Our new bus messages focus on having safe interactions with dogs. One says (in Spanish), “We all like to play—but carefully!” The other says, “Leave him alone when he’s eating or sleeping.” They will remain on the backs of two city buses for three months.
On January 5 Tony and Julia visited the Santa Teresa Center for Youth Integration, where they talked and played games with two groups of children, focusing on the importance of animals in our lives and how to take care of our pets. The Centros de Integración Juvenil (Centers for Youth Integration) are a nationwide nonprofit organization founded in 1969 that is dedicated to the prevention of harmful drug use and the treatment and rehabilitation of users. They provide mental health and treatment services to the public and offer sports and educational activities to children. This was our second visit to the center in Santa Teresa in a year. This time Tony and Julia met with 17 youngsters.
On January 7 we held our first sterilization campaign of the year in the city neighborhood of La Venada, where we sterilized 36 animals, 21 dogs and 15 cats. The number was less than usual because one of our veterinarians had a minor car accident while trying to park on the narrow and crowded street where the campaign was being held and had to leave. Otherwise, all went well.
Our board of directors met on January 9 to continue planning our activities for the year. Present were John Denissen and Liz Carranza, who are helping us organize our annual fiesta next month. Our plans include having an average of two sterilization campaigns per month, continued training of advanced veterinary students in rapid-sterilization techniques, two interviews about pet care on local television Channel 8 each month, and an expansion of our education program focusing on teaching children compassion and respect for animals. Specifically, we aim to have an average of two teaching events per month in schools and other locales, besides those at our sterilization campaigns, where our teacher Tony López talks with children and plays games with them that help make them aware of pets’ needs.
We are continuing our bi-monthly interviews on Channel 8’s morning program “Despierta Guanajuato,” on Thursday mornings at 10. On January 11 our education team, Antonia (Tony) López and Julia Salido, gave an interview on the topic of common myths about cats and the risks they pose to humans. You can watch their interview with host Itzvel Ixta Velázquez by clicking here.
On January 14 we sterilized 18 animals, 11 dogs and 7 cats, at a mini sterilization campaign in the clinic of Dr. Ricardo Montes de Oca, with the participation of student surgeon Carlos Donato, Julia Salido, and volunteer Adhán Mata López.
On January 18, Tony López and Vicky Sandoval participated in an interview on Channel 8’s program “Despierta Guanaijuato” with a member of the rescue group Colectivo Guindis Guanajuato Unión. The interview focused on the serious problem of abandoned pets in Guanajuato and efforts by the Colectivo to find them homes with responsible adopters. The Colectivo and other rescuers will sponsor an adoption event on Saturday, February 10, from 10 am to 2 pm, in front of the Del Sol department store in Guanajuato’s center.
Rescued pets will be available for adoption on Saturday, February 10, from 10 am to 2 pm, in front of the Del Sol department store.
Our board of directors held a reception on January 21 for Queridos Amigos (Dear Friends), those who have given very generous donations to Amigos over the past year. Most have pledged to continue giving at the level of $100 per month during the current year. At the reception our president, Tom Reavley, described our plans for the year and answered questions from our guests.
Finally, on January 25, Julia and Tony continued their discussion of common myths about cats during another interview on Channel 8. You can watch the interview by clicking here.
We are grateful to all those who contributed to these activities. They include:
Our board: Tom Reavley, president and secretary; US corporate secretary, Nancy Hager; Suzy Thompson, vice president; Joslyn Lewis, treasurer; and members at large Rosemarie Conde, Saul Helfenbein, Bill Merrell, Julia Salido, and Sandra Ward
Sterilization campaign participants: Veterinarians Verónica Almaguer, Ricardo Montes de Oca, and Arturo Rocha; our campaign manager, Julia Salido; advanced veterinary students Karla Ahumada and Abril Herrera; and support volunteers Mary Beth Canavan, Rosemarie Conde, Dulce Sandoval, Adhán Alberto Mata López, Marrana Mondola Montes, Gilberto Salazar, Vicky Sandoval, and Juan Jesús Vargas
Education: Antonia López, education specialist; Julia Salido, Vicky Sandoval, Sandra Ward
Planning committee for our February Fiesta: Rosemarie Conde, John Denissen, Suzy Thompson, Sandra Ward
Social Media: Joslyn Lewis
Technical adviser: Jim Sullivan