Dogs in Need: Help Islas Animals Stop the Suffering
Services for homeless dogs in Isla Mujeres have been put on hold until more funding is available. photo: AdobeStock
If animals could talk, the animals of Mexico would be screaming for help. Too often, they are starved, plagued with parasites, and ill. They are neglected, unwanted, and powerless to help themselves. There are things I could tell you that would break your heart, but I don’t want to do that. Rather, I’m asking for your support to continue the work to stop this cycle of suffering.
I moved to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, in 1999. Unfortunately, the gorgeous scenery admired by so many was blighted by the number of wretched dogs everywhere. The islanders were not to blame. There was simply no vet on the island and therefore no way to spay and neuter the animals or to buy the supplies needed to keep the dogs healthy.
At that time, the island’s dogs fell into three categories: pets, street dogs, and wild dogs. By island resident standards, a pet was a dog who hung around their house and, if they decided to let the animal stay, they would put out leftovers for it in exchange for a little security.
But in most cases, even these “pet” dogs were never permitted in the house. If they had puppies, the puppies were put in a box and abandoned in an empty lot or in the nearby jungle as soon as they were weaned.
Some of these puppies remained in the jungle, becoming wild dogs, staying away from humans completely. Others frequented the more populated areas where there was food. These became the street dogs who ate garbage and hung around restaurants, where they were often pelted with stones as an annoying nuisance. Hotels would put out poison to keep them away from their guests while the government would round up any dogs they could catch and electrocute them.
That was the situation 23 years ago, when I started taking these dogs in. It’s amazing how much I didn’t know back then. The dogs were a mess, with mange, ticks, fleas, and wounds. Also, my efforts were not popular. The neighbors complained and the government resented the interference.
Donations and concern for these dogs grew after I created a website and established Isla Animals, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the U.S. Thankfully, a veterinarian also moved to the island and helped Isla Animals sponsor free spay and neuter campaigns.
Eventually the government recognized the difference that Isla Animals was making and gave us a space to work in. This was a real lifesaver as my own house wasn’t big enough to accommodate all the dogs in need and there was so much to do.
Our rescue group grew every year. By 2022, Isla Animals was spaying and neutering up to 4,000 cats and dogs a year, while rehabilitating and rehoming 300 to 400 animals annually. With help, we extended our services to as many places as we had time and money to serve. It was exhausting and wonderful, heartbreaking and exhilarating. I had never been as totally immersed in a cause in my life, and I didn’t want to do anything else.
Then the worst happened. The government reclaimed our work space. The team was devastated. “I think we did our job too well,” said Trina Noakes, the director of operations since 2018. The government changes so often and the new people in charge hadn’t seen the problem.”
So now Isla Animals is as homeless as the animals we are trying to save. We’ve had to cut our service and rescue work by 90 percent. We’ve had to cancel our spay and neuter programs and say no to countless animals in need.
Luckily, a piece of land on the outskirts of Cancun was recently donated for a new rescue home. But it’s in the jungle with no water, no sewage system, and no electricity. We’ve used the money we had put aside for spay and neuter campaigns and donations to clear the land, dig a well and septic system, and start building.
“That is where we are now,” said Trina Noakes. “We have plans but have to raise money to make it happen. We’re so excited, but in the meantime we’re not doing our work. I mean, what do you do when three different people ask you to take in three different abandoned litters of puppies on the same day and you have nowhere to put them? It’s heartbreaking. We just want to get back to work.”
That’s where you come in. If you can spare even a small contribution to help get Isla Animals back up and running, you will be helping some of the neediest dogs in this hemisphere. They - and we - will be forever grateful. Please consider a donation to the Go Fund Me campaign for Isla Animals here.
For more information on the work of Isla Animals, please visit the following links: