improving the lives of vulnerable street dogs in Mexico
healthy dogs,
healthy communities
Welcome to Healthy Dogs, Healthy Communities, our personal humanitarian project dedicated to the welfare of homeless dogs living on the streets of Mexico.
As the proud dog parents of 3 rescue dogs – two of which are Mexican street dogs – we have a definite soft spot for our four-legged friends and their collective well-being. While there are many conflicting reports as to numbers, in 2020 the CBC reported that “Mexico is home to the largest population of stray dogs in Latin America, with estimates ranging between 15 and 18 million dogs living without — or abandoned by — human owners.” 1
These are, of course, heartbreaking numbers.
Having lived in Mexico for over 5 years, we have seen firsthand the living conditions in which these dogs struggle to exist and how detrimental it can be on not only them, but also the humans they inevitably interact with. Without the basics in nutrition, medication, and sterilization treatments, Mexican communities have become overrun with emaciated and sick dogs who suffer from parasites (spreading infestations among these communities), and a level of neglect and abuse that can lead some to behave aggressively or even violently with humans they come across.
And it isn’t the fault of the dogs. We know that with a little patience and care, they can become their best selves: happy and fun-loving. We have seen it in the dogs we personally care for in our hometown of Guaymas, Sonora, where we feed, water, medicate, and care for the street dogs that live in our neighbourhood. After just a few months of reliable care and attention, they have gone from scared and uncertain animals to smiling, tail-wagging friends when they see us, happy just for a good belly rub and the odd treat.
Seeing these transformations in the street dogs we care for, and our own two rescue pups that we have adopted into our family, is what sparked the desire in us to do even more for the homeless doggie community here in Mexico, to provide a wider net of care and regular service that will truly make an impact on the health of these communities – for both pooches and people.
How can you help us?
(Tap or hover over the boxes to learn more!)
DONATE
Foster
advocate
Pledge
Funding levels this month
We are currently accepting donations to fund food and medicine for our street dogs for the month of November, 2024.
Where the funds come from
Every month we present an up-to-the-minute report on the monetary donations we receive and where they are allocated. There are two base categories of funding: by donation and by our company, Blue Yonder Yachts. For significant donations ($100 and over), we recognize these generous donators by name in our reports (unless they wish to remain anonymous).
Our Dog Packs
Meet some of the super-cool street dogs we have the privilege to care for and hang out with on a regular basis!
ROCKY
Big Boy and Pack Leader
TIGGER
Chill Bro
GOLDIE
Wiggly Boy
PATCHES
Shy Boy
LITTLE JOHN
Daddy and Pack Leader
MAMA
Shy Girl and Momma
JACK
Mama's Son and Protector
JILL
Mama's Daughter and Jack's BFF
How can I donate to help these dogs?
We accept online donations using credit card, debit card or PayPal. You can make a one off payment or set up monthly payments. Use the form below to make a donation - every little bit helps!
We are a 100% volunteer effort, so that 100% of donations can go towards food, vaccinations, monthly anti-parasite treatments, emergency vet visits, and sterilization procedures (spay and neuter).
If you happen to be in the San Carlos or Guaymas area of Mexico, we are also happy to meet up to accept material donations such as food, toys, towels/blankets, and pet medications.
How can I foster or adopt a Mexican dog?
It is a wonderful thing to want to welcome one of these beautiful Mexican street dogs into your life and family.
While we focus on the care and health of street dogs in our Mexican communities, if you are moved by the plight of these dogs and wish to foster or adopt, reach out to us and we can work with you to get one of our pack dogs ready and into your loving arms.
What can I do to advocate for homeless street dogs?
Word of mouth is huge for us! If you support what we do to keep Mexican communities healthy by keeping it's homeless dogs happy and healthy, then we would love for you to tell your network of friends and family about us.
The more people know and get involved, the bigger an impact we can make on these communities and the lives of these dogs.
What does it mean to pledge?
We understand how overwhelming it can feel to want to make a difference in the lives of animals or people you care about, but feel the task is too large for any one person. But what if we all simply focused on making a difference in the lives of those in our immediate communities?
By localizing our focus, the task goes from insurmountable to completely manageable! And the more people across a broad area to make this pledge, the faster real, systemic change can take place that will change not only a neighbourhood or city, but a an entire state or even country!
If you make the pledge, you're making a huge difference in the lives of both dogs and people in your neighbourhood. By "adopting" your community's homeless dogs by providing whatever food and medication you can to keep them healthy and parasite-free, you are fulfilling a pledge to your neighbours and community to better their lives and health; you're taking the responsiblity of being a leader and inspiration source for those who need help learning how to be better dog owners and community members.
It is no small thing you do, but it has a greater impact than you can possibly measure!
What is the mission of Healthy Dogs, Healthy Communities?
Glad you asked! This is a completely grassroots effort born out of our desire to see man and man's best friend live well and thrive together in Mexico.
In our experience, there are no official programs to control dog populations in Mexico, and little to no education or awareness by dog owners on the importance of sterilization to prevent indiscriminate breeding, nutrition to prevent infections and disease, and supervision to prevent issues of free-roaming dogs getting into trouble (eg. causing road accidents, acting aggresively towards pedestrians, etc.).
Our big mission is three-fold: to promote permanent sterilization campaigns for dogs in Mexico; to promote "community adoption" of local homeless dogs; and to build better social awareness about responsible pet ownership for Mexican dog owners.
Through these campaigns for better dog health, population control, and better education in dog behaviours and the importance of dog health for community health, we believe we can drastically improve the lives of all Mexicans - and Mexican dogs - so that we can all live and thrive together.
Why does Healthy Dogs, Healthy Communities mean exactly?
Studies have shown that the health of a community, especially poorer communities, have a direct correlation with the health of their homeless dog populations.
Supporting the wellbeing of Mexico's street dogs affects more than just the lives of these sweet animals, but also the lives of the communities they live in. Sick, infested dogs carry pests like ticks that can jump onto humans and infect them with tickborne illnesses, some of which can be deadly (for instance, the US-Mexican consulate reported on 5 cases, in which 3 patients died, of tick-transmitted Rocky Mountain spotted fever in December 2023 2).
Moreover, a surplus of homeless dogs pose other risks to their human neighbours, including: road/driving hazards, physical attacks, and infectious diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, intestinal parasites, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (as previously mentioned), and others.3
And since the modern dog is a product of domestication by humans over 10s of thousands of years, man and dog are uniquely tied together and are driven to interface closely. Therefore, it is far more likely to be infected by a domestic dog than it would be a wild animal, even if they both carry the same infection.
It behooves all communities in Mexico to care about the health of their homeless dog population, because their health is our health.
