The barrio close to where I live is very poor. Most people live in houses with dirt floors. They all have small children and pet dogs.
The families health needs are somewhat met by the government-run public health clinics, meaning they get basic health care and vaccinations. However, this basic coverage does not extend to vaccinating family pets.
Family pets are not vaccinated nor are they spayed or neutered. This leads to a new batch of puppies and kittens being born about every six months. Needless to say, the pet population is starting to overtake the human population which is leading to health issues.
A close friend and I have discussed the situation with the local health unit. They only shrug their shoulders and say there is no money. This is becoming an even bigger threat as we now have coyotes and racoons coming into the area looking for food. Rabies could become a threat as well as other diseases.
We have arranged for a veterinary service form Leon to come out for two days and vaccinate all the animals against rabies and distemper. They actually came out yesterday and are here again today. So far 213 dogs and cats have been vaccinated at no cost to the owners.
Next step will be to raise enough funds so that we can have a spay/neuter clinic too! We also spoke to another company to supply some extra pet food for those that have their animals vaccinated.
Keeping the neighbourhood safe and healthy one pet at a time!