Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta

10/08/2024

Rescuers in Puerto Vallarta have had a busy summer and Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta has supported their efforts. We’d like you to meet some of our faithful rescuers.

Patty Brisero Cruz is an Animalista who took in a female street dog, and within a few weeks, the Momma Dog gave birth to 9 puppies. Patty is doing her best to vaccinate, cleanse from parasites, and feed Momma and her nine hungry puppies. Patty’s income is limited, so she and the pups are grateful for Paws & Claws PV's monthly donation of dry food until Patty can find loving homes for the puppies and then be able to help the next fur baby in need. All have now been sterilized through Cuale Clinic, supported by Paws and Claws PV, so thankfully, this particular cycle has been broken.

Maria Fernanda is a single mom who helps her Caloso community by rescuing and sterilizing and trying her best to adopt out the street cat and dog population. She presently has 14 cats in her care and is an Animalista of simple means but that doesn't prevent her from helping the animals in her area. Now with the help of Paws and Claws PV's cat kibble donation, she can continue her rescue efforts.

Karla Álveraz saw social media posts of people like her who were receiving quantities of food or help and asked God that one day an association would help her too. Paws and Claws PV was the answer to her prayers. Karla has 30 dogs, so feeding them daily is a big concern for her. She is so grateful for the support because her dogs get through 22 kg per day!

Morgane rescued an older, ailing male Boxer dog that was no longer wanted by his family and cast aside. She was going through a difficult personal situation and was sharing a room with family members who were helping her. They were kind enough to take in Max the Boxer in after a few months, they could no longer assist Morgane or Max. Morgan was able to scrape together some pesos and with the help of a rescue group was able to get Max vetted and put in a shelter, where he has lived for the past two years. During this time, Morgane has been helping to sponsor Max herself and continues to provide him with a bag of dog food a month and medical health upkeep.

Smiley was rescued and needed medical treatment as soon as possible. He was taken to Mascotas, where all of his treatments and medicine, including his follow-up visit in 30 days, were sponsored by Paws and Claws PV. Smiley is 7kg and approximately 1 year old, very playful, and looking for his forever home.

You can help us to provide support to these rescue angels by donating at https://pawsandclawspv.org/.

19/06/2024

Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta included the graphic below in our quarterly newsletter this past week. As the weather is heating up to scorching, please take care of your fur babies and remember to keep their water topped up.

If you’d like to have the newsletter, you can see it here: https://pawsandclawspv.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PCPV-Newsletter-Q2-2024.pdf.

You can also donate to Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta to help the rescuers during the summer heat.

20/04/2024

Great News!! A dog rescue has a chance for a new life!
If you aren’t getting our Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta newsletter, we posted about a rescue that needed some special attention. And thank you to Ron Harner for coming to the rescue. Molly is now a permanent family member in Ron and Clint’s home and loving all of the attention!

Want to get our quarterly newsletter? You can find it here: pawsandclawspv.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PCPV-Newsletter-Q1-2024.pdf

You can also donate to Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta through our website at https://pawsandclawspv.org
Helping animals in Puerto Vallarta to have a better life.

18/03/2024

Can you help an animal shelter or an individual foster?

Recently, this sweet and affectionate lab mix was taken to Cuale Spay Neuter Clinics She had given birth about two months before, but someone had taken the puppies. She is recovering, but she desperately needs some solid meals and someone to foster her.

Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta will arrange to get her to a vet and cover an initial exam, vaccinations, and other immediate medical needs. We can also provide some food to help her get healthy again.

The animal shelters in Puerto Vallarta are full to overflowing, yet more animals are being dumped. Shelters provide a safe place for abandoned animals. Sometimes, they rescue animals from dangerous situations, such as abuse, neglect, or trying to survive life on the street. Shelters provide these animals with necessary medical care, food, and shelter. Often, they provide medical care as well. All expenses fall on the shelter or individual who is fostering.

You can help us help the animals in Vallarta by donating to https://pawsandclawspv.org/. If you can help this sweet dog by fostering her until someone can adopt her, please reach out to Angela Kelleher [email protected].

05/03/2024

We are already into our third month of 2024, and time is flying by. Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta is continuing to help rescuers, clinics, and shelters. Through donations to our charity, shelters have received food, medicines, and litter. At the same time, rescuers have been able to take dogs to a local vet clinic for care at no cost to them. Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinics https://www.facebook.com/cualespayneuterclinics had over 100 animals sterilized at their February clinic. All were rescues, so it shows the need is overwhelming.

Your donation helps Paws and Claws PV continue to reach so many animals. The food and life-saving supplies provided to our local rescue groups, shelters, and clinics make a world of difference to these animals.

We are announcing great news! We are thrilled to let you know that we’ve been approved by WestJet for free humanitarian carriage. WestJet accepts fee waiver requests for baggage (departing from Canada) and kennels (arriving into Canada) for humanitarian purposes from a registered charitable or not-for-profit organization or from a guest affiliated with such an organization. We can apply for free carriage of one piece of baggage for each flyer flying south and free carriage of cargo and cabin pets flying north. This will be a huge benefit to small rescuers in Puerto Vallarta. Let all of your friends know that they can be our “animalista angels”. Please get in touch with https://www.facebook.com/angela.kelleher.56 for more information.

We continue to need donations to support our core projects of providing essential items to shelters, rescuers, vet treatment costs, and supporting clinics; however, we also want to get other programs off the ground, such as a “trap, neuter, release” educational program and a collaborative program for rescuers. Other plans are in the works, so stay tuned and log onto https://www.facebook.com/pawsandclawspv for updates.

Please consider donating to help us help the dogs and cats in Vallarta. So many need your help. You can donate at https://pawsandclawspv.org/. Your support means the world to us, and we are truly grateful for your commitment to our mission. Together, we can ensure that every abandoned animal has a chance for a healthier and better life they desperately deserve.

I want to urge you to become a monthly donor. By doing so, you will be directly contributing to the well-being of thousands of animals in Puerto Vallarta.

17/02/2024

Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta has provided the resources for a hive of activity at the start of 2024. Some fantastic donations were received that have allowed shelters to receive much-needed supplies such as food, litter, and other supplies. These funds also provided spay and neuter clinics such as Cuale Spay Neuter Clinics. Their February clinic neutered 122 animals, and there was also a pop-up clinic in San Vicente that neutered 46 animals.

So many rescued animals are either in very poor health or injured, so they need Vet care. Paws and Claws has an agreement with a local Vet clinic to provide services to rescuers who would otherwise have to pay for care out of their own pockets. Many rescuers are taking animals off the streets, so they desperately need good care, proper health treatments, and good nutrition.

We need your help to continue providing these services. You can donate here Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta. If you would like your donation to go to a specific activity, please indicate when donating.

The four dogs shown below were all rescued and are receiving Vet care provided by Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta.

06/02/2024

Fantastic interview, Angela. Thank you!! And don't forget to donate to Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta

06/02/2024

Fantastic interview, Angela. Thank you!! And don't forget to donate to Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta.

06/02/2024

29/01/2024

Is there such a thing as “kitten season”? Yes, and in North America, it’s just a few months of the year. In Puerto Vallarta, where the weather is mild year-round, “kitten season” is year-round. The cats giving birth are predominately stray and feral cats who haven’t been spayed or neutered, resulting in a surging population across the Vallarta area. While this sounds like a magical time full of tiny paws and bundles of purring fur babies, it can be a hectic time for animal shelters trying to manage a large number of abandoned kittens. The animal shelters in Puerto Vallarta usually run at total capacity with very tight budgets, and their capacities are stretched thin.

The free spay and neuter clinics in Vallarta are doing an excellent job, but more work must be done. Unlike most other animals, cats can continuously give birth to litters of four to six kittens. Female cats can become pregnant at five months and produce several litters in a single year.

How can you help? Individuals run the shelters in Puerto Vallarta, and the cost of feeding and caring for the animals falls to the individual. You can help to support a shelter by donating here at https://pawsandclawspv.org/. Other ways to support a Vallarta shelter are to provide supplies directly such as litter, food, and money to provide vaccines and other veterinary services.

10/10/2023

The Cuale Spay Neuter Clinics held their monthly clinic on Sunday, the 8th of October. In total, 57 animals were sterilized, covering 43 cats and 14 dogs. Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta provided funding for 40 of the surgeries. The remaining surgeries were covered through previous donations.

Because it rained heavily the whole day before the clinic, it was nearly impossible for the rescuers to trap many street animals; consequently, the numbers were less than expected. It was still a successful clinic. Everything went smoothly as the new team took over from Glenda and Steve, who will soon be leaving Puerto Vallarta.

09/10/2023

What a difference one month of loving care has made for the abused dog brought to the clinic last month.

Thanks to Nancy, Roman, Ingrid, Yvonne (his first angel), and Yvonneka, this dog who had been abused, injured, and had many medical issues is now a very happy and playful dog. When Nancy showed me these videos yesterday, I could hardly believe it was the same dog. He’s now happy, healthy, and really playful.

The transformation is a miracle, and miracles can happen when people work together!

Help us fund more of these miracles through What a difference one month of loving care has made for the abused dog that was brought to the clinic last month.
Thanks to Nancy, Roman, Ingrid, Yvonne (his first angel) and Yvonneka, this dog who had been abused, injured and had lots of medical issues is now a very happy and playful dog. When Nancy showed me these videos yesterday, I could hardly believe it was the same dog. He’s now happy, healthy and really playful.

The transformation is a miracle, and miracles can happen when people work together!

Help us fund more of these miracles through https://pawsandclawspv.org/.

04/09/2023

A Second Chance: A Rescued Dog Found Hope at Cuale Spay Neuter Clinics

A rescuer brought a dog to September's Cuale Clinic. The dog has been living on the streets and was abused by people in the neighborhood as he foraged for food in the rubbish. He may even have been chained up while being attacked. He became timid and lived a lonely life in fear. As he withdrew, he was also attacked by other street dogs.

He arrived at the clinic covered with bites and scratches. Clinic volunteers sprang into action, and while he was recovering from the sterilization, they tended to the wounds as best they could. As they were working on him, the rescuer begged one of us to foster him so he wouldn't return to a life of cruelty.

One of our faithful volunteers called a friend to see if she could foster the dog until a new home could be found. This rescue is now resting on the floor of an enclosed area. Although the foster has put out blankets for him, he’s lying on the floor and cries a lot. But he has a chance to heal physically and emotionally under his foster mom's patient care and kindness. His journey won't be easy, but now, with a chance for a new life filled with hope and love, he can improve immediately.

These are the stories that keep us inspired to do what we do. Thanks to the unwavering determination of the rescuer, the volunteer, the foster mom, and the clinic, this dog has a chance to know a life of love and kindness.

04/09/2023

Unlocking Hope: Volunteers help inmates care for adopted cats

Thanks to Angela Kelleher’s efforts, along with Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta and Cuale Spay Neuter Clinics, volunteers collaborated on a program at Penitenciario Ixtapa-zihuatanejo to sterilize some cats that inmates have adopted. Angela is working with the prison to help teach the inmates to care for the cats and trap others that are feral. Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta paid for the sterilizations that were done at the Cuale Clinic.
It was a team effort showing what combined efforts can contribute to the community.

There are more animals, several feral cats and a couple of stray dogs, that will need to be caught and taken to a clinic to be sterilized. The team wants to establish an ongoing program to help the inmates look after the animals. Angela would like to get a Spanish-speaking volunteer to help with this project.

Many studies have been done about the benefit of providing animals to people in prison. All have reported positive multiple benefits, from prisoners learning to love and care for someone else (although an animal) and receiving love back. They are learning patience, self-control, responsibility, and trust. The cats at Ixtapa prison would normally be on their own and looking for food and shelter. Cats that have already been adopted by the inmates are providing a ray of hope for them.

Would you like to help with this project? Email Angela at [email protected]

13/08/2023

Cielo’s Story
Cielo does so much; she takes the bus daily at 7 am from her home to feed a colony of cats in a downtown park. She feeds the cats and watches for any newly dumped, new kittens, or any of the cats needing medical attention. She and a small team of helpers work hard to capture any new cats and take them to the free spay and neuter clinics. Cielo also volunteers at the Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinic, putting in a long day, usually from 8 or 9 am to 5 pm, helping with some uglier chores like cleaning up after the cats and dogs have recovered from surgery. She coordinates with local neighborhood rescuers to get animals transported to the clinics and encourages the local community to spay and neuter their pets.

13/08/2023

Miriam’s Story
Miriam, a hard-working teacher and mother, still finds the time and energy to go above and beyond to take a bus to some of the poorest neighborhoods where people don’t have the time or capacity to take their dogs or cats to a spay and neuter clinic. She transports them to the clinics and then returns them to their owners. She rescues many abused or abandoned animals when she gets notices on social media or from her students. She volunteers at the Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinic once a month where she puts in long hard days. Miriam has even hosted a small clinic at her own home when she had 30 animals organized for spay and neuter.

13/08/2023

The Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta Advisory Committee recently met for a dynamic and information-filled 2-hour meeting. There are so many needs within the animal rescue areas in Vallarta it took a lot of work to narrow down what to focus on immediately until we get more funds. We also discussed long-term strategies such as setting up a “Paws and Claws Food Bank” for rescuers feeding street animals, providing food and litter to shelters, and education. The overall needs seem overwhelming, but we’ve made a great start!

We all agreed that a critical issue is that rescuers need somewhere to go initially when individual animals and litters are rescued to ensure they are physically OK and receive essential treatments. A plan has been implemented for a “pilot” program for rescuers committed to rescuing efforts for a while. The advisory committee will work with a local veterinarian to accept the rescues at no charge based on billing their services to an account set up by Paws and Claws. Other plans are for Cuale Spay and Neuter Clinic to take rescues only for spay and neuter.

All of the plans and goals will need donations to see them through. You can help by going to http://pawsandclawspv.org/ and donating. Please share our efforts and contact information with your family and friends to ask them to support us in helping the animals in Vallarta!

13/08/2023

Three animal lovers who have dedicated an enormous amount of time and their own personal donations to make significant changes to thousands of dog and cat lives in Vallarta have successfully realized their dream of becoming an official 501 (c) 3 animal welfare charity – Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta. Meet the Board Members of Paws and Claws Puerto Vallarta – Ron Harner, Juan Tamayo and Glenda Bland.

Each Board member has been contributing to individual efforts such as supporting Angelicat, supporting many rescuers with vet treatments, and supporting Cuale Clinic and contributing to individual rescuers. With the formation of Paws and Claws PV, they will work alongside their Advisory Committee, Angela Kelleher, Lydia Damato, and Monica Diaz, (all well-known and committed to animals in the community) to focus on improving animal lives on multiple fronts. The board and the Advisory Committee came together due to the collective realization that working together to promote animal welfare is not only ethically imperative but a fulfilling passion ingrained in their values.

Please help them celebrate this new and exciting chapter and support their efforts through donations to http://pawsandclawspv.org/. And please share this news with your family and friends and ask them to help better the lives of so many street animals in Puerto Vallarta.

Want to get in touch for more information? Email Glenda Bland at [email protected].