Buying a life-saving van for Riviera Rescue

EDIT: after we reached a goal I thought was impossible, I've decided to give this one last push and raise the goal to $20,000! Thank you! This additional money will cover credit card fees + for other pressing expenses Mateo has. He owes $3,000 in vet bills, he hopes to build 2 new kennels to quarantine dogs, and he’d love to finish installing a bathroom/shower at the shelter (where he lives).

You may have heard that catalytic converter theft has been on the rise. Sadly, thieves don’t care who they are stealing from, and this time they targeted my friend and wonderful animal rescuer Mateo from Riviera Rescue (in Mexico). Their van was vandalized a few weeks ago. The thieves stole the van's converter and cut the sensor in the process. Mateo was able to stitch the van back together temporarily, but it is a matter of days before it gives up completely and the van is unsafe to drive.

(A surveillance camera captured the thieves walking away with the stolen piece. Sadly they were never found.)

The van is Mateo's - and his rescue group's - only vehicle. Not only does he rely on it for his rescue efforts, but Mateo lives at the shelter, 20min away from the nearest convenience store, and this affects his personal life as well.

Mateo is one of the kindest, funniest, most amazing humans I know. He has dedicated his entire life to helping the dogs who suffer the most on the streets. Dogs with broken bones, tumors, excruciating skin conditions... Day after day, responding to an overwhelming number of horrifying cases, Mateo has sacrificed everything for his mission. He lives at the shelter he built with his own hands. He doesn’t get a salary and puts everything he has, 24/7, into helping the dogs and his community. You can see his work in this video he shared on Facebook.

(Mateo and I in NYC, when he traveled there to receive an award for his rescue efforts.)

You’ve known Mateo for a few years now, as we have raised funds several times to support his Sisyphean efforts. Most recently to help him spay/neuter 150 dogs in an under-served community. In the years I have known him, I always saw Mateo as a chill, kind, force of nature. Always smiling, always ready for more rescue work. But when I saw him a few days ago, his spirit was broken. Like many rescuers out there, Mateo is struggling. And this situation with the van just added immense pressure to his operation and life.

(Mateo and some of his rescued dogs, the first time we met back in 2018).

It is not worth repairing the old 2007 van, because it’s so far gone, and fixing it would cost thousands of dollars. It also consumes a ton of gas and constantly has mechanical issues that Mateo needs to address. It is time for Mateo to get a brand-new van! He deserves it. He deserves a new, clean, safe, comfortable van with which he can continue his life-saving mission.

This is the van Mateo would like to purchase. It's a perfect size, has back and side doors, perfect for rescue work: transporting, distributing food, etc.:

The down payment for this new van is $5,000. And that’s the minimum amount I would like to raise for Mateo. But if we could raise $15,000+, Mateo could buy the van in one payment, which would save him thousands of dollars in interests over the next years and relieve him from the added financial pressure of making his payments each month. (There will be GoFundMe/Credit Card transaction fees to cover too and those will probably amount to about $500 for that grand total).

If you know how he could get this van - new - for free or discounted in Mexico, please contact me! In that case, the money raised here would be used to cover outstanding vet bills, dog food, and other medications the rescue badly needs right now, as well as building a proper bathroom/shower at the shelter, and 2 new big kennels for quarantining dogs.

This is Mateo's latest rescue, Pomelo, and he is a great example of what Mateo is up against every day. This gentle boy was found roaming in the jungle, looking for food scraps and a place to rest. It's all good from now on for him, thanks to Mateo:

Thank you!

Sophie

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Riviera Rescue is a Mexican non-profit organization committed to Rescuing, Rehabilitating & Re-homing abused dogs in the Riviera Maya, México. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Sophie Gamand is an award-winning artist and animal advocate using her platform to speak for at-risk dogs around the globe. Read more on her website.