24.01.16

wellness clinic:
Nico
(1)

Today we (CADA, meaning Roni, Jackie and I) put on a wellness clinic in Celestun. Dra. Sandra and her crew came and set up shop in an unused hostel owned by a sympathetic local family who likes animals. We asked for a minimal payment from those who could pay and subsidized those who could not. The idea was to do those things that cannot be done in the context of the sterilization clinics and to give local people access to real, qualified vets and minimal cost. We offered donated vaccines for parvo, distemper etc., treatment for CTVT, worming medicine, treatment for mange and general veterinary consultations. All told, 25 dogs were seen including our little Nico who, as it turns out, has a fungal skin condition. We managed to get four of her litter-mates who are in other homes taken for vaccinations (along with a lot of other dogs), treated three dogs for CTVT and even slipped in two male sterilizations for street dogs that live around Hotel Gutierrez on the beach (thanks to Peter and gang for helping). It was exhausting for all of us but worth it in the end: if nothing else that's 25 dogs we won't have to take to the vet in the city on behalf of other people. Several people brought dogs in anticipation of the next sterilization clinic to have them looked at first, something we really want to do more of. For instance, one of them has a tumor which Dra. Sandra examined and will remove when she's brought in to be sterilized in March (tentatively). A good day for the dogs of Celestun... and our Nico did very well despite being scared.
GRADE: A