This Season on Chuffed

THIS SEASON SO FAR (NOV 23-APRIL 24) IN NUMBERS

90 dogs and cats neutered/spayed

250 dogs and cats vaccinated, heath checked and given parasite prevention

50 animals received advanced medical or surgical care for illness and injuries

9 communities with healthier and happier animals and people

It has been a huge season onboard Chuffed. Since going back in the water in November 2023 we have provided free or low cost treatment to almost 400 animals!!! That is no mean feat for a small organization like ours, and we truly couldn’t have done it with out you all.

Our sailing season began crossing from San Carlos to Bahia Concepcion. In Bahia Concepcion we worked with the PAW Mulege clinic to provide free and low cost spay/neuter surgery and other treatments such as lump removals, vaccinations and medicine for gastrointestinal problems. We also sailed to nearby communities to provide vaccinations and parasite prevention medicine to the local animals.

Our next project was Agua Verde. The first phase of the project was providing parasite control medicine and free health checks to the animals in the community. On our first trip we saw around 60 dogs and cats, a few of which needed treatment for conditions such as dog fight wounds, ear infections and torn nails.

We returned to Agua Verde a few weeks later with 100 vaccinations for dogs and cats, vaccinating them against rabies and common diseases such as parvovirus, distemper and the ‘feline flu’.  We used up all but 3 of our vaccines, starting with a small clinic in one of the beach Palapas before one of the restauranters, Joel, drove us around the entire village to make sure every single animal received the preventative care they needed. It was a long day, but a good one. Being a Sunday everybody was gathered at their family homes, with all the kids, grandparents, pets and friends in one place. We would arrived at a small party, everyone would line up with their dogs and cats, kids were playing in the background, families were celebrating, it was a really special experience to be involved with the community in this way. Everybody was extremely grateful for our visit, the nearest town is a rough 4 hour 4WD away and there is no veterinarian that lives locally. We also took down numbers and names for the upcoming spay and neuter campaign that we will be doing with Loreto veterinarians at the end of this month! We are so excited to head back soon.

In between these trips we also visited the Soft Paws cat sanctuary in Loreto and provided vaccinations to 45 kitties and did some random check ups of puppies and dogs throughout the town and by the marina.

On our way to La Paz we also stopped in at San Evaristo, the community were we spent a lot of time doing projects in early 2023. We vaccinated all of the new dogs and cats in town, and checked over some of the animals that had problems like ear infections. Jacob, a local kid who helped us with our campaign last year, visited with his new puppy – he loves animals just as much as ever! This month we will also be returning to San Evaristo, as well as the 4 communities north of them, with booster vaccinations for the adult dogs we saw last year. We expect to vaccinate around 60 animals over one week – sounds like a lot but hey we did 100 in one day in Agua Verde!

Meanwhile in Puerto Madero Dr Jenni has been keeping very busy! Last month, along with a small veterinarian team she put together, she provided low cost spay and neuter surgery to 40 animals. We are now working on her next project – a vaccination campaign in a rural beach community north of Puerto Madero. During this campaign Dr Jenni will provide rabies vaccines, core vaccines and flea/tick/worming medicine to the dogs and cats of the region, as well as free check ups to all the animals that attend. We estimate to 30 animals during this campaign.

This year has been full of ups and downs for Dr Jenni, her newly opened clinic has been able to provide veterinary care to a number of stray and owned animals in her community. How ever last month, in the middle of the spay campaign, Dr Jenni’s family home caught fire. Thankfully nobody was injured, but the family has been sleeping in the veterinary clinic while repairing the home. The funding we provide for Dr Jenni not only helps countless animals, it also keeps a small female-owned business going. Dr Jenni is not only able to provide for the animals of her community but also for family which makes us so proud of her and the work we have been able to do together, with your help. You can visit our GoFundMe for Puerto Madero by clicking HERE.

So it has been a whirlwind season, with plenty more to come. We truly couldn’t do this amazing work without you all so THANK YOU!