What happened in April - Lynn Weisberg , General Director

S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S P A G E 1

May, 2014

Paws & Claws

Adoptions

Hey we adopted out 25 of our loved ones in April.

Easter must have

inspired people to visit

and adopt. Now the

momentum has cranked

up let’s see what can be

achieved in May...

Dogs Cats

Apr 8 17

YTD 36 48

April started out very noisy for us,

with a lot of pounding and

hammering right outside our front

door, so I am delighted to

announce that the construction on

the new Isolation annex is

completed, and the space is

already being used. It is wonderful

for us to finally have a dedicated

area for sick and injured animals

to recover in. It is light, bright,

airy and spacious and much more

peaceful for the dogs and cats

that need rest and quiet, and

having moved the cages into this

area has given our Vet more

space in the clinic in which to

examine and treat patients. This

expansion has been needed for a

long time, and we are grateful

that the San Miguel Community Foundation supported this project with a grant.

We have noticed an increase in the number of short term visitors who want to vol-

unteer at the S.P.A. We've had folks who are here for just a week or two

coming in to spend time with our animals, and it's been terrific! The puppies,

especially, benefit from having different people interact with them; they learn to

be comfortable with lots of folks this way and are delighted to have humans in

their play area with them. It's amazing to me that even people who are visiting

San Miguel for the first time, and who only have a limited time in which to see

everything, choose to visit us in order to volunteer! To them I say THANK YOU

for spending some of your leisure time in a foreign country helping us to spread

the love to our furry friends. All of us "regulars" are lucky to have you, even for a

day and we hope that if you return to SMA, you will visit us again!

Lynn

What’s inside...

Page 1 - Lynn recounts

the activities in April...

Pages 2 & 3 - “furry”

news update for the

month...

Page 4 - Clinic activity

and a “feathererd” crea-

ture is a real”hoot”...

Page 8 - A reason to get

involved...

There’s plenty more so

settle in for a great

read...plus meet some

new Members on Page

10...

Los Pinos 7, Colonia Linda Vista

San Miguel de Allende,

Gto Mexico 37700 Ph; 415.152.6124

www: www.spasanmiguel.org

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/spasanmiguel

US Mailing address:

S.P.A., PMB No. 18

220 N. Zapata Hwy. #11,

Laredo, Texas

78043-4464 U.S.A.

Clinic/Office Hours:

Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9am - 3pm

Tue, Sat (Discount Days) 9am - 4pm

Adoptions, Visits, Volunteers Hours:

Mon - Sat 11am - 2pm

S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S P a g e 2

Cat Adoption for April - fountain of life?

“Chuckie the Fountain Cat” Story and photo by Randy Hummel

May of 2014 brought the one year anniversary of the most wonderful gift dropping into our

lives...or more accurately into our fountain.

My wife and I spent 6 months in San Miguel last year at the beginning of a new adventure of

living on the road...two adults, two cats and all the belongings we need crammed into a Chevy

Blazer. That May we were renting a home in Centro with a courtyard containing a lovely

fountain and a second floor terrace with a view of it all. Being cat lovers ourselves (and the

"parents" of two 14 year feline siblings we rescued at 2 months) we had enjoyed watching the

development of first two then four fluffy kittens that had taken up residence on a flat

cross-section of a tree at the top of the courtyard wall their mother patrolled.

One night sitting on the terrace before going to bed my wife saw the runt of the group (and the

last one to get to the tree top) fall off the wall...and in to the fountain! My wife started yelling

"he's in the water!" and I ran down the stairs in the dark. I couldn't see a thing but plunged my

hands in the water and felt a skinny little body that barely filled my palm. We pulled him out and dried him off, tried feed-

ing him milk through an eyedropper, and he slept the first night in my shirt for warmth. We thought we could not cram a

third cat into our life or our car. Our friend and landlord Rhea directed us to the S.P.A.

After a week of nursing the kitten (and naming him Carlitos) we had Rhea take him to the S.P.A. We were heavy hearted

but so grateful to know he would be going to an absolute no-kill shelter where he would be cared for and nurtured.

Well...that first day without Carlitos made us realize how attached we had become. Unknown to us Rhea had told Joan how

upset we were...and that she thought we would be back. Rhea was right.

We told ourselves we would just go "check in" on how he was doing but we couldn't adopt another cat (...right?). That just

didn't fit our new lifestyle! We walked in and sat down in the kitten pen and he walked over and crawled up in my lap and

wouldn't leave it. When we closed the gate behind us he climbed the chain link and squeaked and cried while we asked each

other how we were going to fit a third cat in our life and our car. That would be just crazy...wouldn't it?

That was May of 2013, and now "Chuckie" has traveled on the road in the USA, met his extended gringo family there, and

traveled in the backseat with his stepbrother and stepsister to the Baja Coast outside Rosarito for the winter. This summer he

will see more of the States and get to return to his birthplace in San Miguel in the fall as a cherished member of our little

traveling band. He is happy and healthy and loved, but we are the lucky ones, as he brings us so much joy every day. And it

couldn't have happened without the S.P.A. and the safe loving harbor they gave him while we came to realize that he was

meant to be our cat all along. Randy Hummel

April adoptions were: Victoria, Violeta, Pedro, Isaac, Valeria, Valentino, Valentina, Jet, Café, Gigi, Goya, Lola,

Florencia, Molly, Kiara, Georgie and Gustavo

“Hope’’ & “Princessa” Story by Joan DiPiero photos by Helen Dickson

Hope arrived at the S.P.A. several months ago in terrible condition, weak and emaciated. Midway

through our efforts to fatten her up, she came down with a serious infection and we were

concerned she wouldn't survive. That's when we realized that this little frail girl had a strong will

to live. She beat the odds and today is a strong, vibrant teenager who is

making up for lost time, playing with toys for hours on end. A ball of

energy with an excellent appetite, this eight-month-old tortoise girl is a

true success story.

When Princessa showed up at our doorstep early-April, at ten months

old, she was overdue for spaying. After the surgery, Roxanda Godoy, our

vet, decided to let Princessa roam freely for a while in the clinic. One

would think this would be stressful for this abandoned cat, but she

enjoyed every minute, greeting the patients (both cat and dog) and wel

coming their humans as well. We just integrated her in with our adult cats

and she is equally at ease with them. With her pale calico markings and

gorgeous eyes ringed in black, she's as lovely as she is stress-free.

Adopt (350 pesos) any of these Pets of the Month during May and receive a free adoption kit. Preview all our available ani-

mals at www.spasanmiguel.org and meet them at Los Pinos #7, 152-6124, Monday-Saturday between 11 and 2. Comment

on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/spasanmiguel and enjoy our success stories albums.

Cats of the Month - made “new” again by the S.P.A.?

S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S P a g e 3

Dogs of the Month - Have fun in the shade with one of our May pups!

Dog Adoption for April - Relaxed and patient pays off!

“Nina” & “Bodhi” by Lynn Weisberg

photos by Harry Burrus

Gentle Nina and tiny Bodhi are the featured dogs this month. Both of these

dogs are small, super affectionate and too cute for words.

Nina is a 7 month old black and white mixed breed and was brought to the S.P.A. by a woman who witnessed her being abandoned at a bank. Her owner

removed her leash and collar and walked away,

leaving a very bewildered and frightened pup. She is so charming and sweet,

we just couldn't believe that anyone would have left her! She loves kisses and

cuddles, gets along with other dogs and is an absolute

delight.

Bodhi is a 4 yr. miniature French poodle, cute as a

button, and not afraid of anything. He was adopted 2

years ago, but sadly was returned after his owner's

mother had a leg amputation and they were told to

remove all pets to prevent infection. He is energetic,

playful, likes female dogs, has a sparkling personality

and would brighten up anybody's day!

He is very small, loves attention and likes to go

everywhere "his" humans go. Lap time and belly rubs

are favorite activities for this fellow.

Adopt (350 pesos) any of these Pets of the Month during May and receive a free adoption kit. Preview all our available

animals at www.spasanmiguel.org and meet them at Los Pinos #7, 152-6124, Monday-Saturday between 11 and 2. Com-

ment on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/spasanmiguel and enjoy our success stories albums.

“Sable” by Lynn Weisberg photo by Harry Burrus

Sable, one of our most special dogs, is the "adoption of the month" for April. This

mellow sweetheart was abandoned outside of the S.P.A. and it was several hours be-

fore we realized that she didn't belong to any of the people waiting to see our vet! She

never complained, just sat and waited, and when we brought her in to check her, we

quickly realized that she was calm, loving and gentle. She now has a new home and

her owners report that she is doing just great. We are so pleased that she has a new

family to love.

April adoptions were: Carmela, Tiki,Sable, Havana, Spencer, Venus, Esme

and Mocha

P a g e 4 S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S

Dra. Roxanda - what’s been happening in the clinic... Dr. Roxanda repairs a professional sheep-minder!...

Last week we received a very anguished family who brought their dog with them, but the shock

they were in made it hard for them to be able to communicate.

Here is the story: The loving people had had the dog since he was a baby and he is now 4 years

old. The family live in the campo and graze sheep for a living and everyday they take the sheep

to the campo to graze and the dog "literally works with them" as he takes care of the herd by not

letting anybody get too close to the sheep, and when the day is over he helps the boys to get all

the animals safely back to their house again.

Well, on this day everything was proceeding normally for all involved... the kids and the dog

went to the campo with the sheep, but suddenly a

man on a motorcycle came just to be a nuisance

and the dog responded aggressively, of course,

because that’s what he’s trained to do when he

senses danger. However, this person didn´t stop

until the dog got closer and closer barking at him and he took out an axe and hit

the dog. The young boy was so shocked to witness what the man had done to the

dog that he couldn´t even talk!!

Fortunately the cut was clean, and was exactly in the middle of the head almost

reaching the bone where the muscles start growing!! We were able to clean the

wound, disinfect and suture the lesion which made the family very happy that

their "working dog" was going to join them again with their duties at home.

This story is a real HOOT and a show of a caring

community effort! The S.P.A. is a shelter for dogs and cats but a few weeks ago a box appeared on

our doorstep early one morning with an owl inside - yes an OWL! It was obvious

that the owl was a juvenile and needed to be placed into the hands of experts.

Thankfully in San Miguel we have Audubon who responded to our call and later

that afternoon Lynda Whynman came and collected it. Lynda took the owl to the

Dra. Karen & Dr. Riccardo Merrill who as you can see in the photograph started

hand feeding the owl hamburger meat.

The owl continued to eat frozen mice and hamburger meat - recovery was well

under way.

According to the Audubon the owl should be ready to fly away in three weeks!

The following information and photo at right is taken from the Audubon web-

site:

Audubon is in the process of establishing a bird sanctuary with the help of many

experts!

We (Audubon) are making a trip to Dos Bujos winery to check out the new

home for our owl to be released probably next week. She is killing live mice

now and has her feathers.

We will be installing the camera in the barn as well. This is all very exciting

and thank you to Deb Whitaker for her support and creativity!

S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S P A G E 5

S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S P A G E 6

Get Involved with the S.P.A.! By Megan Gabel

The S.P.A. is a no-kill shelter, housing around 100 resident cats and dogs (like Athena, Tessie, and Smirnoff).

We focus on getting our animals adopted so we can take more off the streets – there is never a shortage of

homeless, needy animals. We average more than 200 adoptions (cats and dogs together) per year. Our success

relies heavily on donations of time, money, and supplies from volunteers and generous souls in this community

and elsewhere.

For example, this past winter, some wonderful people scoured garage sales and the Tuesday Market and

donated enough sweaters, jackets, and sweatshirts we converted so all our dogs and puppies could be warm.

Don’t Dulce and Jake look cute? A lovely young woman is visiting here from California with her family and

has been volunteering twice a week, spending hours with the cats, kittens, and puppies. A woman from Portland

wouldn’t dream of coming to San Miguel without loading up her bags with dog treats and toys for our animals.

Canadians seem to gravitate to the S.P.A., spending some of their vacation time walking dogs and playing with

cats. We are so grateful for these and other contributions from visitors and residents.

You can also become involved by sponsoring a doggy or kitty casita (annually) which means you get your very

own, personally-inscribed Big Fish or Big Bone Designer Plaque. Commemorate the loss of a beloved pet with

a permanent leaf on our 8-ft high copper-colored Remembrance Tree. Next time you have an anniversary or

birthday or other special occasion, how about suggesting a donation to the S.P.A. in lieu of gifts? Instead of

floundering around for that perfect something for an animal lover in your life, a donation in that person’s honor

would be a wonderful solution. Not only will we send the person who makes the donation a thank you note, but

we will notify the honoree of the gift and best wishes.

Become an S.P.A. member and take advantage of our Preferred Providers program. Membership benefits you

and us. Check the “How to Help” tab (Support Our Fundraisers) on our website www.spasanmiguel.org for

details, prices and to sign up for any of these

programs and more.

Enjoy walking dogs and playing with puppies,

cats, and kittens. Volunteer and adoption hours

are Monday-Saturday, from 11-2, Los Pinos 7,

152-6124. We hope you get involved with the

S.P.A. one way or another. You won’t regret it!

P a g e 7 S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S

VETERINARIANS -

MVZ RICARDO LOPEZ LANDEROS - Prolongacion Calzada de la Aurora #7 - Ph. 152 6977 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-2pm; 4pm-7pm Saturday 9am-2pm Consultations – 10%, X-Rays – 10%, Regular Teeth Cleaning – 10%, Vaccinations - 10%

MVZ EDGARDO R. VAZQUEZ OLMOS - Mesones #5 - Local F/B - Centro - Ph. 152 6273 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-2pm; Saturday 9am-12 noon. Consultations – 10%

MVZ MICHAEL KRONISH - Salida a Celaya #57 - Ph. 415 185 8185 - 415 109 9957 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6.30pm; Saturday 9am-2pm. Consultations - 10%, Routine Vaccinations - 5%, Spaying/Neutering - 5%

MVZ ALMA RUTH MIRANDA - Stirling Dickinson #27 - Ph. 152-2341 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm General Surgery - 10%, X-Rays & Ultrasounds 10%, Hospitalisation - 10%, Medications - 10%, Vaccinations - 10%

MVZ RICARDO COLEMAN MERRILL - Salida a Celaya, Calle Manuel Rocha Lasaux #7 Ph. 152- 2901, 152-7712 & 415 101 6606 Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-8pm; Saturday 8am-4pm; Sunday 9am-4pm Regular Teeth Cleaning - 30%, Rabies Vaccine - 40%, Puppy Vaccination Program - 25%

FOOD SUPPLIERS -

ALIMENTOS PARA MASCOTAS - 5 de Mayo #18 - Colonia Allende - Ph. 154- 5766 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm Medications - 5-10%, Beds, furniture and Toys - 5%, Food - 5-10%

EL DESPACHO - Las Moras #13 - Colonia Guadiana - Ph. 154-7195 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-3pm; 5pm-8pm Food - 5-10%

PET GOURMET SMA - Margarito Ledesma #1 - Colonia Guadalupe - Ph. 152-2454 Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm Examinations and Medications - 10%, Natural Dog and Cat Food - 20% (This is food she makes herself), Dry Food - 5% Homeopathic Remedies - 10%, Vaccinations and Health Certificates - 10% See the advert on Page 4.

OTHERS -

MEOW MEOW WOOF FURNITURE –Ph. 155-9772 or 415 101 6770 website: www.meowmeowwoof.com Creations for Cats and Dogs - Scratching Posts, Cat Perches, Cat & Dog Beds. Custom made or made to suit your pet's needs using the best quality materials. Free Delivery. Furniture/Scratching Posts - 10%. Furniture/Scratching Posts - 15% when adopting* *Must be ordered within one month of Adoption

DUSTY PUPPIES – Guadiana #17A – Colonia Guadiana – Ph. 154- 4555 Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm Diamond Naturals - Dog/Cat Food - 10%, Regular Teeth Cleaning - 20%, SPA Bath Only - No Clipping - By Appointment - 10% Pet Supplies - 10%

Preferred Providers The following is our list of Preferred Providers who offer a range of goods and services at a discount to S.P.A.

members. Just show your current S.P.A. membership card at the time of purchase to receive the discounts specified

below. Please patronize our Preferred Providers as a way of thanking them for their support of the S.P.A.

Being able to take advantage of our Preferred Providers program is just one benefit of becoming a member of the S.P.A. Members receive a 10% discount off the S.P.A. vet consultation fee every day. If you are a member or join at the time you adopt, you will receive 10% off of the 350 pesos adoption fee. Join us! Individual memberships are

$40 US/500 pesos and family memberships (2 person limit) are $50/600 pesos.

Email membershipspa@gmail.com to learn how to join.

P a g e 8 S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S

The Remembrance Tree exists in a

prominent position, right at the inside

entrance to the S.P.A. It is a permanent,

beautiful and impressive eight-foot

copper-colored structure with branches

containing leaves for honoring a departed pet.

Volunteer Jane Dill of Jane Dill Design

(www.janedill.com) will inscribe on a

leaf the pet’s name, the owner’s name, and a

personal message, if desired.

The one-time cost of each permanentleaf is

$100 US (or 1200 peso).

To purchase a leaf or learn more, please email: SPARemembrancetree@gmail.com

The S.P.A. Needs YOU! Volunteer NOW!!

If you love cats and dogs and can spare some time, we would love to have you come and

volunteer!

Volunteer hours are Monday-Saturday from 11-2. If you are interested, please come to the

S.P.A. during that time and we’ll welcome you.

The cats and dogs eagerly look forward to your visit.

Women's T’s are available in Red, White and

Black in sizes Small, Medium Large and X Large.

Men's are available in White and Black in sizes Me-

dium, Large, X Large and XX Large for a donation of

150 pesos.

Caps are available in Red, Black and Khaki for a dona-

tion of 100 pesos.

“Where can we get them?” They’re available at

the Organic Market the first Saturday of every

month, at the S.P.A. itself or Plaza Civica every

Thursday between 11-1.

Check out our new range of T-Shirts & Caps for both Cat and Dog lovers.

P a g e 9 S O C I E D A D P R O T E C T O R A D E A N I M A L E S

EDITOR: Paul Dickson If you need or want to contact me for any reason whatever with regards to the publication

— to submit a story , send a photo, just to make a comment etc then just send an email to

me at: pawsnclawsnews@hotmail.com It would be great to hear from you!

We thought now was as good a time as any to include our advertising rates for this fine far reaching publication after we’ve had a couple of enquiries—if you have any questions etc please don’t hesitate to contact me at the above email address.

Preferred Providers should enquire about

our 15% discounted rate!!

*Multiply the $US by 12 to convert to MXN Pesos

Please check our website: www.spasanmiguel.org for our available cats and dogs (photos, biographies, and videos)

(“Adopt Me” pages) and to learn about us and how you can help. Join Facebook (it’s easy!) and follow us at

www.facebook.com/spasanmiguel, make comments, and see our Success Stories albums.

Sign up for our monthly Paws & Claws newsletter by emailing -

pawsnclawsnews@hotmail.com

Keep the following dates firmly etched in the gray matter -

.Every Thursday come to Plaza Civica from 11.00am to 1.00pm - depending on our space being available and the weather - and meet some of the really great volunteers who’ll talk to you non-stop about the S.P.A. “residents” - You can even walk a dog, pet a kitten/cat, and learn about how you can support us.

. Saturday May 3 - at the Organic Market in the grounds of the Rosewood Hotel via the entrance on the Ancha de San Antonio (just up past the Instituto) come and say “Hello” - you’ll discover more friendly volunteers and become more acquainted with the great work being done!

.Come to the S.P.A. -- have a look around, sign up to volunteer, walk a dog and get fit at the same time, and cuddle with puppies and kittens. Monday-Saturday, 11am-2pm, at Los Pinos #7, Colonia Lindavista.

Number of Issues Full Page Half Page Quarter Page

1 monthly issue $14* $12* $10*

3 monthly issues $35* $30* $25*

12 monthly issues $120* $100* $90*

Rewarding Memberships:

We would like to welcome our newest members the

Mike Kleimo family and extend our thanks to our

April renewals David Cox and Shirley McCallan

(family), Jeannie Fisher and Mac Macoy (family),

James LeNeve, Karen and Steven Livingston

(family), Deborah Osis, and Marilyn Peterson.

As of this writing there are still some of you April

members who we hope are still planning to renew. If

anyone’s membership has expired, we would be very

happy to reactivate it any time you would like.

If you are not yet a member yet and you have any

questions about an S.P.A. membership and its re-

wards, please visit our link http://

www.spasanmiguel.org/how-you-can-help/become-a-

member/ or contact me at membership-

spa@gmail.com

Rhea

KITTY HOLIDAY HOME Boarding for your Cats

Going on vacation? Leave your cats with us!

Cat loving, playful environment, in a big house with enclosed yard,

huge roof, trees, plants, and lots of room to run. NO CAGES.

References available.

Daily, weekly, monthly rates.

Call Patty at 121 5597 or 415 119 7522