Animal Welfare: Managing Stray Cats and Dogs

Dear Supporters,

During the period of February to April, Coco’s Animal Welfare in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) had 1,230 Spay and Neuter Surgeries in Playa del Carmen and surrounding areas. They completed these surgeries to support the control of stray dogs and cats populations. The surrounding areas of Playa del Carmen represent a big challenge for the control of these populations as the large a large number of owners do not have their animals spayed and neutered for different reasons, some of which are: the lack of transportation to take them for veterinary care; low income families that cannot afford the treatments or surgeries; taboo; and ignorance on the benefits of caring about their animals. This quarter 355 animals from lower income areas were fixed, and there are plans for continued effort in outreach to increase the impact.

During the month of March, the GVI Trust’s funding was targeted to support Coco’s Animal Welfare in their outreach campaign. With the £60 funded during this month, we will support three more adult dog surgeries from the area of Invasores, where our Volunteering With Children project runs.

From the 1^st of January to August we are raising funds for Coco’s massive 9 day campaign. This campaign is being planned in the same way as previous, highly successful domestic animal spay and neuter campaigns run by Veterinarios Internacionales Dedicados a Animales Saños, VIDAS (International Veterinarian Dedicated to Animal Health) This campaign will have a potential impact of more than a 1,000 dogs and cats in Playa del Carmen. This year VIDAS has moved their Spay and Neuter campaign to Puerto Rico, where in September 2017 a huge Hurricane named Maria affected many people and animals.

The good news is that the experience with VIDAS in previous years and with the support from other local organizations, Coco´s has decided to take up the challenge and continue with the annual campaigns here in Playa Del Carmen. The aim is to keep controlling the population of dogs and cats in the area in partnership with IFAW, Planet Pethood International Puerto Morelos, and other vets, using the support of donations and volunteers will make this campaign a success.

In total this quarter the number of animals helped in various capacities were 4,191, a significant boost from the 1,888 animals vaccinated in a rabies prevention campaign in Playa Del Carmen.

The Sustainable Development Goals impacted by this program are the SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 15: Life on Land and SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

It will contribute to SDG 3: Health and Well-being by keeping rabies out of the region with vaccine prevention and by diminishing the number of stray dogs and cats that can carry diseases and plagues to human communities.

It will contribute to SDG 15: Life on Land by diminishing the number of cats and dogs in the streets that can kill and hunt local species, like birds, lizards, possums and other small mammals.

It will contribute to SDG 17: Partnership for the goals by promoting the collaboration between local rescuers, shelters, clinics, government and other NGO´s.

We would like to thank you for your support!

With Gratitude, 

Mexico Animal Welfare

Dear Supporters,

This quarter closed an amazing year for animals in Playa del Carmen, thanks to few local organizations that are tackling the UN Goals 3 Good Health and Wellbeing and 15 Life on land, over 28,000 animals have been Spay and Neuter at the Coco’s Clinic in the almost 9th anniversary to be on March 2018, if you love cats, dogs, or both, you will be delighted to follow up the GVI Volunteers of the vet program in Playa del Carmen and Coco’s Animal Welfare in social media.

Coco’s Animal Welfare, with the support of volunteers, carry on over 20 spay and neuter surgeries daily including dogs and cats in their permanent Spay and Neuter Campaign, this campaign gives free surgeries to stray animals, rescued animals and low income families’ pets, while in exchange of a donation for the utensils and medication required they provide surgeries to owned pets.

The Outreach program provides support to animals in surrounding areas of Playa del Carmen or even other communities when organized, the support consists in providing different consultations, application of vaccines, deworm, flea and tick protection, treatment for diseases and donation of pet food for the low income community members that own pets and of course for the spay and neuter surgeries required to avoid overexploitation of the animal population in those areas.

The Kitten and Dog programs supports other dogs and cats that local organizations and individuals have rescued or adopted, securing the good health of the animals, after being checked and spay / neuter, the animal is checked regularly to follow up the recovery and the completion of their vaccines and veterinary treatments. Coco’s have 2 adoption Programs the Coco’s Kittens and Cachito’s fund where dogs and cats are rescued and posted on social media to find them new homes, only cats can stay at the clinic if there is space available but mainly rescuers are encouraged to foster them until they find a new family.

Cocos in collaboration with other veterinaries holds different campaigns for animal welfare, the campaigns they support or take by themselves include free spay and neuter campaigns, rabies vaccination campaigns, deworm/flea & tick treatments and education for the children and adults in how to provide good care to their pets.

In the latest years Coco’s animal welfare has been coordinating with the international organization VIDAS a Spay and Neuter campaign that have provided surgeries to over 1000 animals in Playa del Carmen for few days during August, this year VIDAS is organizing their campaign in Puerto Rico and Coco’s Animal Welfare is taking a great step by organizing this campaign without the financial support of VIDAS, for this reason your donations until the month of August will be making a massive help for this new venture in the history of Coco´s.

Thank you very much for your support! 

All the best, 

Mexico Animal Welfare