After the hectic pace of the Holidays, combined with the extra work of high tourist season, I decided after I was finished with the ChristmasDreams Project and after the Vidas/Candi spay/neuter clinic in January that I was going to take a break from volunteering for a while, to focus on myself and my own work and personal projects.

And then I saw this picture.

Tiny little puppy, all alone in Playa del Carmen's horrible Perrera

Sylvie, the founder of local animal organization SOS El Arca visits Playa del Carmen’s perrera, or dog pound, almost every day to bring food for the dogs and to take photos in the hopes of finding homes for the animals there.  She’s unable to take on any more animals at her refuge, but she’s still dedicated to helping these dogs when she can.  The perrera in Playa del Carmen is a depressing place–animals are scooped up off the streets, put into small cells and then their time left is limited.  If they are very sick, they are euthanized immediately.  If they’re obviously someone’s pet who just got lost/loose, the owner has a short time to find their dog and pay the ‘ransom’ to get their dog out.  If no one comes for the dog, within a few days, the dogs are euthanized to make room for the next batch of dogs that come in daily.

I see Sylvie’s photos from the perrera every day, but as there is no way to rescue all animals, most of the time I have to painfully look away/put the dogs out of my mind.  But there was something about this photo that moved me–I think it’s that the puppy is backed all the way into the corner, scared and small, with only the two walls to touch her.  I knew I had to foster this puppy until I could find a home for her, so my friend Laura and I decided to try to save her.

First we had to determine if the puppy had been euthanized or not–she was supposed to have been put down on the day her photo was posted.  There was an error in communication and we missed the 4 pm deadline to speak to the vet at the perrera–we waited on pins and needles to see if the puppy was still alive.  When we found out that the vet had had car trouble and didn’t go back to the pound to do the daily euthanizations, we were overjoyed, and called him right away to let him know we’d be by first thing in the morning to collect the puppy.

Thankfully, we were able to show a photo of the puppy to the perrera workers and they went in to get her and bring her to us–I could not have been able to stand seeing all those poor animals on Death Row, their sad eyes begging me to save them.

I was so happy to see her little face

Dr. Carlos, the new vet in charge at the perrera, seems like a kind and compassionate man.  In the past, perrera directors have been difficult to work with and antagonistic towards the various animal charities trying to help, but Dr. Carlos works with SOS El Arca and Tierra de Animales to save as many as he can.  He also gives the dogs food and water, something that wasn’t possible before.  We brought a 25kilo bag of dog food in exchange for the puppy.  He explained that when there aren’t too many dogs and there is space at the pound, he does his best to let the animals live as long as he can, up to 14 or 15 days, in the hopes they will be able to find homes/be saved.

Dr. Carlos, doing the best he can for the stray dogs at the perrera

She was so terrified. Her scrawny little body just trembled.

We drove straight from the perrera to the vets at Coco’s Cat Rescue.  They did tests on her for Parvo and Distemper–thankfully both negative.  They gave her a can of food (cat food, which was all they had, but she didn’t care!) and she ate it like she’d never eaten before.

Yes, I'm a dog, but I like cat food. Wanna make something of it?

All ribs, hipbones, and knobby spine

Coco’s lent me a crate and I brought her home to my 2 room apartment. She has to be kept apart from Vinnie, my dog, for at least a week, to avoid Vinnie getting parasites from her.  Keeping the tradition of naming animals after friends (and my penchant for giving ‘boy’ names to girls), I named the pup “Scottie” after a couple of my closest friends.

Scottie is around two months old, with long gangly legs and expressive, Bambi-like eyes.  She looks like a baby deer when she stands up.  She’s still timid and shy after the hell of what she’s gone through in her short life, but it was only a few hours with me before she would wag her tail when I came into the room to check on her.  She’s already doing her business on paper that I lay down for her, and when she eats, she is so joyful to come by such easily-gotten food that her tail wags the entire time until her bowl is clean.

From concrete Death Row to a King Sized bed--alllllright.

While I thought hard about keeping her, my current living situation is not conducive to having even one dog, nevermind two.  Financially, I struggle even with the burden of keeping my own dog happy and healthy, so despite my love for Scottie, it is in her best interests for me to find another home for her.  Furthermore, if I love this one, get her healthy, and then let her go, perhaps I will be able to continue to foster animals and save more and more, one pup at a time.  Several of my amazing and wonderful friends, unasked, simply sent money to help care for Scottie–my faith in humans is constantly renewed by the lovely people I am lucky enough to have in my life.

If you would like to adopt Scottie, or know someone who would like to adopt her, please let me know.  Adoptions to the US and Canada are easy and possible, and she will come to you fully immunized, healthy, and will be spayed.  This little girl is so grateful for every ounce of love and affection she’s getting and I know she will make someone a fine companion.

Making herself at home on my bed and in my heart

]]> http://heatherinparadise.com/2012/02/06/1000/feed/ 11 heatherinparadise http://heatherinparadise.com/2011/12/31/letting-it-go-the-2011-edition/ http://heatherinparadise.com/2011/12/31/letting-it-go-the-2011-edition/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:08:08 +0000 heatherinparadise http://heatherinparadise.wordpress.com/?p=961 ]]> Recently, one of my friends posted on Facebook what a good year 2011 had been for him–reading this, I was briefly taken aback because “2011″ and “good year” were such incongruent terms in my life.  It was momentarily hard for me to imagine that a year that had been so full of suffering for me could have been, at the same time, a great year for someone else. Although I am blessed with a sunny outlook and true gratitude for the good in my life, I entered 2011 with a badly broken heart and the ensuing months were an at-times grueling exercise in ‘getting through it.’  It has only been in the last three or four months that I have finally felt the fog dissipating and the heavy concrete lifting from what I thought was its permanent place upon my chest.

Each year, one of my dear friends, Maria, holds a ‘Let it Go’ ceremony on the last day of the year.  In the past, participants would write all over a helium balloon the things they wanted to ‘leave behind’ in the old year and not carry with them into the new year–things like anger, fear, heartbreak, what-have-you.  This year, we learned that balloons cause harm to marine life, so we decided instead to write lists of the things we would be letting go of and burn them, and like the mythical phoenix, our new resolve could rise from the ashes.

We gathered this morning at a small Mayan ruin in Playacar, on an incredibly gorgeous, sunny day across from the sparkling Caribbean Sea.  After a brief, but personal and touching ceremony, each of us burned our lists and let it all go.

My friends, I wish you peace, love, prosperity and good health in this new year and may you find the strength to let go of the things that are weighing you down and holding you back from happiness and the things you want for your lives.  I believe in me and I believe in you, too.

It was a beautiful day to let go

The Lo gets a ride on Kat's strong shoulders

How many years have you seen, dear tree?

I got chills thinking of how many rituals and ceremonies these ruins have seen

Shawn lets go

Burn, baby, burn

Loretta lets go

Kat lets go

Maria lets go

My list was thoughtfully-created and well-burning.

Finally, I would like to leave you with one of my favorite poems by e.e.cummings:

let it go – the
smashed word broken
 open vow or the oath cracked length
wise – let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go – the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers – you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go – the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things – let all go
dear

so comes love

How I loved watching the parade of humans dancing around me, the noisy, bright, sloppy spectacle, crazily beautiful in its discordance.  We’re fat, we’re skinny, we’re old and young, smart and simple, wrinkled and fresh-faced, but all of us dance and sing, tell jokes, laugh, smile, wink and flirt to get love and attention.  We all need it and deserve it, and if we are true to ourselves there will inevitably be someone–the right someone–to give it to us.  Some of us dance in public with visible scars and the rest of us only with the scars we wear on the inside, but despite the sometimes difficult and painful chore of living and no matter how many times we get knocked down, we get up, we move our bodies, shake our tail feathers, sound our barbaric yawps over the rooftops of the world– announcing that we are here, right now, today.

How could I not love a world so full of hope and faith in the process?  This holiday season, I wish you love and peace in the coming year, and urge you to remember every day that our time here is short, but that our lives matter.   And when someone asks you to dance, you really should just dance.  What harm is there in dancing?

Several years later, after I’d moved to Playa, I continued to see this boy working the bar circuit, now a bit older and with his skinny ankles and feet sticking out of pants he’d outgrown.  One night, in a seeming effort to appear ‘cool’ or like an old-timer, an ex-pat man with whom I’d become acquainted coldly said (in English the boy could not understand) “Go away, kid.  You’re just not as cute as you used to be, sorry.”

I’ve now lived in Playa del Carmen for over 7 years.  I don’t much visit the tourist zone anymore, but I still from time to time see that boy, who now must be about 12 or 13 years old.  Well past the cute and viable money-making stage, he is now a wisened boss working the streets, managing a core group of little ones who I can only assume are his brothers and sisters or other family members.

Tonight, my memories of this boy put me in mind of a short story I’ve loved for many years, called “Salvador, Late or Early,” by Sandra Cisneros.  Please allow me to share it with you.

Salvador, Late or Early
Salvador with eyes the color of caterpillar, Salvador of the crooked hair and crooked teeth, Salvador whose name the teacher cannot remember, is a boy who is no one’s friend, runs along somewhere in that vague direction where homes are the color of bad weather, lives behind a raw wood doorway, shakes the sleepy brothers awake, ties their shoes, combs their hair with water, feeds them milk and cornflakes from a tin cup in the dim dark of the morning.

Salvador, late or early, sooner or later arrives with the string of younger brothers ready. Helps his mama, who is busy with the business of the baby. Tugs the arms of Cecilio, Arturito, makes them hurry, because today, like yesterday, Arturito has dropped the cigar box of crayons, has let go the hundred little fingers of red, green, yellow, blue, and nub of black sticks that tumble and spill over and beyond the asphalt puddles until the crossing-guard lady holds back the blur of traffic for Salvador to collect them again.

Salvador inside that wrinkled shirt, inside the throat that must clear itself and apologize each time it speaks, inside that forty-pound body of boy with its geography of scars, its history of hurt, limbs stuffed with feathers and rags, in what part of the eyes, in what part of the heart, in that cage of the chest where something throbs with both fists and knows only what Salvador knows, inside that body too small to contain the hundred balloons of happiness, the single guitar of grief, is a boy like any other disappearing out the door, beside the schoolyard gate, where he has told his brothers they must wait. Collects the hands of Cecilio and Arturito, scuttles off dodging the many schoolyard colors, the elbows and wrists crisscrossing, the several shoes running. Grows small and smaller to the eye, dissolves into the bright horizon, flutters in the air before disappearing like a memory of kites.

As many of you know, each Christmas I volunteer my time in the interests of helping local children of lesser means to get their wishes to Santa answered by finding generous and compassionate donors to purchase toys.  For many, if not most of these children, it will be the only gift they will receive all year.

Christmas Dreams Playa, the organization founded by Playa del Carmen locals, is still seeking about 60 gifts for low-income, Special Needs kids.  If you are planning to visit the area and would consider donating a toy or two, please contact the group on Facebook or leave me a comment on this blog.

I dedicate this blog and my efforts this holiday season to that gum-selling boy and the thousands of others just like him all over the world, who  have never gotten to enjoy just being a child, and whose names I will never know.

Photo from the files of Roger Schulz, Playa's 'Santa'

My new name is Bruno.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me when I took El Niño to his new home, so I have no photographs of him with his new family.  As I walked back to the car to drive away and leave him, my arms and my heart felt strangely light and empty.  It was weird to realize that we were at the end of that race, that we had done it, that all four of Margie’s puppies we’d been given charge over had been brought to good health and had found new homes.

I credit and give thanks to my dear friend, Russell Granger, for having the heart and compassion to assume the commitment and responsibility of caring for these defenseless animals and heeding Mahatma Gandhi’s call to ‘be the change you want to see in the world.’  Russell, I’ve said it many times and I will say it again:  I learn so much from you and aspire every day to be more like you.

I can’t be remiss in thanking Coco’s Cat Rescue for their support, nor the support of the hundreds of people who read Margie’s story on this blog, Facebook, or Playa.info.  Your good wishes, donations, and help in getting these pups adopted were invaluable.

Only Margie remains homeless, but she is being well cared for by foster dad, Russell, while we continue to search for the perfect home for her.  Russell said that after each of her puppies left, she would look for the missing pup for a couple of days, but is now a healthy, playful, active dog.  For the first time in her short life, Margie gets to run, jump, play, and simply be a dog.  No more worrying about starvation, illness, or caring for puppies.

Smart Margie. When she needs to go out, but Russell's not up yet, she gently nibbles his toes to wake him up

It’s hard to believe it has been just two months since this family came into my life in such a significant way.

Family meal time

My blog will now move on to other topics, but I will carry this story in my heart for the rest of my life.  Goodbye, puppies.  I will never forget you.

From left to right, Monkey, Chiquita, El Nino, Sophia

*all photos by Russell Granger.  Of course.

Friends, getting this puppy to her new adoptive home was truly a triumph of teamwork and compassionate collaboration. On Tuesday, August 16, Russell and I drove Sophia over to the Vidas clinic site, where Andrea from CANDi was waiting to bring her to the airport to meet the pet escort she’d found, a kind lady named Susan who is apparently a veteran pet escort.

Laura from Coco's takes a break from her Vidas duties to give Sophia a hug goodbye

Andrea from CANDi and Sherry from VIDAS smooch Sophia for good luck on her journey

This is where it got a little ugly.  I had been so focused on finding a way to get Sophia to Seattle and her new adoptive parents that I hadn’t gotten around to realizing we were actually going to have to give her up.  Sophia turned out to be the most wonderful puppy, so playful, but relaxed and obedient–a true joy to be around.  As I held her that morning, reality started to set in and I felt these very strong, conflicting emotions building up in me–true joy in knowing she would be in a loving home, combined with tremendous sadness that I would no longer get to know her. Finally, I couldn’t help it anymore.  I cried.

I do believe Russell's photo perfectly captured my happy/sad state.

Sophia is so clever, she drove herself to the airport

Andrea let us know later that Sophia was great on the ride to the airport, apart from barfing all over the place. Once at the airport, Andrea made the puppy ‘handoff’ to Susan.  Susan reported that Sophia was a perfect angel on the both the flight to Dallas and the subsequent one to Vancouver.  She apparently charmed everyone so much that Susan was allowed to have her snuggling on her lap for much of the flight.

Susan showing off Sophia napping in her carrier, hugging her favorite toy between her paws

My friend Leasa met Susan late that evening at the airport in Vancouver to take Sophia to her temporary home.

As Russell said, she's come a loooong way from the chicken coop!

Sophia giving her foster mom, Leasa, some loves

It didn’t take Sophia long to make herself right at home at Leasa’s.  After a brief standoff, Leasa’s dog Moses even took to liking Sophia.  Leasa reported that Sophia was a lovely houseguest, doing her business outside like she should and being a good, well-behaved little pup…except for barfing in the car on the way home from the airport (Poor Sophia!).

Sophia immediately made herself at home on the couch (Russell, don't look!)

Do you remember what it felt like the first time you ever rolled around in soft, green grass?

Look, Lady, you're not getting me off this grass for a while, so just give up.

Sophia even got to go to work with Leasa

First time at the beach!

Leasa had to do some back-to-school shopping for her kids, which she normally does in the US, so she arranged to meet Sophia’s adoptive parents, Traci and Josh, across the border in Bellingham, WA.  Understandably, Sophia was a little freaked out by all the changes she’d been going through, but Traci didn’t report any barfing in the car, so perhaps Sophia’s acclimating to vehicular travel.

Ok, big guy, I'm a little shy right now, but give me a few minutes and I'm gonna adore you.

Traci and Josh's dog, Howie, didn't think much of Sophia that first or second day

...But Traci came home from work the next day to this happy little crew. Well, Howie still looks a little put out, but he'll fall in love with Sophia eventually, everyone does.

Traci says Sophia (whom they are now calling 'Sophie') reminds her of a spider

Both Russell and I miss Sophia, but have been happy to monitor her adventure from afar.  Leasa and Traci have been just wonderful to share with us photos and videos of Sophia’s transition–thank goodness I am facebook friends with them both!

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone who had a hand in helping Sophia get to a home where she will be cherished, cared for, and loved.  Knowing people like you is what keeps me tied to this earth.

All the pups were reunited as Russell dogsat for Monkey/Kaya. Russell's training has paid off in eliminating mealtime chaos.

We seem to be in the final stretch here in Dogtown, but when they said “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” they sure weren’t kidding. We’ve got a couple of hurdles to jump that I’ll tell you about in a few.

First, I am happy to report that we have found a loving home for Chiquita, Margie’s smallest and feistiest pup.  I made flyers and hung them around town.  I received a couple of calls from male callers looking for purebreds (more specifically pit bulls–guess what these jerks wanted those breeds for..grrrr) which I promptly turned away.  Then I got a call from lovely Luz, who didn’t ask one question about the breed and was eager to meet the puppies the same day, as her little boys are animal lovers who woke up every day begging for a dog.  Luz walked in, saw Chiquita, and it was love at first sight on both ends.  Chiquita jumped right up into Luz’s lap and licked her face, something I had never seen her do.

Chiquita showing Luz and Omar some love

Santiago, Chiquita, Luz, and Omar; A happy family.

Chiquita‘s departure left Sophia, El Niño, and Margie still looking for homes.  I was contacted on Playa.info by a kind woman named Traci who has often contributed to various charities with which I’ve been involved.  I was so excited when she told me she’d LOVE to give Sophia a loving home, but unfortunately we have experienced a few hurdles.

First, at this time of the year, animals can only fly in cabin, not in cargo, as it is too hot.   Traci can only adopt Sophia as a puppy, since she has to introduce her to her existing dog who is okay with puppies, but not larger dogs, so we have no option to foster Sophia until she could fly in cargo when the embargo is lifted in October. Sophia is still small enough to fly in cabin, but she won’t be for long, so we had to scramble to find a ‘mule’ leaving Playa who would be willing to take Sophia.  Traci lives in Seattle–another hurdle, as it’s not a major airline hub and there aren’t as many people traveling from Playa to Seattle as there are from Playa to, say, Dallas or Miami.

We found a kind and willing mule in my friend (and dentist) Dr. Jorge Armenta, who happens to be flying soon to Seattle on vacation.  As luck would have it, sadly, his airline does not permit in-cabin pets on international flights unless they are service dogs, so this left us back at Square One. We have a loving home in Seattle and a puppy here in Playa who needs to get there–is there anyone flying from Cancun to Seattle within the next week or so who would be willing to help? Coco’s Cat Rescue will help us with the necessary health certificate, we will drive you to the Cancun airport and wait to make sure all goes well, and Traci will pay for the pup’s flight fee and meet you at the SeaTac airport to collect Sophia and take her to her new home.

Please help me get to Seattle. There is a family there who loves me.

If we are able to find a mule for Sophia, this would leave only El Niño and Margie.  Coco’s Cat Rescue work together with an animal rescue organization in Dallas, so this coming Tuesday, if he has not yet found a home, we can send him to Dallas, where the organization there will find a home in the US for him.  The cost of this flight for him is 110 usd; if there is anyone so moved to donate to cover these costs, we would be so appreciative.  If you would like to donate toward this flight, please click here and put “Russell’s Puppies” in the comment section so they know where to apply the donation.  You can also find Coco’s Cat Rescue’s Wish list on their site for items they need that you could bring down if you’re planning to visit the area.

I might get to go to Dallas!

Another obstacle is the need for donated soft-sided pet carriers to fly these puppies to the US.  Andy from Peanut Pet Shelter has kindly offered to lend us one for Sophia if she is able to make her trip.  We also have a couple of people who have offered to bring soft carriers down; they won’t be here in time for these pups, but this is an ongoing need, so if you’re coming to the area, love animals, and want to help, it’s an easy thing to bring down to donate.  You can find Peanut Pet Shelter’s Wish List here.

Mama Margie will be the last dog left at la Casa de Russell

When we’ve solved the pressing issue of finding homes for the puppies (they are the priority, since it’s easier to find homes for puppies than adult dogs), we will begin searching in earnest for the perfect home for Margie.  Russell is willing to foster her until October (with some occasional dog-sitting by Aunt Heather), when more options will open up for her, as she’ll then be able to fly as cargo to a potential home in the US or Canada.  Both of us are concerned with ensuring all of these dogs will be going to a home where they will be treated as beloved companions and family members, with dignity and respect–not just to be chained up or put on the rooftop for security (Mexico’s ‘roof dogs’ make me inexpressibly sad). In that vein, we will say ‘no’ to a home we don’t feel is right for Margie and her pups, who have already been through so much in their short lives and deserve good, loving  homes.

The last item I have to report is that tomorrow, I will be volunteering in the recovery room for the kickoff of the annual Vidas Spay/Neuter clinic.  Last year, Vidas spayed/neutered 800 dogs and cats for free–animals that could potentially have bred to put thousands more unwanted animals on Playa del Carmen’s streets.  This tireless organization works hard to educate locals about the importance of spaying/neutering and to help change, little by little, the prevailing attitude against the sterilization of pets.  Last night, a neighbor railed at me a bit when I tried to discuss the Vidas clinic with him, asking me WHY I was interested in sterilizing animals…hopefully my poor Spanish was good enough to explain my point of view (he’s an Italian man who shares a commonly-held Mexican view that it is ‘wrong’ to ever neuter a male dog and wrong to spay a female before she’s had at least one litter of puppies).

Vidas still needs volunteers for this clinic, if anyone is interested in helping out.  I know it will be tiring, but rewarding work.

Dear Heather,
Many people think its shitty of you to support Coco’s Cat
Rescue.  And further more, you shouldn’t give them credit
for helping with Russel’s puppies.  They didn’t do anything
it was THE VET that did everything. Coco’s is nothing but
a bunch of vindictive women who hate Andy.  Please show your
support for PPS too.  It if you are going to remain inpartial
than you should remain impartially fair.  What you support reflects
poorly on you. Just remember that. your wlecome

While I don’t give much credence to the convictions of those too cowardly to attach their names to them, I am taking this misinformed personal attack as an opportunity to promote even further one of the causes dearest to my heart:  The plight of sick, mistreated, and stray animals of Playa del Carmen and the surrounding areas.

This letter references a long-standing conflict between Peanut Pet Shelter and Coco’s Cat Rescue, both local animal rescue organizations that have been in operation for several years.  As I have from the nascence of each organization, I continue to support both, since my primary concern is, and will always be, helping the animals.

My family and I have purchased raffle tickets, raised funds via this blog, have purchased calendars and cookbooks, have donated food and other items that could be sold to raise funds, and have donated our time to market fundraisers on multiple media outlets and to ‘vote’ for one cash prize or another to be won by the participating organization.  I won’t tally the ‘score’ of what I’ve done for each organization because really, it’s not Anonymous Letter Writer’s business to know how I choose to divide my charitable energy.

My friend Russell rescued a dog and her puppies, and chose to call Coco’s for assistance because he has a close relationship with the organization.  Coco’s has bathed, de-ticked, de-parasited, spayed/neutered, and given vaccinations to these animals.  When mama dog Margie was too sick to be treated at Coco’s, they referred Russell to a wonderful vet with lower-than-normal rates who was able to save the dog’s life.

I have no doubt that had Peanut Pet Shelter been called in this case, they too would have helped–even stretched to their limits as they are, currently with 18 or 20 puppies and dozens of adult dogs who need re-homing.

The last thing I will say about Anonymous Letter Writer’s ignorant missive is this: I think those who work with animals day in and day out, particularly here in Mexico, face an uphill battle and a seemingly endless struggle.  It is wrong for me or anyone else to armchair quarterback the decisions they make or criticize how they deal with the immense challenges they face.  They do the best they can, and that’s all anyone can ask or expect.  I respect the hell out of anyone who has chosen to make this their life’s work and will continue to support ALL organizations whose mission is to help this area’s animals (PPS, Coco’s, Rescate Malix, Vidas, and others).

As for Anonymous Letter Writer, I urge you to redirect your energy from attacking those trying to do good in the world (and embarrassing/harming the very organization you purport to champion) to coming up with ways to help Peanut Pet Shelter find homes for all the animals in their care.  As the saying goes, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read Margie’s story.  So many of you passed along good wishes, wrote nice comments, and even sent some much appreciated donations to Coco’s Cat Rescue.  It warms my heart to know there are people all over the world caring about a poor street dog they’ve never met. A lot has happened in the week since the last blog, so we thought it was time to update everyone on the status of Russell’s foster menagerie.  *All photos credited to Russell Granger*

Rusty the Cat was lucky enough to find a home with Carboncitos’ famous ‘Jimmy Da Waiter.’ Rusty went to his new home already neutered and with his first round of vaccinations completed.  Things are a little bit less exciting around Russell’s house now that the puppies can no longer torture poor Rusty.

Sophia smiles to herself imagining her plan of attack as Rusty throws a disgusted side-eye

Rusty was glad to be adopted first--he never had a moment's peace with the pups

Russell was contacted soon after Margie’s first blog by our friend Deb and her boyfriend, Antonio.  They are a young couple with huge hearts who’ve already opened their home to a few kitties.  Fortunately, being raised around Rusty has meant these puppies are cool with cats.

Antonio, Deb, and The Puppy Formerly Known As Monkey (now Kaya)

Deb and Antonio visited Margie and the puppies and fell head-over-heels for little Monkey. After allowing Monkey a few more days under Margie’s tutelage, they picked up their little girl last Friday, renaming her “Kaya.” Monkey/Kaya went to her new home already spayed and with her first round of vaccinations–her new owners will hook up with Russell to keep her on the correct vaccination schedule.  Russell admitted that seeing Monkey go was bittersweet, but he felt good sending off a healthy, happy, well-adjusted puppy who will now have a wonderful new life with this young, energetic, and loving couple.

Margie and three of her puppies still need homes. All of them will go for their second round of vaccinations this week.  Russell has spent many hours with Margie and her puppies, giving them (for the first time in their lives) a stable, ordered home with a consistent routine, and the positive effect this is having on them is immediately obvious when watching them play and interact with each other.  Russell has trained them to sit and be calm before giving them their food, has done some leash training, and is now working on “stay.” This, combined with Margie’s gentle, but firm control is teaching them how to be great dogs.

Mama Margie correcting El Niño and Sophia

While all of the puppies are good and lovable dogs, they each have distinct personalities and differ from each other physically as well.

El Niño pondering

El Niño, the only boy of Margie’s remaining pups, has sleek, black, short fur and long legs–he’s like a lanky preteen basketball player.  When he first came to Russell’s house, he was one of the smallest and most timid, but now he’s full of piss and vinegar just like a rowdy little boy should be.  He was initially pretty vocal, but seems to be barking only when necessary now. He loves to scrap with his sisters over toys and rawhide bones and isn’t above playing with any unfortunate palmetto bug that comes his way.

Don't let this sweet, shy portrait fool you. Chiquita's a spitfire.

Chiquita was the runt of the litter and came to us scrawny and undernourished.  Chiquita has short brown and black fur and looks the most like her mama. Though still the smallest, she’s now filling out and has the most fire of all the puppies.  Margie seems to be taking special care with Chiquita, teaching her things she’s not yet showing the other pups.  So far, Chiquita seems to be the most highly developed mentally and the most mature.  She’s obedient and smart, but still playful and hilarious.  This girl holds her own and I have to admit that I have a real soft spot for Chiquita (what can I say, I always root for the underdog).

Sophia is the best kind of gorgeous girl--oblivious to her own beauty

Sophia is the great beauty in the bunch.  She was the fattest pup by far when she came to us, a big fuzzy black mush of a dollface.  She’s still a good size, but is not fat, and has revealed herself to be a true lovebug.  She can hold her own and play like the others, but is the first one to find a quiet corner and chill out when it’s time to relax.  She loves affection and rolls over onto her back for a belly rub as soon as you get a hand near her.  With her fuzzy, soft fur, white chest markings, and dark chocolate eyes, we have voted Sophia most likely to find herself wearing rhinestone and jewel-studded pink clothing in her new home.  She’s fabulous, darling.

Margie is, quite simply, the coolest cucumber around

Ah, Margie, Margie, Margie.  It’s hard to put Margie into words.  She’s laidback, loving, sweet, and totally chill, but at the same time loyal and protective.  She has a surprisingly startling bark for such a small dog, but only barks when necessary to alert us to some disturbance in the street.  Margie gets along with everyone, be they human, dog, or cat and has a calming presence.  Her tenacity in surviving the street, poor treatment, and the devastating illness that should have killed her perfectly illustrates the true grit and strong heart she has.  Margie is smart, brave, and wise.  It will be hard for me to let Margie go, and if it was at all possible for me to have another dog, I would keep her myself.  As it stands, it is very important to me to find the perfect home for Margie; this special dog deserves the best.  While I love all the puppies, it’s Margie I will cry about when she goes.

Margie rules

If any of you are interested in adopting Margie, Chiquita, Sophia, or El Niño, please let us know.  Cross-border adoptions into the US or Canada are possible and easy; Coco’s Cat Rescue has generously offered to help us ensure all the paperwork is handled and we will help find a “mule” to fly your baby home to you.  What a conversation-starter would these rescued Mexican puppies be, verdad?

By the way, in case I didn’t make it clear in my descriptions of the puppies, ALL of them are great with children (and Margie, too).

Pretty Perla Peppered With Puppies

On Day 3 of Margie’s illness, the vet was astounded by her amazing response to his treatment.  She even began to eat again.  To our surprise, Dr. Eduardo let us know that Margie could ‘come home’ and continue her treatment with several medications and proper care. Dr. Eduardo said the hole in her stomach had closed over and that she would no longer require surgery to close it.  Russell and I picked Margie up that evening; I was completely bowled over by the transformation in the state of her.  While still obviously weak and very ill, Margie could walk and wag her tail when two days prior she had been the very picture of death.

Dr. Eduardo applying frontline to Margie just before we took her home. The bandage from her IV had to remain on a long time, as her blood was not clotting properly.

Russell assumed responsibility for Margie’s hospital stay and opened his home to both her and her four remaining puppies (in the interim, another puppy had gone ‘missing’ from the chicken coop).  The night we brought Margie home, she rested in Russell’s air-conditioned bedroom (she had to be kept apart from her litter for a while) and we spent hours picking hundreds of ticks from the puppies’ tiny bodies, bathed and dried them, and petted them as they drifted comfortably to sleep.

Play time the day after bathing and frontline

The puppies demanded some time on the Russell Playground

Russell, Tomas, Tomas’ cousin, and I banded together (with the invaluable help of Coco’s), vowing to get these puppies healthy and find them forever homes.  Russell is caring for Margie and the puppies in his home, giving meds several times a day, feeding all five, and mopping up lots of puppy pee.  He’s begun basic behavioral training with them, as well.  Tomas and his cousin spent hours putting up wire fencing around the gate so neither the pups nor Margie could escape and be harmed by cars or poisonous garbage.  As for me, I have committed to helping Margie, her puppies, and Rusty the Cat get adopted, which is why I am writing this blog.

The Great Mop String Tug of War Incident of July, 2011

Monkey, about to chomp on Chiquita's tail

After a week of rest, Margie was reunited with her litter, though we have to keep a close eye on them to ensure they do not nurse (Margie is still on medication).  Margie’s wonderful mothering instincts are no worse for the wear; she still keeps her little ones and Rusty the Cat in line with her laid back, but firm manner.

Keeping an eye on Rusty and the as-yet-unnamed black fluffalumpagus

Looks like someone just broke open a piñata full of dog kibble

Yesterday, Coco’s picked up the puppies to perform their sterilizations to ensure none of them will be responsible for adding to the already overwhelming stray animal population in Playa del Carmen.  The puppies also received  their first round of required immunizations; once these immunizations are complete, they will be healthy, strong, and ready to bless some lucky humans’ lives with their love. Margie, too, will be vaccinated and spayed as soon as she is strong enough to withstand the operation.

Three puppies in various stages of recovery – Chiquita sleeping off anesthesia, El Niño groggily snacking, and Monkey snooping around her crate, fully awake.

As I sit here and write this story, I find myself reeling at how much has happened in such a short period of time and I feel blessed to have borne witness to the miracle that was Margie’s recovery.  I am convinced that the reason she recovered, at least in part, is because on some level she knew there was a vet who refused to give up on her and people who cared that she was born and wanted desperately for her to live.  After all, isn’t being wanted as important to the sustenance of the soul as food and water is to the body?

This is what requited love looks like.

After a week in Russell’s care, the puppies are happy, clean, playful little characters that live for feeding times and love to torture Rusty the Cat. Rusty the Cat plays with the puppies, incredibly tolerant of their puppy exuberance and friendly nips.  Margie’s eyes are bright and she’s got most of her spunk and energy back already.

Family

Russell says that dogs and cats are domesticated animals, not meant to be roaming  the streets fending for themselves.  While doing all this work has been a learning opportunity and rewarding experience for him, he finds it also proves the need for global education regarding pet care.

As Antoine de St. Exupery’s fox says in the book The Little Prince, Men have forgotten this truth…but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

So chill, she doesn't even mind when Rusty eats her food.

If you are interested in adopting Miracle Margie, Rusty the Cat, or any of the Wonder Puppies, please let us know.  We think it would be cool if Margie and Rusty could be adopted together; they have a great relationship.  International adoptions are possible and easy; we will ensure the process is streamlined and no hassle.

Rusty: "I'm crushing your head." Margie: "Shut it, Cat."

That was exhausting. Let's rest.

Russell has absorbed the expense of caring for these animals as a gift to Margie and her family, and is not asking for donations to defray these costs. If you would like to make a donation to help other animals, however, please feel free to donate to Coco’s Cat Rescue, with a note explaining that your donation is in honor of “Russell’s puppies.”

If you need Veterinary care in Playa del Carmen, please consider supporting Dr. Eduardo Cardenas of Hospipet, Blvd. Colosio, Mz 1 Lot 37, Col, Santa Fe.  Phone (984) 873-0000 or (984) 109-4473

This is not the last you’ll hear about Margie, her puppies, and Rusty the Cat.  I plan to document this experience and post photos of the animals until each of them has a home.

**all photos credited to Russell Granger**