, and she’ll never have kittens again. The lines were long, the human customers were patient and appreciative, and the vets and volunteers were exhausted but happy. We had veterinarians from several places in the USA, Slovakia, Dominican Republic, Guadalajara, and Baja California. We sterilized 1305 dogs and cats, both male and female. We expect this to at least make a dent in the proliferating population of feral animals in our area. A special word about the volunteers. They were fabulous. They picked up and delivered pets to people who had no transportation, they helped Kim the injection lady by holding down anxious animals for sedation, they shaved and prepared dogs and cats for surgery, they assisted in the operating rooms, comforted waiting pet owners, tended to the pets in recovery, and registered everyone. In Chuburna, one of our American vets found tumors in a dog and worked hard to remove them. The owner was delighted that his dog, Hueso, had this surgery. The only ones unhappy about this campaign were the dogs and cats. They screamed and hollered, but will now lead happier lives. That makes the whole team who worked on this project very happy. We look forward to next year.”

From Cherie Pittillo:
“I photographed the process of the spay/neuter clinic on Day 2 in Mérida.  I am sending a variety of photos to you from dog faces to a beautiful cat in a bird cage named Zazil. I photographed the process from the line up of people waiting, registration, prep, surgery, and recovery.  It was a magnificent day with incredible volunteers and superhuman veterinarians working from 7 am to 3 pm before they took a quick break.  Two came from Slovakia along with Dr. Katarina's vet tech.  I heard no complaints from anyone.  How wonderful to be a small part of a first time free spay/neuter clinic.  Over 1300 appointments were made for dogs and cats but the goal was 1,000.  I was only involved for one volunteer meeting and one day, but what an incredible experience.”