MEXICO LOVES SOUTH KOREA!

LA HERMOSA Y FELIZ PEPA

It was a friend´s birthday celebration last week-end at her beautiful ranch surrounded in greenness and vistas of the distant, seemingly blue foothills.  After admiring newly born chicks, ducklings, a white rooster galloping after an assortment of chickens, a new black Lab-mix puppy and a grey tabby cat nibbling on people´s toes, we were taken to a hedge where “Pepa,” an imposing pot-bellied pig, was reposing in the shade.  She snorted a couple of times, but never opened her eyes to have a look at us.  I asked our hostess what Pepa eats.  “EVERYTHING.”  (Pepa herself will not be eaten).

PEPA –  LE ENCANTA CARICIAS EN SU ESTÓMAGO.  PEPA ENJOYS TUMMY TICKLES.

As we are in Mexico and the guest list was at least half Mexican, an enormous lunch of steak, baked potatoes, green salade and mushrooms was served at approximately 5 o´clock.  Pepa, slowly waddling, and an assortment of ranch dogs joined us on the grass for tosses of leftovers.  With tickets for an 8 o-clock ballet performance, we left this heavenly spot immediately after rounds of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” were sung and chocolate birthday cake served.  Home at 7:30, we were on time for the ballet.

It was a one-evening only performance at Teatro Vallarta of BOLERO,  performed by France´s Francois Mauduit Select Ballet Company.   The repertoire was a mix of classic and traditional ballet with contemporary, avant-garde dance, and was an impressive display of athleticism and grace. The recorded music, including songs sung by Charles Aznavour, left one longing a bit for Paris. 

Sunday morning, June 17th, the streets of Puerto Vallarta looked as if it were the end of the world.  No people or cars on the street.  It was the World Cup and Mexico was playing Germany.  The excited shrieks and cheers when Mexico´s Javier “Chicharito” Hernández  made the first goal were heard on every street in town.  Mexico, the underdog, beat Germany!  Mexico – 1; Germany – 0.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR MEXICO: ISAAC HERNÁNDEZ, a twenty-eight year native of Guadalajara, has recently been awarded the prestigious Benois de la Danse prize.  Considered the Oscar of ballet, the ceremony took place at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on June 6th.  

ISAAC HERNÁNDEZ

Hernández is the first Mexican to be given this award.  Last November, he won the award for best male dancer at the United Kingdom´s National Dance Awards.  Hernández is the lead principal dancer with the English National Ballet, and returns to Mexico to present his ballet gala DESPERTARES at the National Auditorium (seats 10,000 people) in Mexico City on August 25th. 

ANOTHER BABY POSSUM:  Late one evening, one of my two new kittens was tapping a small, dark object in the corner of our living room.  It was a hissing, curled up baby possum.  It had survived somewhere for ten days after its poisoned mother had died in our garden. The female possum is now with its two sisters and an orphaned male possum with Dr. Eva of Sabueso´s. 

TERCER TLACUACHE ENCONTRADO EN NUESTRO SALON DESPUES DE 10 DÍAS DE ENCONTRAR SU MAMA MUERTA EN EL JARDÍN – ENVENENADA.  YA ESTÁ CON SUS HERMANITAS EN EL CUIDADO DE DR. EVA DE SABUESO´S.

          
LOUP – THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE GERMAN SHEPHERD MIX:  Hit by a car in Boca, Loup suffered a broken femur.  After two surgeries to repair the damage, his right hind leg broke again and was amputated on June 18th.  He about 18 months old, a wonderful dog and is making a fast recovery.  Loup needs a good home.  Contact:  Karla de la Peña at Boca Divers on FB.    Thank you very much to those who helped with Loup´s vet expenses.  We had all hoped his leg could be saved.

“LOUP” – EN ADOPCIÓN – CONTACTO:  BOCA DIVERS POR FB.

HERE´S TO BEER! Monzón (“Monsoon” in Spanish) Brewery has chosen PEACEAnimals to be one of two charities in July to benefit from their monthly bottle cap program. Customers are given the bottle cap from the beer they have ordered and can then place it in an identified bucket.  One peso per bottle cap in the PEACEAnimals bucket will be donated to us for the free clinics.

Venustiano Carranza 239 –  Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Puerto Vallarta   322 260 9718

COLONIA LAS ARALIAS (“the willows”)- PUERTO VALLARTA – Due to a scheduling problem and subsequent cancellation of colonia el Mangal, the clinic was back in las Aralias two weeks later.

LAS ARALIAS OTRA VEZ, PORQUE  EL MANGAL.FUÉ CANCELADO.

STERILIZATIONS IN LAS ARALIAS JUNE 20-23: 

MALE DOGS – 16; FEMALE DOGS – 45; MALE CATS – 29; FEMALE CATS – 50

TOTAL: 140 – PLUS  pregnancy terminated for a dog with 6 fetuses 

LAS ARALIAS – PERRITA TRANQUILIZADA Y ESPERANDO CIRUGÍA

THIS IS THE FIFTH CLINIC MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS GRANT OF $10,000 USD (5.5 CLINICS) FROM A FOUNDATION THAT WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. 

DONATIONS AT LAS ARALIAS:  1,420 PESOS

HEMBRA PIT BULL Y DR. POLI – LAS ARALIAS

EDUCATION PROGRAM:  Leslie Caratachea, educator director, presented to 35 students at the Secundaria 29 school in las Aralias.  

LESLIE CARATACHEA, DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAM DE EDUCACIÓN Y VET TEC  (LAS ARALIAS)

COLONIA VOLCANES, PUERTO VALLARTA

VOLCANCES – ATRÁS DEL CUARTO MULTI-USOS – ACROSS FROM THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM OF SCHOOL

This rural location is located approximately thirty minutes northeast of centro Vallarta.  The clinic took place in the open-air, multi-purpose room down the road from the classroom buildings of the very highly rated escuela primaria de volcanes.

MEGAN GALLAGHER CON UNAS DE LOS ALUMNOS DE PETALUMA – TODAS VOLUNTARIAS.  RUBY ES LA MUCHACHA CON LAS CORREAS/COLLARS DE PEACEANIMALS DONADAS POR PAM LOCK. SAVANNAH, 11 AÑOS Y LA ÚLTIMA A LA DERRECHA, DIJO QUE “SIEMPRE QUERÍA UNA VETERINARIA.”  MEGAN WITH SOME OF THE STUDENTS.  RUBY IS HOLDING THE PEACE/ANIMALS COLLARS/LEASHES DONATED BY PAM LOCK.  SAVANNAH, AGE 11, LAST STUDENT ON THE RIGHT, SAID  SHE HAD “ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A VET.”

Megan Gallagher, organizer of the clinic, was the English coordinator at the Volcanes school from 2010 to 2014, and is now the lead middle school teacher at the Spring School in Petaluma, California. 

VOLUNTARIO FRANK OHLY CON ALUMNOS – VOLCANES

Volcanes is its sister school, and students are matched as “pen pals” with Skype conversations during the school year.  Eleven students from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades flew down with Megan to help teach English, volunteer at the clinic and meet their pen pals.   

NIÑO LLEVANDO SU GATITO PARA ESTERILIZAR – BRINGING KITTEN FOR STERILIZATION – VOLCANES

Sweet sight:  A young, shirtless boy with a wonderful head of hair bicycling up the dirt road to the clinic holding a small orange and white kitten.  Pets arrived in bags, boxes, towels and wheelbarrows.  “Santa” Elena Moreno brought fifteen dogs in her pick-up truck.

CAROLINE, 12  AÑOS – VOLCANES

The children were all enthusiastic …rushing around the colonia asking permission from owners to bring pets back to the clinic … rubbing cats enthusiastically on the post-op table …checking heart rates and respiration … and after an initial reluctance, even taking temperatures.  Because of the participation of the students and three of their teachers, Danielle Wegner, Cynthia Díaz and Jamie Shelton, this was a particularly joyful clinic.

FOTOS ARRIBA – VOLCANES

Volcanes was made possible by the organizational and fundraising efforts of Megan Gallagher.  Victor Aguirre, English coordinator of the school, made sure parents were advised and posters put up,  and Megan´s friends in the Petaluma community raised $1,800 USD.  Donors  include:

STERILIZATIONS AT LOS VOLCANES  JUNE 27-30:

Male dogs – 28; Female dogs – 55; Male cats – 27; Female cats – 54

TOTAL:  164!

If not our highest number ever, it is certainly one of our very highest.  

BOLSAS DE GATOS PARA ESTERILIZACIÓN – VOLCANES.  CATS BROUGHT IN BAGS FOR STERILIZATION.

DONATIONS AT LOS VOLCANES:  Waiting for numbers from Dr. Poli and will be posted in next clinic.

Note:  More attention seems to be being paid these last weeks to World Cup soccer than to the July 1 elections.  After beating Germany 1-0, Mexico beat South Korea 2-1.  At the Volcanes clinics, a cell phone with live coverage was set up on the recovery table, where student volunteers could watch.  The vet team could only listen.  Score:  Mexico 0 – Sweden 3.  

CONSULADO GENERAL DE COREA DEL SUR – CELEBRANDO MÉXICO EN FRENTE DE LA EMBAJADA

BUT… on the same day, Germany lost to South Korea, knocking Germany out of the World Cup competition and keeping Mexico in.  Hundreds of exuberant Mexicans accompanied by mariachis flocked to the South Korean embassy in Mexico City to celebrate and “thank” the Koreans for keeping Mexico in the finals.  In a party-like atmosphere, and after taking a shot of tequila,  the consul general of the Republic of Korean was hoisted up in the air,  as Mexicans gleefully chanted “Bye, bye Germany.”  Mexico has never made it past the 16th game of World Soccer.  Next match:  Brazil on July 2 – and a new president for Mexico will have been decided.

EMBAJADA DE COREA DEL SUR – EL 27 DE JUNIO

ANUNCIO DE AEROMÉXICO Y 20 % DISCUENTO EN SUS VUELOS A KOREA

(AeroMéxico immediately began a promotion of 20% discount on flights from Mexico to South Korea).

THANKS TO GERMANY´S LOSS TO SOUTH KOREA, MEXICO SQUEEZED INTO THE FINALS

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS:  The clinic in Volcanes organized by Megan!  PLUS four suitcases filled with vet supplies!

BARB DRUCKER – DONÓ  22 MANTAS PARA LAS CLÍNICAS

Barbara Drucker – Large bag of used 7 large blankets  and 15 small ones for the clinics.
Lilka Jones – $17 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.