YOU WANT TO HELP A STREET DOG?

FIRST OFF…

Thank you for your kind heart and wanting to help!

There are so many animals who need our collective support - a little bit does a long way!

A NOTE ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION

Unfortunately, we do not yet have a rescue sanctuary. Our rescue work is conducted via a network of friends and volunteers in our personal homes. We are almost always operating at capacity, and cannot take calls to pick up dogs upon request.

If YOU or someone you know would like to offer a temporary home for a dog, we can support by helping with vet care, spay/neuter, and promoting the animal’s adoption.

Please send us the following information via email caravanacanina@gmail.com:

  • Your Name + Contact Info (email, Instagram, phone number) + Info of Who is Caring for the Animal

  • Dog’s Name, Gender, Age, + Approximate Size

  • Dog’s Health Information (vaccinated, dewormed, spayed/neutered, and any other relevant info)

  • Dog’s Personality Info (especially how the animal behaves with other animals, walking on leash, in the house, and any other relevant info)

  • Dog’s Rescue Story

  • Dog’s Current location

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Even if you can’t adopt, you CAN help!

We do NOT suggest you “adopt” a dog as a tourist or semi-long-term if you do not have a plan to permanently keep it or the certainty to find it a home before you leave.

If you find a dog that has mange, or flea or tick infestation, we recommend the medications Nexguad or Bravecto. These can be purchased at Innes or el Tio.

If you want to spay/neuter of give a dog an abortion to a street dog, you can pick up the dog and bring it to our vet Laura to be spayed and boarded. After 3-7 days of being boarded, you will need to return for the dog to take it back to where you found it on the street.
Our vet’s contact is: Laura Guzman +52 1 951 333 7847
Dog-friendly taxi contacts are: Belem +52 1 951 123 4027 // Victor +52 1 951 130 9260
While this may seem harsh, a spayed/neutered street dog has a much better chance for life longevity and health, and will not be bringing more dogs into the world, to live a life on the street.

If you want to spay/neuter a dog who has an owner, you can remind them of the benefits of spaying and neutering:

  • less dogs brought into an already overpopulated environment

  • prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and viruses

  • lowered testosterone / less aggression

Once you have explained these points, you may offer our contact information if people have any further questions about the benefits. The same above process can be followed, coordinating the spay/neuter procedure with our vet Laura.

IMPORTANT THOUGHTS / DETAILS

  • It is common here for dogs to be tied up. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable reality, and part of a larger cultural dynamic. If you see a dog who is tied up, whom you want to help, you can start by building a relationship with the owners. Check in to see if they would like any support - buying food, giving anti-parasite medications, vaccinating and spay and neuter.
    If there is resistance to spaying and neutering the animal (this comes from a complex cultural situation, usually related to stories of some vets doing bad surgeries). It helps to build trust by first offering food and then later offering to coordinate spay/neuter.

  • Culturally, in rural communities, its common for dogs who have owners to wander freely on the street, without collars. If you find a dog on the street whom you want to adopt, make sure to ask neighbors if the dog already has a home.

  • Many street dogs in Oaxaca Centro have people who care for them. If the dog looks well fed, there is a chance they have also already been spayed. You can check their lower belly for signs of a scar from the surgery, to avoid bringing them to the vet if they have already been spayed.