47th STERILIZATION CLINIC IN VOLCÁN

Click HERE to view a very heartwarming YouTube video called "I Am an Animal Rescuer."
Please do watch it!

(Para la versión en español,
haga clic aquí)

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 25 dogs and cats were sterilized today
by Dr. Andrés Tello, our wonderful veterinarian.


We sterilized 17 dogs and 8 cats. Of the dogs, 12 were female and 5 were male. Of the cats, 6 were female and 2 were male. Dr. Tello also did exams of a few already sterilized dogs and cats.


A few people called to cancel and reschedule appointments, but this time only one person failed to come without calling to cancel. The word is getting out that people who don't show up without calling to cancel can't make another appointment. They can come to a subsequent clinic but without an appointment they will have to wait a long time - and also take their chances that we will have time to sterilize their animal that day.


Andrea Gonella, my friend and fellow dog rescuer, brought two dogs, and he  made sure that another person kept an appointment this time! This young man had not shown up for two appointments in the past. The young man's father rents property from Andrea, and Andrea told the man that if his son didn't take his dog to the clinic this time, he would not be allowed on Andrea's property again. This female dog was pregnant with 11 puppies, which were aborted....sad, but it prevented 11 puppies from leading a life of suffering. (If the young man had brought his dog before, an abortion would not have been necessary.)


Two success stories below: (Pictures are included in the clinic pictures on my Picasa web album for this clinic - see the link below):

(1) Gus, the dog that Carolyn Price adopted just a little over a month ago is doing great. He was covered with mange so bad that his body was practically one big scab! Dr. Tello examined the dog at our January clinic (and also sterilized him), and told Carolyn what to do for him. Gus has needed constant care, twice weekly baths and treatments, injections, etc., but now his mange is almost gone and he has hair! Good job, Carolyn!

(2) Nina Stephens saw a dog in terrible condition locked inside the gate at ANAN just a couple of days before the February clinic. TJ Stephens, with the help of Jose Espinosa, hefted the dog over the fence on clinic day for Dr. Tello to examine. The dog apparently had been hit very badly by a car. The nerves in his his right rear leg are completely atrophied and he has no muscle or feeling in it. That leg will have to be amputated in a month or so, when the dog gains some health. The right hip has been broken, but the dog manages to walk on that leg. He is skin and bones.

After we had the dog at the clinic, someone showed up at ANAN. We went to talk with the man, and he was relieved that we were helping the dog and that TJ and Nina were going to adopt him. The people at ANAN had tried to help the dog, but of course there are no vets here who can do it. We will arrange for proper vet care by Dr. Tello for this sweet dog, whose name is now "Chance." (He has been given a second chance for a good life!)


Please donate! Your PayPal tax-deductible donations for Chiriqui go through Spay Panama's Animals YES in the USA and are eventually forwrded to me. Please send me an email if you donate by PayPal so I can thank you personally! 

If you donate via PayPal, it often takes a long time for the funds to reach me. (See income and expenses below.) If you are local to Panama, please consider donating directly to me. If you're not able to donate in person, I can give you information about how to deposit to my bank account. Thank you!

Donors and amounts are reported on my web page for each clinic. Income and expenses are listed on each clinic web page. Thank you for your help! Your contribution helps make Spay/Panama-Chiriqui services possible.  PLEASE BE AWARE that if you donate through PayPal, I cannot credit your donation on my web page until I actually receive the funds. If you have donated through PayPal and your donation has not been credited on my web page, please contact me.


Anyone who is local to Volcan, PLEASE talk with your friends and neighbors, explain the importance of proper sterilization and tell them about our clinics.  My goal is to sterilize at least 30 animals during each clinic. Our next clinic will be on March 18, 2012. 


MANY thanks to our wonderful volunteers and contributors. Without their help and dedication, ths important work simply could not be done.

Cristina Espinosa did a good job with registration. She is only 12 years old and is the daughter of my employee, Jose Espinosa. 
Don Binder and Mary Houkal administered the anesthesia, shaved and prepped the animals, and give the pre-op injections of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory, and put mineral oil in the eyes of the animals so they would not dry out, and performed whatever other duties were needed. 
Jose Espinosa, my permanent employee, helps weigh and tag the animals, provides transportation for animals when necessary, and helps with various duties. Jose and I go to the clinic site on Mondays following the Sunday clinics to clean and organize for the next one.
Rosemary Rios and Zabrina Serrano assisted Dr. Tello, gave post-op injections of B-complex and antiparasite. They dressed the incisions, took the temperature of the recovering animals, tattooed the ears of female dogs, gave flea and tick treatment, and generally checked the well being of the animals. 
Alejandro Espinosa, the 11-year-old son of my employee, cleaned and sterilized the instruments. Alexander, Rosemary's brother, also helped.

Again, we had a great team of volunteers today and everything ran very smoothly!


We had a lot of delicous food! Thanks to everyone who contributed: Anne Bakke for a delicious ground beef recipe in a crock pot, plus rice; Mary Ann White for lots of goodies for dessert, David Kimberling and Marguerite Morris for fruit drinks, and Amanda Rankin for a platter of watermelon. 

Please forgive me if I have neglected to mention any volunteers or contributors! 



Income and expenses: 

$  460.00

contributions by owners and/or guardians

       80.00       cash donation by "anonymous" 
$   540.00  TOTAL CASH CONTRIBUTIONS

At this February 2012 clinic, Dr. Tello sterilized 17 dogs and 8 cats.  With my average cost of $22 per dog and $11 per cat, expenses were $462 plus $100 for building rent, for a total of $562.  With contributions of $540, there was a deficit of $22. Therefore, my accumulated deficit is $2,377.11. 

I very much appreciate any and all contributions. They are welcome and needed! 


Left: taking a dog home after surgery!

Lots of great pictures were taken during the February 19, 2012 clinic. To see the rest of the pictures, click HERE. 

When you click on the first picture, it will enlarge and then you'll see the narrative at the bottom of the picture. There are arrows at the top to advance the pictures.


Here in Volcan, our small group has been responsible for sterilizing 1,490 dogs and cats to date. Added to the 129 animals that Spay/Panama (from Panama City) sterilized in in Volcan in February of 2005, we have sterilized 1,619 dogs and cats! There are many more to go, but we are making progress!  Our goal is to sterilize at least 75% of the dogs and cats in the Volcan area, and thus almost completely solve the problem of homeless dogs and cats, and the terrible venereal disease suffered by so many dogs.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our clinics today, and to those who had their pets sterilized. Always remember that TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Dorothy Atwater -  6780-2565 or muffiemae@gmail.com
skype US telephone: 281-725-6198
skype:  muffiemae

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