PEACE Animals Supports The Protection of Animals, Culture, & Environment in Mexico: WHAT DO MEXICANS CELEBRATE IN MAY?

MAY CELEBRATIONS

Beautiful weather for swimming. Temperatures are in the mid to high 80´s with humidity at 70%. As the humidity increases, so do the chances for early rains this year. Large cotton ball clouds are hovering over the foothills of the Sierra Madres.

LOS ARCOS FROM MISMALOYA

OLD PHOTO OF CANANEA MINE STRIKE

May 1 was declared an international holiday by the communists and socialists in 1886, in reaction to the Haymarket affair of May 4. In Mexico, May 1 is a federal holiday called “Día de Trabajo” and also commemorates the Cananea Mine Strike of 1906 in the state of Sonoroa. The strike, prefiguring the Revolution of 1910, was the first serious sign of the social unrest in Mexico under the rule of Porfirio Díaz.

May 3 is the date of the “Fiesta de las Cruces” (“Festival of the Crosses”). In Puerto Vallarta, jumpy houses, children´s rides and food and beverage stands were set up on the streets. Families sat together on white plastic chairs on sidewalks to watch children take swings at colorful piñatas. Fireworks, include a tower display, were set off for hours. There would have been a large cross on display, but I never saw it.

In Mexico, the celebration of the Holy Cross began in the early 16^th century, when captain Juan de Grijalva named an island now known as Cozumel as the “ Isla de la Santa Cruzto.” The interesting pagan and Christian roots for this festival can be quickly read on Wikipedia.

“Cinco de Mayo,” another national holiday, is the celebration of the Mexican army´s surprising victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. One year later, 30,000 French troops returned to defeat the Mexican army and install Maximilian as emperor of Mexico.

On May 1, I drove to the PEACEAnimals clinic in the colonia of Villas de Universitas, about 30 miles northeast of central Puerto Vallarta. The location was a good one, in back of a little dirt playground.

The building was a short cement row of stalls rented to small businesses - a gym, restaurant, meat market, little grocery store and an unrented space, where the clinic was held.

As it was a national holiday, pet owners who normally would have brought animals to us, may have chosen to go to the beach instead. Nevertheless, the clinic was busy, with a total of 26 cats and dogs sterilized that day.

Three black dogs from Thursday´s clinic:

A pretty young woman brought in a beautiful black male Great Dane for neutering. She said he was eighteen months old and had found him as a puppy in the dump. She never left his side as he dozed peacefully in recovery and was all smiles when her dog woke up.

A black Poodle with teats filled with milk was brought in with the family´s other pet, a female Cocker.

BLACK MAMA POODLE

The Cocker was spayed, but as the Poodle had given birth six weeks before, the family was asked to return to one of our clinics in a nearby neighborhood in two weeks. The uteri are fragile before eight weeks after giving birth and are at risk of rupturing.

FEARFUL BLACK DOG

The third black dog was a large male Lab mix, who looked fearful as he was led by a rope to the clinic. I approached, asking if the dog was sociable. "Yes. " I slowly put out my left hand to give him a pat on the side of his face.. I was immediately bitten twice on three fingers. Shock. Pain. Blood. Unexpected tears. Paulina immediately applied disinfectant and taped gauze around my fingers. Although two of the bite wounds were deep enough for sutures, dog bite wounds are never sutured. I got on antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory immediately, but severe infections followed. I have the demented desire to show my lacerated red and swollen fingers to everyone, as if they were badges of honor or bravery or something other than signs of carelessness.

BREATHING TUBES FOR DOGS ARE USED WHILE UNDER SEDATION

STERILIZATIONS - Villas Universidad - April 30-May 3

Female dogs: 38; Male dogs: 27; Female cats: 14; Male cats: 14 TOTAL: 93 PLUS one euthanasia of a sick cat

DONATIONS AT CLINIC: Not yet reported.

This project has been made possible with the support of the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust.

La Peñita, Nayarit –April 23-26 – Participating with The Mexi-Can Vet Project team of volunteers, Pets for Life and Jaltemba Bay Animal Rescue sterilized 192 dogs and 52 cats. A total of 244 animals were spayed and neutered, plus medical consultations given for 7 sick animals. Ten cats and dogs were adopted out to loving homes.

DONATIONS TO CLINICS:

Lucy´s CuCu Cabaña: From their donation box and sales of “Provecho” cards – 1,200 pesos and $16 USD

Lea Ann Delmar and Kevin Lewis - $50 USD

Ana Sarmiento – 2,000 pesos, which represent 5% of product sales from her company www.petsgonewildmexico.com at La Cruz Sunday market during this year´s high season.

Bay View Grand Hotel – alcohol, cotton, peroxide and hand sanitizer – as a thank-you for sterilizing feral cats on the property.

MISCELLANEOUS DONATIONS:

$345 USD – Malka and her husband Steve Oseas – for three months of care for”Lupita,” the dog they rescued from the street in the marina. Lupita continues to thrive under the loving care of board members, Brischa and Ted Borchgrevink. They are the owners of “Ladra,” a dog boarding location that also serves as a sanctuary for rescued dogs.

Anonymous- $1,000 pesos for the little brown puppy whose bone was jutting out of its leg. She has been taken to Dr. Peña and is being treated with antibiotics for the wound, as well as being treated for hepatitis, anemia, lack of nutrition and dehydration.

RIDES FOR RESCUE DOGS NEEDED: For Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Expenses for dogs paid for. Please contact robin.nobars@gmail if you can help.

HOMES NEEDED: For dozens of healthy and beautiful dogs and cats at the Centro de Acopio, the city´s no-kill pound. Open Monday-Saturday from 8 AM-2 PM. 293-3690.

PLEASE CLICK! Your daily clicks or direct donations help animals, people and the planet. www.greatergood.org; www.greatergood.com To donate to PEACEAnimals clinics, please click on this link. http://bit.ly/1cWY0lP

PEACE ANIMALS CLINICS OPEN Wednesday to Saturday, which is half-day only. Arrive early. No food or water after midnight before surgery day. Animals must be at least 8 weeks old. They will be treated for parasites, fleas, ticks and mange, if it is present. Pregnancies terminated on request. Euthanasia performed if animal critically ill or injured. All services are free.

CLINIC SCHEDULE:

May 7-10 - Colonia Rincón del Puerto . On the corner of Bahía de la Paz and Bahía de Mazatlan. The name of the building is "El Salado" T·305 and is across the street from the convention center. Directions: Turn east towards the bus station, pass Vallarta Plus station and keep going straight. A couple of blocks later, make a right turn towards the convention center. When you get there, make a right again and you should be able to see the apartment building.

ALL MAY- Puerto Vallarta - TBA

VOLUNTEERS: PLEASE SIGN UP WITH PAULINA STETTNER. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

PAULINA USING CAUTION IN PRE-OP

FRANK OHLY VOLUNTEERS TWICE A WEEK

infopeaceanimals@gmail.com

Schedule, inc. directions and other miscellaneous information are always on website: www.peaceanimals.org

PEACEANIMALS HAS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE STATUS IN THE U.S., CANADA AND MEXICO. Re Canadian donations: NOBARS, a Canadian-based dog rescue organization, is able to process donations to PEACEAnimals without taking a commission. Please contact: robin.nobars@gmail.com or visit our website: www.peaceanimals.org

COST FOR ONE SURGERY WEEK CLINIC WAS $1,500 USD THIS PAST YEAR AND IS CURRENTLY BEING REVISED DUE TO SALARY INCREASES AND COST OF SUPPLIES.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: