LAS ÁNIMAS AND ANIMALS

Before dawn, cruise ships glitter brightly in the dark as they appear on the horizon and glide slowly towards port. As early morning begins to see first rays of sun,  the jewel-like dazzle disappears and ships become pale apparitions against the dove grey sky and water.

EL MALECÓN – PUERTO VALLARTA

We walk along the sculpture-lined malecón to the modern sail-shaped pier, stopping across the sidewalk for hot chocolate, coffee and freshly baked scones at Dee’s.  

Our friend, Maca MacMorran, has hired a boat to take us south, stopping to admire the wild and beautiful rock formations called “los arcos” (“the arches), which are designated as a national park.  Although there is a steep fine and it is done at some physical risk, boats do motor through the arches.  I have swum through them when the water is very calm, enjoying the dankness and a slight sense of danger.  

Tops of the rocky outcroppings, homes to blue footed boobies, terns and pelicans, are green green green from all the recent rains.

An hour later, we jump off the boat to cool off in las Ánimas (“the Spirits” and swim ashore at el Coral, my favorite restaurant on the beach.  An iguana is cooling off at the water’s edge

while the candy man pushes his cart across the warm sand, a woman

carrying a tray of slices of homemade pies for sale on her head and an irresistible little girl named Lupita and her mother sell beaded keychains, earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

“LUPITA”

On the ride back to Vallarta, Maca’s friend Alejandro Guillen, visiting from Mexico City, engages us with tales of Mexican history and politics.

ALEJANDRO GUILLEN

 A charming former professor of history and anthropology at the University of Mexico, Alejandro now owns a tour business operating out of Mexico City.  Friends and the Mexican government give him rave reviews.  Www.travel4life.com.mx

SAN JUAN DE ABAJO, NAYARIT – An hour´s drive crossing over the ameca river and into another state.  After a right turn at Mezcales (the overpass has finally been completed), a straight drive east until one reaches a series of small towns, and then a series of sharp right and left turns until the road is straight again and the landscape becomes more rural, with cows and bullocks in green, grassy fields clustering under large shade trees.  Passing the wonderful sculpture of three indigenous figures at a roundabout, one continues east, driving through high, green cement arches with the words “Bienvenidos a San Juan de Abajo” at the top. 

 

The clinic was held in the same location where it has been held a couple of times in the past – in the front yard of a home belonging to an extremely gracious couple that served delicious daily breakfasts and lunches to the vet team.  On Wednesday, I saw Janina Erban, whose nearby cat refuge, Paraiso Felino, now holds 300 felines.  

STERILIZATIONS IN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO, NAYARIT – SEPTEMBER 25-28:  

Male Dogs – 16; Female Dogs – 57; Male Cats – 21; 
Female Cats – 56    TOTAL:   150!

PLUS pregnancies terminated for  1 cat with 5 fetuses; 2 cats with 4 fetuses each; 1 cat with 3 fetuses

PRIMEROS LLEGADOS – SAN JUAN DE ABAJO – AMONG FIRST TO ARRIVE

CLÍNICA EN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO, NAYARIT

DONATIONS AT CLINIC IN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO:  
1,600 PESOS

BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO: 

In Spanish, the name means “Woods of Progress.”  The colonia is about a 30-minute drive northeast from central Vallarta and although there are no woods, there are some trees. 

EL EX- BASURERO EN BASURERO– PEGADO A COLONIA BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO.  THE FORMER CITY DUMP IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO COLONIA BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO.

Adjoining Bosques del Progreso is Basurero, which means “dump.” The fenced-in field strewn with old tires has a large green hill,  born many years ago of collected trash and garbage. The road lined with poor homes going past the former city dump is named “Gardenia.”  There is no hint of the fragrance of flowers here, only the lingering stench of old, rotting garbage. People living in Basurero are squatters, many with addiction problems. Although illegal, residents are not removed by the city because it has no place to take them. As this area is not a legal neighborhood, the government does not supply Basurero with water. A can of Coca Cola is often cheaper to buy than a bottle of water. 

CALLE GARDENIA – BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

One of their large red trucks rolled down Gardenia street as a very large black bull walked slowly through bushes in front of cinder block houses in Bosques del Progreso.

BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

The clinic in Bosques del Progreso was held two blocks away from the former city dump in a downstairs front empty room of someone’s home on Gardenia street. There are dogs everywhere on the streets here and in Basurero, and many root for something to eat in piles of garbage and trash. I saw a pretty brown and white recent mama dog with an enormous malignant venereal tumor.

PERRA CON TVT VIVIENDO ABAJO DE UN COCHE EN BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

People on the dirt road told me the dog was being fed by someone but didn’t have an owner.  They said the tail-wagging dog lived under a car and that it would be a “blessing” if she could be euthanized.  The next day, PEACEAnimals received a message from Luis Becerra, saying he had heard a woman from PEACEAnimals had been asking about this dog.  Luis has been feeding “Vecina” (“Neighbor”) for a year and wants to save her. I responded that if he is able to get her to Dr. Poli every week for 5 weeks, the Laila SOS fund will pay for her chemotherapy.

STERILIZATIONS AT CLINIC IN BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO OCTOBER 4-7:  
Female dogs- 49;  Male dogs – 19; Female cats – 35; Male cats – 15

TOTAL:  128

PLUS pregnancies terminated for 2 dogs with 3 fetuses each; 1 cat with 3 fetuses;  2 cats with 4 fetuses each   
17 ANIMALS NOT BORN TO SUFFER

CLÍNICA EN COLONIA BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

DONATIONS AT COLONIA BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO:

1,180 PESOS

PERRA DE LA CALLE NOMBRADO “VECINA.”  TIENE UN TUMOR MALIGNO (TVT=TUMOR TRANSMISIBLE VENEREA) Y OJALÁ QUE PODAMOS SALVARLA.  COLONIA BOSQUES DEL PROGRESO

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS: 

GreaterGood – $85 USD  (April 1-June 30)
Michael Turner – $50 USD (monthly)
The Fit Club – 4 dozen used hand towels (shared with the Centro de Acopio)

PEACEANIMALS EDUCATION PROGRAM:  Due to the driving distance of one hour from Vallarta to San Juan de Abajo in Nayarit, no school presentations were made on Tuesday, September 27th.

TEENAGER WHO BROUGHT HIS TWO CATS TO CLINIC IN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO, NAYARIT.  TRAJO SUS 2 GATOS PARA ESTERILIZAR A LA CLÍNICA EN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO Y RECIBIÓ UNA PLAYERA.

On Tuesday, October 3rd, education director, Leslie Caratachea, presented to 30 students at the Secundaria Foranea #56 school in colonia Progreso. 

The mission of PEACEAnimals is to end the future suffering of cats and dogs.  The most efficient way to do this is via a massive, free spay/neuter clinic.  In 2016, PEACEAnimals sterilized 5,403 cats and dogs.

REGISTRANDO MASCOTAS- SAN JUAN DE ABAJO – REGISTERING PETS