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The pueblo of Chemuyil is about a twenty minute drive down the highway from Akumal,
roughly halfway to Tulum. A small village, it is populated mostly by Mexican families, with
the occasional gringo or two living on the edge. The town has a life all of its own, and
gets frequent visitors who are stopping at Pizzaria Leo's or just touring around. As with
many small towns, family life is at the center. And included in the families are dogs and
cats, just like in the US - with one exception. Many of the local residents are unaware of
the necessity of neutering an animal, and allow them to have litter after litter... harmful for
the animal, the offspring, the environment and the community, as many of these animals end up
as strays, struggling for existence and survival, and succumbing to a long list of diseases
and ailments, some of which can be harmful to humans.
Our mission of assisting animals in the Yucatan came into play in Chemuyil in March 2006,
when we sponsored a clinic, in conjunction with the local municipality of Solidaridad. The
clinic was held at the primary (elementary) school in Chemuyil over the weekend of March 18
and 19. The clinic’s main focus was on spaying/neutering and vaccinating the animals of
Chemuyil, but medical assistance and pet education were also involved.
We had a great team of volunteers turn out for the clinic. Dr. Sandra, Dr. Paco, Dr. Salvador
and Dr. Juan were the vets on duty, assisted by medical technicians Kelly and Alex, and
Jennifer helping with the administration of shots, with Lucy helping out the surgery teams.
Coordinating the intake and registration of pets and their people was Rocio, assisted by
Sherwood, and a crew of students from the school. Mimi headed up the recovery room, and had
a lot of help from Paula, Sandy and Miranda, as well as some volunteers who were staying out
at Lucy's ranch. A team of vets and medical technicians from Merida also joined in the
effort.
Saturday was a bright sunny day and the first clients started showing up as soon as the
clinic opened at 9:00. Earlier in the week, Rocio had gone to the school and given a
presentation to the children about the clinic, what we would be doing, and the importance of
spaying or neutering their pets. A spayed or neutered pet is not going to have offspring,
and increase the already large pet population. It will also be a healthier pet, as it will
not be prone to a venereal cancer that is seen in this area and can result in death. It will
not be as prone to be in fights, so not as much chance of bites or wounds that get infected.
And it will be less likely to roam, so that reduces its chances of getting hit by a car.
Another important part of this culture is dogs as guardians of the home. The less they roam,
the more they fulfill their watchdog responsibilities.
The first day, the surgery team conducted 75 operations, performing spays and neuters, as
well as administering shots for parvovirus, hepatitis, distemper and rabies. Flea and tick
prevention was distributed to the pet owners also, as well as heartworm medicine. Some pets
would require an additional visit to the veterinarian, so instructions and timetables were
given, along with Dr. Martin's phone number - he is the local vet in Chemuyil. Sunday's
clinic was a bit slower, with about 40 surgeries performed.
Following their surgeries, the animals were sent to the recovery room, where they were
de-ticked, had their ears cleaned, nails clipped - much easier to do while they are still
sleeping off the anesthesia - and general maintenance and grooming done. As the animals woke
up, they were soothed and petted. Some animals are frightened, not knowing where they are
and have some pain from the surgery. They soon calm down, and are back to their frisky
selves. When their owners come to pick them up, they are excited and joyful to see them, but
a lot of them have to be restrained so that they won't tear any sutures in their jumping.
The Mexican people love their pets just as much as we do in the US - just not in the same
way. Our pets are members of our families, and some are treated better than some children.
The local residents here consider their pets as part of the family too, but in a more
utilitarian way. A lot of dogs are kept as pets but also serve the purpose of being a guard.
Many families that have pets are barely eking out an existence for themselves and their
family, so having a pet is almost a luxury for them. And the cost of pet food is mostly
prohibitive, so most pets receive whatever leftovers there are from the family, with the
occasional can of dog or cat food, or perhaps a bowl of kibble. It was great to have such a
wonderful turnout for the clinic, and to see the joy in the people's faces when they would be
reunited with their pets following their surgeries. It is so gratifying when they learn how
to care better for their animal, and are so excited to put their new found knowledge to use.
It is not a lack of caring, but a lack of education and awareness that makes pet ownership
different in Mexico. That is slowly changing, through the work of SPAY and other dedicated
animal rescue groups.
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