MASCOTAS EN MASCOTA

BOCA DE TOMATLÁN          photo:  Lalo Govea

LA BAHÍA DE BANDERAS, PUERTO VALLARTA

The rainy season was only just recently arrived with a couple of  raucous, rollicking, sky-slashing rain storms. Although skies often turned grey and one heard the distant rumble of thunder, rains in June and July have been light and infrequent. 

LODO LLEVADO DEL RÍO CUALE HASTA LA BAHÍA DESPUÉS DE UNA LLUVIA

It rains more frequently up in the mountains.  Rivers carry silt, topsoil and manure from farms and ranches down to Banderas Bay, leaving a pale brown smear close to the mouths of the area´s seven rivers.  Two days after the rain, the bay is clear again. 

NADANDO EN PLAYA ROSITA TEMPRANO EN LA MAÑANA  Early morning swimmers and fishermen arrive at the same time  town roosters are crowing at the sun and prehistoric-looking pelicans are skimming close to the water before their dives for fish begin.

TEMPRANO EN PLAYA LOS MUERTOS

Far out in the bay in a panga, the water is the clearest Mediterannean blue, with temperatures of 86-87 degrees.  Several olive ridley turtles were dozing on the surface.  They are very still until a boat approaches, and then heads pop up, eyes blink, and with a push of their flippers and a small swoosh of water, the turtles submerge and disappear.  Recently removed from the endangered species list, the olive ridley is so named for the greenish tinge of its shell.  The ridleys are the smallest of the seven species of sea turtles, with a size of 2-2.5 feet and a weight of up to 100 pounds.  Average life span in the wild is 50 years, but only one in one thousand is estimated to reach adulthood.  Main predators of adult turtles are sharks and humans.

TORTUGA OLIVE RIDLEY

With a pool net on a pole, Karla de la Peña scoops up plastic bottles, large chunks of styrofoam and helium balloons.  Some read  “Happy Graduation” and “Happy Birthday” in Spanish and often are found in the same areas, sent off from a party boat.

EL TEMPLO INCONCLUSIVO DE LA PRECIOSA SANGRE – MASCOTA

MASCOTA:  The word in Spanish means “pet,” but this name is derived from the Teco word “amaxacotlán mazacota,” meaning “place of deer and snakes.” 

Located 60 miles (90 kilometers) from  Puerto Vallarta, Mascota is at an altitude of 4,160 feet (1,268 meters) on a plateau in the western Sierra Madres.  Mascota is a municipality consisting of 40 small towns, of which the town of Mascota is the largest and the seat of the municipality.

The drive, part of which is either an ascending or descending serpentine one, took us – driving fast – two hours.  Once reaching Mascota, we were in ranch land, passing the ancient volcano

PLAZA PRINCIPAL – MASCOTA

“Molcajete” (from the Nahuatl word “molcaxitl” – a Mexican version of the mortar and pestle).  Centuries-old, low stone walls blackened with age border grassy, green fields where cows and horses graze peacefully next to palms and pine trees. In town, ranchers wearing wide brimmed hats ride their horses on cobbled streets,  and locals walk without hurry on the faded red and white cement tiled sidewalks in this quiet, very clean town. 

Important sights – the lovely Templo Inconcluso de la Preciosa Sangre, an unfinished sanctuary begun in the 19th century and the 18th century church, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. 

LA IGLESIA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS DOLORES

We stayed overnight at the charming,  rustic Santa Lucia hotel,

HOTEL BOUTIQUE SANTA LUCIA

located four blocks from the town plaza.  Renovated four months ago, a section of the face of the building dates back to the 17th century.  It is small, dog friendly,  with large bedrooms and large bathrooms.  

GERENTE JORGE PÉREZ Y SU GATITO “HORUS”

A grassy garden with mature avocado and mango trees is next to the swimming pool. Jorge Pérez, the affable and very helpful manager, had recently adopted a kitten named “Horus,” and let me take it to the clinic to be neutered.

VOLUNTARIAS – MASCOTA

The clinic took place in the Club de Leones (Lions Club), a couple of blocks from the plaza. Amongst the volunteers were Laura Cecilia Belloso and Maricela Peña Rodriguez,  members of La Fondación Amigos de los Animales. The foundation, consisting of a couple of dozen members, raised 3,000 pesos to help pay the extra costs (gasoline and driving time for vet team) of our out-of-town clinic.  The ayutamiento (local government) paid another 3,000 pesos.

PERRA Y PERRO RESCATADOS – ANTES Y DESPUÉS DE CIRUGÍA.  LOS HERIDOS EN LA CADERA DE LA HEMBRA FUERON POR LOS HUESOS SALIDOS.  MASCOTA

At the clinic, a sturdy young man brought two large, tan Shepherd-mix dogs he had rescued from a ranch. The brother and sister dogs had been tied up for days without food or water and were starving.  The female dog had two raw, round wounds on her backside where her bones had been protruding.  After the dogs were sterilized, the man carried them back to his red pick-up truck.  The rear window  has a sticker reading “I (heart) Dogs.” 

CAMIONETA DEL RESCATADOR DE MUCHOS PERROS, INCLUYO 2 QUE TRAJO EL PRIMER DÍA A LA CLÍNICA EN MASCOTA.  ANTES  ESTABAN AMARRADOS EN UN RANCHO SIN AGUA Y COMIDA Y MURIENDO DE HAMBRE.  YA ESTERILIZADOS, ÉL VA A BUSCAR HOGARES PARA ELLOS.

TUMOR MALIGNO

DR. PACHECO SACANDO UN TUMOR

At the end of the  day, I noticed Dr. Pacheco performing surgery on a small, white Poodle-mix female.  He was very carefully removing an apricot-size malignant tumor on her belly.  The work was intense, taking 30 minutes for the surgery and 10 minutes for stitching the wound.  The dog´s life was saved.

ESPERANDO CIRUGÍA – CLÍNICA EN MASCOTA

DR. ANTHONY PREPARANDOSE PARA CIRUGÍAS – MASCOTA

“HORUS” – CLÍNICA EN MASCOTA

MASCOTAS EN MASCOTA

STERILIZATIONS IN MASCOTA – AUGUST 25-27 (3 days only,  as Lion´s Club location was not available on Saturday).

MALE CATS – 11; FEMALE CATS – 27; MALE DOGS – 15; FEMALE DOGS – 73  TOTAL:  126

plus pregnancies terminated for 1 dog with 6 fetuses and 1 dog with 1 fetus

NIÑAS CON SUS MASCOTAS- CLÍNICA EN MASCOTA

DONATIONS AT CLINIC IN MASCOTA:  850 PESOS

DESPUÉS DE CIRUGÍA – MASCOTA

VALLE DORADO, NAYARIT:  Second clinic in a row at this location.  Nearby La Misíon, a poor area overloaded with dogs,  was cancelled as there was no secure place in which to store meds, surgical instruments and kennels.

DR. POLI – LAVANDO INSTRUMENTOS DE CIRUGÍA – VALLE DORADO    photo:  Linda Stewart

STERILIZATIONS AT CLINIC IN VALLE DORADO-
JULY 18-21:

MALE DOGS – 25; FEMALE DOGS – 47; MALE CATS – 26; FEMALE CATS -29   TOTAL:  129  PLUS 

PREGNANCIES TERMINATED FOR 1 DOG WITH 5 FETUSES; 2 CATS WITH 3 FETUSES EACH

DONATIONS AT CLINIC IN VALLE DORADO: 1,910 PESOS
All lunches for the vet team provided by the community.

CLÍNICA EN VALLE DORADO, NAY.  photo:  Linda Stewart

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS:  

Donna Cramin – $300 USD

FOR PHOTOS/NAMES OF RESCUED DOGS THAT NEED HOMES, THE CITY SHELTER (FORMER CENTRO DE ACOPIO) HAS A CURRENT ROSTER THAT INCLUDES PHOTOS, NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS.

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