Healthy Pets Program
The Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala's highlands is plagued with overpopulation of domestic animals. Many live in constant distress from neglect, abuse, abandonment and starvation. Traditional attempts to contain the problem revolved around throwing Strychnine-poisoned meat into the streets just before Christmas and Easter. Street animals and family pets died in prolonged agony in public areas and neighborhoods, de-sensitizing the local population and horrifying visitors.
Through its integrated projects, the Healthy Pets Program is raising awareness with the locals, reducing overpopulation, addressing public health issues related to overpopulation, relieving the suffering of many domestic animals and doing its part to eliminate inhumane poisonings.
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What the Healthy Pets Program does:
Sterilization and Vaccination Clinics
In collaboration with the only licensed, practicing veterinarian in the Atitlan region, we offer free and low-cost sterilization clinics monthly. Since March 2007, Healthy Pets has sterilized over 400 animals. Free and low-cost vaccination clinics are scheduled on a quarterly basis for the 2008 fiscal year and offer rabies and combo vaccinations. Due to the rise of human rabies infections, Centro de Salud of Guatemala provides all of our rabies vaccines gratis. Our war cry to the community is "Ya No Mas", which means "No More".
Emergency Services
Through our clinics, we have become known throughout many neighborhoods. Needy families come to us with suffering pets. We see to it that their animals do not suffer. There are also many injuries caused to homeless animals. Broken legs and jaws are a common occurrence from traffic on the very narrow streets. We also see that these animals do not suffer needlessly. Canine Transferable Venereal Tumors, a sexually-transmitted cancer is a very common problem with our dogs. Easily treated, we have cured several dogs and continue to provide treatment for others.
Food
Most indigenous families are struggling to provide adequate food for their families much less for family pets. Dogs forage for food from trash bins and beg on the streets. Cats are rarely seen in large colonies.
Families who qualify for the Food Project receive an adequate amount of pet food at an affordable price, based on the requirements of each pet and the family's financial situation. All participants donate something back to the program. As a public service we also provide food for merchants, public offices (i.e. Police) and individuals who act as "guardian angels" or "street brigades" for homeless animals which frequent their areas.
Education
There is a dichotomy with the local culture. The ancestors believed that they were carried to the next life over the water on the backs of dogs. However, the more contemporary attitude tends to be more disrespectful of domestic animals, and often abusive. Our Education Program goes into schools and exposes children to histories of animals, over population problems, their dietary needs, and their value within society as a whole.
Adoption
We provide adoption services for homeless, emergency rescued animals and for those whose owners no longer wish to keep them. We ensure that animals are going to good homes by prescreening each applicant and doing home follow-up visits. We reserve and exercise the right to retrieve them if we discover they are being mistreated, abused, neglected or if the adopting families change their minds. Our adoption services include placing Guatemalan animals into homes in the U.S.
Please see the Healthy Pets FAQ if you require more information
How you can help the Healthy Pets Program
Please select the Contribute Button to make a donation to Healthy Pets, or arrange a recurring monthly donation. All contributions of any amount are gratefully accepted.
