Isla Animals Distemper Vaccine Clinic
Donation protected
((UPDATE 11/19/2013: WE HAVE TURNED DONATIONS OFF FOR THIS PAGE. WE ENCOURAGE ALL DONORS LOOKING AT THIS PAGE TO PLEASE SHARE AND DONATE TO OUR MOST PRESSING CURRENT CAMPAIGN:
http://www.gofundme.com/Isla-Animals-Guapo-Fund
IT'S AN AMAZING STORY, AND WE COULD REALLY USE THE HELP! AND AS ALWAYS, Please visit our web page at:
http://islaanimals.org/
And our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isla-Animals/169657606676 ))
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HELLO ANIMAL LOVERS! Thank you for taking a moment to check out our project. This is a page for ISLA ANIMALS, a non-profit organization located on the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. We have started this page because we are desperate to have a DISTEMPER VACCINATION CLINIC for the dogs of Isla Mujeres. Alison Sawyer Current, the founder of Isla Animals has provided all info below.
WHY DO WE NEED THIS CLINIC NOW?
There is a SEVERE outbreak of distemper on the island, and it is the leading cause of infectious disease deaths in dogs worldwide. ALL unvaccinated dogs are at high risk of infection. Vaccination against canine distemper is almost 100 percent protective and all puppies should be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age. The government of Mexico initiated a campaign many years ago to wipe out Rabies in Mexico because it affected people - it has been very successful. Unfortunately, many people believe that the Rabies vaccine is the only vaccination that their dogs need. They don't know there is a separate vaccination for both parvo and distemper which kills so many dogs every year. At this time we are experiencing an outbreak of distemper on the island, once a dog is sick there is no cure and the most humane thing to do is to put them down. Many of the animals on the island already have compromised immune systems because they are malnurished, plagued with skin issues like mange, have tick and flea infestations as well as internal parasites. This makes them even more vulnerable when a virus like distemper starts to spread. Everything we do for these animals is educational as their owners learn that there are alternatives. The average life span of an animal in the streets is two years if they make it through puppy hood. In the last two months MANY animals have died or been put down so the islanders are SEEING first hand the suffering involved. We recently had a spay/neuter clinic (FREE to all dog and cat owners-staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by donations),and the first question of almost all participants was "Can you provide a distemper vaccination for my dog?" It's a perfect time to offer them preventative measures.This will not only help the dogs, but improve the lives of the people of Isla Mujeres.
With your help, we hope to make this possible and stop the spread of this disease that is affecting so many dogs on this island!
WHY DO YOU NEED $5,000?
If we can raise our goal amount of $5,000, we can buy the vaccine in BULK, significantly cutting the cost of each vaccine, allowing us to buy more and treat even more dogs in need! We have calculated that ONE vaccine plus needle and syringe will be approximately $8.00. We plan to ask dog owners for $3.00 contribution towards the vaccine. Asking the owners for a donation towards the vaccine is part of our greater campaign in educating dog owners to be more responsible for the health of their pets. Education is vital, and empowers the people. Many of these dogs have never seen a vet. If the owner cannot afford the $3.00 contribution, Isla Animals will cover the full cost of vaccine. NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY!! Therefore, $5,000 will provide approximately 1,000 vaccines!! UPDATE: We have added $900 to our goal amount because we realize that we will encounter many dogs in very bad shape suffering from illness, skin issue, eye/ear infections, serious infestations of fleas and ticks causing ehrlichia, worms. We would like to de-worm every animal as the internal parasite issue here is enormous, often killing weaker dogs if it's not treated. So, some of the dogs will require medical treatment in order to get them well enough BEFORE they can receive the vaccine. Others may have issues that can be treated along with the vaccination. One of the reasons that these animals have so much trouble is because they are never treated because people cannot afford it and because they have not way to get them to a vet. Most people don't have cars and taxis will not pick someone up with an animal. So, since this is the only vet care this dog may receive, we want to be able to provide medication/antibiotics, creams, treatments, etc. to the ones that are in very serious condition. In a dream world we could treat them all. At our spay/neuter clinics ALL of the dogs receive not only the surgery, but also ear cleaning, ear mite treatment, worm treatment, Frontline, and nail trim , (also hair cut, vitamins, medication, medical cream as needed).
WHAT EXACTLY IS DISTEMPER AND WHY IS IT AFFECTING THE DOGS OF ISLA MUJERES SO BADLY?
Distemper is a disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye. Distemper can cause immense suffering in dogs from flu-like symptoms which can lead to the weakening of the immune system turning into pneumonia....seizures....central nervous system disorders....permanent brain damage...and as is often the case here, it is more humane to put the dog down due to the severity of suffering and pain that they endure. It is incredibly contagious and can be passed from dog to dog via urine, blood or saliva, sneezing, coughing and sharing food and water bowls. So, if ONE dog in your neighborhood has it, it is likely he/she can infect every other dog it comes into contact with. There is NO cure. Animals can recover, but, symptoms may remain or return after years of seemingly good health. Distemper gradually effects every system in the dog ending in neurological damage where they twitch and twist in horrible ways. It scares people to see this so they often put their dog somewhere else to die. This creates a detachment. We picked up a dog last week (below) that was simply left in the street to die while the owners sat in their house. And in the same week a dog was found dumped over a cement wall to die a painful death. It was a very upsetting thing to witness.
YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT DISTEMPER HERE:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/distemper-symptoms-treatments-dogs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_distemper
WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF YOUR DISTEMPER CLINIC?
We plan to start with the poorest neighborhood, where many live without electricity and running water and there are THE MOST dogs at highest risk. First, we will need to transport at least 12 volunteers to go this neighborhood to talk with and provide educational materials for owners. Most people do not have transportation, and we also do not want a large gathering of dogs waiting in one place for the vaccine, risking them passing the distemper to uninfected dogs. A map of the area will then need to be drawn (since addresses do not exist here), names of owners, information on dogs health, and photographs of dogs taken. Each dog will need to be checked out individually for infection, to determine if they can receive the vaccine. Puppies and Adult dogs will need approximately 2 vaccines. This clinic will take many days and many volunteers. Street dogs will also be treated. In addition to the vaccine, syringes, and needles we will also require: volunteers, buckets, transportation/gas, muzzles, slip leads, creation of paper work and copies/flyers, pens, clipboards, hand sanitizer, paper towels, towels, heavy duty work gloves, etc. HUNDREDS of dogs will be treated.
This boy wanted to help in and learn in any way possible at one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. Education is key!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT US?
Come learn about the 5000+ dogs that have been rescued since 1999, our FREE spay/neuter clinics both on the island and in surrounding areas, our foster projects, educational projects, our work with partner shelters, with PEACE Isla Mujeres, our volunteers, and much more! And learn about how you can volunteer if you are coming to the island, or if you can bring donations (even EXPIRED medicine is useful-and we are ALWAYS in need of tweezers and good scissors!)
Please visit our web page at:
http://islaanimals.org/
And our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isla-Animals/169657606676
Thank you for donating any amount you can spare-With your support, we can make this clinic a great success!!!
Every penny will go specifically towards this clinic, and every penny counts! You can donate any amount from $5.00 and up towards our goal! We have also listed "Wish List" items, if you want to choose the exact items to donate: everything from needles to leashes, to sharpie markers. Just $5.00 will cover one complete vaccination!...Imagine if 300 people donated just $5.00....
If you are unable to donate financially, and you support our cause, you can help by sharing this page on your social media. We look forward to posting information and photos of the outcome of this clinic. Please spread the word to your Animal lover friends! If you have any questions at all, you can message us on our website or Facebook page (links above)! We look forward to hearing from you!
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -Josh Billings
This page is dedicated to Millie, the first dog we lost to distemper five weeks ago. We WILL curb the spread of this deadly disease with your help. Thank you.
http://www.gofundme.com/Isla-Animals-Guapo-Fund
IT'S AN AMAZING STORY, AND WE COULD REALLY USE THE HELP! AND AS ALWAYS, Please visit our web page at:
http://islaanimals.org/
And our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isla-Animals/169657606676 ))
**************************************************************************
HELLO ANIMAL LOVERS! Thank you for taking a moment to check out our project. This is a page for ISLA ANIMALS, a non-profit organization located on the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. We have started this page because we are desperate to have a DISTEMPER VACCINATION CLINIC for the dogs of Isla Mujeres. Alison Sawyer Current, the founder of Isla Animals has provided all info below.
WHY DO WE NEED THIS CLINIC NOW?
There is a SEVERE outbreak of distemper on the island, and it is the leading cause of infectious disease deaths in dogs worldwide. ALL unvaccinated dogs are at high risk of infection. Vaccination against canine distemper is almost 100 percent protective and all puppies should be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age. The government of Mexico initiated a campaign many years ago to wipe out Rabies in Mexico because it affected people - it has been very successful. Unfortunately, many people believe that the Rabies vaccine is the only vaccination that their dogs need. They don't know there is a separate vaccination for both parvo and distemper which kills so many dogs every year. At this time we are experiencing an outbreak of distemper on the island, once a dog is sick there is no cure and the most humane thing to do is to put them down. Many of the animals on the island already have compromised immune systems because they are malnurished, plagued with skin issues like mange, have tick and flea infestations as well as internal parasites. This makes them even more vulnerable when a virus like distemper starts to spread. Everything we do for these animals is educational as their owners learn that there are alternatives. The average life span of an animal in the streets is two years if they make it through puppy hood. In the last two months MANY animals have died or been put down so the islanders are SEEING first hand the suffering involved. We recently had a spay/neuter clinic (FREE to all dog and cat owners-staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by donations),and the first question of almost all participants was "Can you provide a distemper vaccination for my dog?" It's a perfect time to offer them preventative measures.This will not only help the dogs, but improve the lives of the people of Isla Mujeres.
With your help, we hope to make this possible and stop the spread of this disease that is affecting so many dogs on this island!
WHY DO YOU NEED $5,000?
If we can raise our goal amount of $5,000, we can buy the vaccine in BULK, significantly cutting the cost of each vaccine, allowing us to buy more and treat even more dogs in need! We have calculated that ONE vaccine plus needle and syringe will be approximately $8.00. We plan to ask dog owners for $3.00 contribution towards the vaccine. Asking the owners for a donation towards the vaccine is part of our greater campaign in educating dog owners to be more responsible for the health of their pets. Education is vital, and empowers the people. Many of these dogs have never seen a vet. If the owner cannot afford the $3.00 contribution, Isla Animals will cover the full cost of vaccine. NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY!! Therefore, $5,000 will provide approximately 1,000 vaccines!! UPDATE: We have added $900 to our goal amount because we realize that we will encounter many dogs in very bad shape suffering from illness, skin issue, eye/ear infections, serious infestations of fleas and ticks causing ehrlichia, worms. We would like to de-worm every animal as the internal parasite issue here is enormous, often killing weaker dogs if it's not treated. So, some of the dogs will require medical treatment in order to get them well enough BEFORE they can receive the vaccine. Others may have issues that can be treated along with the vaccination. One of the reasons that these animals have so much trouble is because they are never treated because people cannot afford it and because they have not way to get them to a vet. Most people don't have cars and taxis will not pick someone up with an animal. So, since this is the only vet care this dog may receive, we want to be able to provide medication/antibiotics, creams, treatments, etc. to the ones that are in very serious condition. In a dream world we could treat them all. At our spay/neuter clinics ALL of the dogs receive not only the surgery, but also ear cleaning, ear mite treatment, worm treatment, Frontline, and nail trim , (also hair cut, vitamins, medication, medical cream as needed).
WHAT EXACTLY IS DISTEMPER AND WHY IS IT AFFECTING THE DOGS OF ISLA MUJERES SO BADLY?
Distemper is a disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye. Distemper can cause immense suffering in dogs from flu-like symptoms which can lead to the weakening of the immune system turning into pneumonia....seizures....
YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT DISTEMPER HERE:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF YOUR DISTEMPER CLINIC?We plan to start with the poorest neighborhood, where many live without electricity and running water and there are THE MOST dogs at highest risk. First, we will need to transport at least 12 volunteers to go this neighborhood to talk with and provide educational materials for owners. Most people do not have transportation, and we also do not want a large gathering of dogs waiting in one place for the vaccine, risking them passing the distemper to uninfected dogs. A map of the area will then need to be drawn (since addresses do not exist here), names of owners, information on dogs health, and photographs of dogs taken. Each dog will need to be checked out individually for infection, to determine if they can receive the vaccine. Puppies and Adult dogs will need approximately 2 vaccines. This clinic will take many days and many volunteers. Street dogs will also be treated. In addition to the vaccine, syringes, and needles we will also require: volunteers, buckets, transportation/gas, muzzles, slip leads, creation of paper work and copies/flyers, pens, clipboards, hand sanitizer, paper towels, towels, heavy duty work gloves, etc. HUNDREDS of dogs will be treated.
This boy wanted to help in and learn in any way possible at one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. Education is key!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT US?
Come learn about the 5000+ dogs that have been rescued since 1999, our FREE spay/neuter clinics both on the island and in surrounding areas, our foster projects, educational projects, our work with partner shelters, with PEACE Isla Mujeres, our volunteers, and much more! And learn about how you can volunteer if you are coming to the island, or if you can bring donations (even EXPIRED medicine is useful-and we are ALWAYS in need of tweezers and good scissors!)
Please visit our web page at:
http://islaanimals.org/
And our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isla-Animals/169657606676
Thank you for donating any amount you can spare-With your support, we can make this clinic a great success!!!
Every penny will go specifically towards this clinic, and every penny counts! You can donate any amount from $5.00 and up towards our goal! We have also listed "Wish List" items, if you want to choose the exact items to donate: everything from needles to leashes, to sharpie markers. Just $5.00 will cover one complete vaccination!...Imagine if 300 people donated just $5.00....
If you are unable to donate financially, and you support our cause, you can help by sharing this page on your social media. We look forward to posting information and photos of the outcome of this clinic. Please spread the word to your Animal lover friends! If you have any questions at all, you can message us on our website or Facebook page (links above)! We look forward to hearing from you!
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -Josh Billings
This page is dedicated to Millie, the first dog we lost to distemper five weeks ago. We WILL curb the spread of this deadly disease with your help. Thank you.
Organizer
Sally Margolis
Organizer
Cancún, ROO