Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE)

CAPE Director and Volunteers Visit the Dog Refugio in Mexico City

On September 8, 2006, four people boarded a jet for Mexico City. Their luggage did not contain sunblock, bathing suits or travel books. Instead, they checked in video cameras, old boots and dog crates. This would be no vacation. They were traveling to this city of 22 million people to rescue 12 dogs. JP Novic, director of CAPE, two volunteers, Shelley Frost and Bryan Coleman, and veterinarian Dr. Don Conkling, were on their way to visit a dog shelter called Refugio Franciscano.

Moncho Cambolar, volunteer and co-founder of Compassion Without Borders, met them in Mexico City. He was very familiar with the Refugio and did his best to prepare the group for what they were about to witness. But as they discovered later, Moncho’s words could never have conveyed the reality of the Refugio. Early the next day, dressed in their oldest clothes and boots, the four were driven by Mancho to a dog shelter unlike any they had ever entered. No matter where they cast their eyes, every square inch was taken by dogs - seventeen hundred dogs. And from these, they had to choose twelve.

Dogs flowed around them as they were led through corridors and alleyways. They peered into cage after cage, where dogs by the hundreds lived out their entire lives. Many dogs lived together in a gigantic pack. The volunteers of the Refugio were utterly devoted to the dogs, kissing muddy noses and stroking mangy backs. One volunteer spoke passionately about the value of each dog's life, and how the “solution” of euthanasia in addressing the pet overpopulation problem was, to her, obscene. The CAPE volunteers were led down a narrow, dog-filled walkway that dissolved into a completely unexpected sight. The four visitors from California stopped in their tracks staring while hundreds of dogs stampeded past them into an open green pasture filled with yellow wildflowers and stands of tall trees. The dogs were leading them into the "forest.” That is where the joy happened - dogs rolling in the grass, rubbing against trees, swimming in a mudhole.

The group found out later, that despite such a huge number of dogs, not one of them was anonymous. Every single dog had a collar with a crudely engraved name tag. And Ita, the 80 year old owner of the Refugio, could point to each one of them and tell you its name. Out of the 1700 dogs at the Refugio, JP and Mancho somehow managed to choose the 12 who would be coming back with them to California. So far, thanks to the efforts of Compassion Without Borders, Animal Place, CAPE, and other organizations, several hundred dogs have found their forever, loving homes. A documentary is being produced by CAPE that demonstrates the tragedy of pet overpopulation both locally and abroad.

Mexico City Dog Life Flight

Stray dogs have been airlifted out of Mexico City due to a collaborative effort among several animal protection groups to help address the horrific stray dog problem. Thanks to the hard work of several organizations, efforts are underway to help set up spay/neuter and education programs.

The little dogs that have been flown to the U.S. have been recovering from their international adventure at Animal Place, a wonderful Farm Animal sanctuary in Vacaville that offered to keep the dogs in quarantine while we observed and treated them for any health issues. Kim Sturla, who is a founder and director of Animal Place, says that they are all sweet and adorable. Most of them had been living on the streets of Mexico City surviving on whatever crumbs they could find before they were brought to a very special no-kill shelter for dogs. More than 1700 dogs are housed at this shelter, so finding permanent homes for them there would have been nearly impossible.

CAPE is honored to be the sponsor of the Mexico City Doggy Life Flight. Several wonderful organizations and foster families have offered to care for them until permanent, loving homes can be found. If you are interested in learning more about this project, you can call the CAPE office at (831) 426-2214.

Collaboration is always a successful ingredient in life-saving projects. Thanks to all the individuals and organizations who saved these precious lives and the many more that will be saved as we work together to help those in need.

Another group of dogs are driven up from Mexico.

CAPE
PO BOX 67176
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA 95067-7176
831.336-4695