This campaign really, was like nothing else I have experienced. The turn out from the community really was like nothing else I’ve experienced before. There was a LOT of buzz around the area I live in, Corales, where we did the campaign. The people were excited.
At one point, the campaign was under threat of not having a space. A group here decided they were going to cancel the space we had reserved for the campaign (really stupid crap I won’t bother getting into) but literally 2 days before the campaign, the volunteers and I were out hanging up posters, talking to the local people and FINALLY we were able to tell them all where to go! Even with having to relocate the campaign and not be able to tell them until the final couple of days where it was going to be… they came. And they came. The demand was wow. The fact owners were lining up at all hours wanting nothing more than to do what was right for their animals and needed this service reinforced to me just how badly the mobile clinic IS needed!!!
The first night, the people were reporting they started lining up at 5am. Registration was closed in 15 minutes. On the second day, a man showed up with his animals at 2am, no one was there yet. He returned at 3am, no one was there yet. When he back at 4am, he said people were already lining up!!!!
One man, who was in the line on the second day with his beloved poodle, but didnt make it in, actually stayed all day and even slept over all night (with Marco watching over him) to ensure his dog was spayed the fiinal day! Amazing. I still can’t get over it!
I want to and WILL organize more campaigns, especially in this area where the people proved over and over again, they need it! They want it! And they are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their animals are spayed and neutered.
Just to warn you, I have SO MANY photos of the campaign, so I will jump around a lot in my posts, but I will be sure to cover it all! haha!
On to two more volunteers!!!!
Holly and Tammy!!!
Holly and Tammy worked in the surgical room the entire campaign.
Holly was in charge of ALL the surgical equipment for the surgeries. She had a table of her own and cleaned and scrubbed the surgical tools and soaked them in cold sterile so they were ready for the next surgeries. They were always trays of cleaned, properly sterilized surgical tools waiting and ready for the surgeons and she played a huge part in ensuring they were ready to go go go! Speaking from someone who has done that job, its not always as fun as it sounds. Holly was fantastic though and stuck with the job for all 3 days and always had a big smile when you poked your head in to see how she was doing 🙂 Holly said to me at the start, that she has heard about the ticks, but wasn’t too sure about being able to pick them off the dogs and I was shocked yet happy she jumped at the chance to clean surgical tools. Not many have strong enough tummies to replace ticks for blood. But then again, blood doesn’t crawl. Haha! Holly, you’re hired so make sure you come back for the next one! 😉
Tammy!!!
Tammy had a tough job all things considered. Tammy was recording all weekend which vets did what operations on different animals and recorded the number of the animals, as well as cleaning the surgical tables between surgeries, clearing away the surgical tools and bringing them to Holly to clean, as well as, keeping an eye on the animals who were on the floor lined up to be put on the next available table. It was pretty straight forward, but it was hectic didn’t quite work out so straight forward all the time. Surgery can be crazy. Many of these animals do not have steady access to vet care and some will have issues that are not found until of course, they come in for surgery. Sometimes the vets would switch tables, or would be setting up to do one animal but then would need to change to another table making it pretty confusing at times. But thanks to Tammy, the animals were well watched, had clean sterile tables for their surgery and she is the reason we know how many vets did how many surgeries and gave us our final total! There were a few of course she didn’t see, as male cat neuters are SO FAST, they never made it into surgery, they were instead done in pre op and brought directly to recovery. I am glad though. She had enough work on her plate haha. Thank you Tammy for staying on your feet, keeping as close records as could be kept in all the moving and switching and keeping an eye on the pooches. Another one I would have back ANY time… in fact all the volunteers I would have back, any time, they were so wonderful, hard working and dedicated!
PUP date!!!!
Beckiiiiii!!!!
My darling Becki. Without getting into it too much, I went through hell and high water with this girl! She was with us for over a year! A year and a half to be exact. Between the heat embargo, and her breaking herself every time I tried to get her ready to travel to her new home, wow! She was a challenge. She is a SUPER sweet girl, for the 8 months or so, she ended up staying up stairs with us because of her medical issues. At one point, Becki had the start of Cherry eye. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but its like a gland or something in their eye lid that gets enlarged and usually, if its caught quick enough, it can be treated with drops and avoid surgery. BUT! Becki, as sweet, snuggly, loyal and loving she is, she is the WORST patient ever. Anything you do to try and “fix” her, she undoes it in seconds. So, when we applied the eye drops, she rubbed them out in seconds. We tried the cone, we tried petting her belly and keeping her occupied for up to 30mins hoping she would forget about the drops… NOT a chance! One day, when I finally let her go, she scratched her eye with her paw, ruptured the tiny starting cherry eye and bled and bled and bled. She required surgery, of course, 3 days in the doggy hospital because she wouldn’t leave alone, and when she came home, she slept in our bed with her head locked between my knees so I could keep her from using her cone to rub her face on. Such a difficult patient but 10,000% worth it. She really is one of the SWEETEST dogs you’ve ever met!!!! Between the cherry eye, and everything other treatment I had to give her to get her ready… she was one of my biggest challenges but she always made up for it! I mean look at that sweet face. She is JUST as sweet and loving as she looks! Becki has been adopted and is in HEAVEN. Her new owners adore her already as much as we do!!!! I will never forget those eyes and how they read my soul!
Still MANY more updates to come so keep following and share!!!! There is so much work to still be done and with more awareness and help, together we CAN change many lives for the better, forever!!!!!
(Sorry ladies, I really wanted to make the cover photo a photo of the two of you surigcal support super stars! But I just cannot resist the eyes of Becki! Love you ladies!!!!)