FINALLY able to take a breath!

It's been a month since I've updated the blog! During that time, quite a few dogs have made their ways here to the states and been adopted (check out the growing number of adoptions on the photos page!). It's not that difficult to do it - someone goes to the beach, picks up some dogs, takes them to a vet where they stay for a few days, then they come here and get adopted. Pretty simple. But we can do that forever and never run out of dogs needing homes. So it's time to change our tactics a bit. We have to really work to affect change in the situation these animals are in - in Puerto Rico. So far, almost NO ONE we've talked to in P.R. has really tried to do anything to help solve the serious problem of cruelty and abandonments. We've talked to mayors, police officers, the governor's office, the U.S. representative .... and everyone says "yes it's a terrible problem" but no one ever makes any moves to fix it.

Right now, Liz is working hard on organizing a spay and neuter clinic to occur in Yabucoa at the end of July. The idea is to get local vets to donate their time and a portion of the medical costs to providing low-cost spay and neuter, plus vaccinations, to people in the area. We'll look to a local business to sponsor the event and to kick in towards the procedures - we're hoping the Mayor will kick in a portion of the costs as well - so that hopefully we can offer very inexpensive ($10-15) spay/neuter and vaccinations to anyone who brings their dog or cat in on that day (or days). In promoting the event, there will be some level of public awareness of the situation and that there ARE solutions and there ARE people who are trying to fix the problems. More education at the actual event will be in the form of literature and face-to-face communication with volunteers there. It's a step in the right direction.

So, the point is, I just can't justify making the entirety of this program to bring dogs from P.R. to the U.S. when there are needy animals here already. We're not going to stop doing it but we ARE going to step up our game on working to affect positive change for the animals in Puerto Rico.