The stickers for the cars are already a big hit. More and more people, not only from our area but also from other parts of Costa Rica, are asking for them. We hope that in the future, all  animal lovers will have one on their car. If you still haven’t received one, please order one now, and be a part of this project – SPREADING THIS MESSAGE WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INJURED OR KILLED ANIMALS ON OUR ROADS.

Now we are starting the second stage of this great project, which is:INCLUDING THOSE WHO SPEND THE MOST TIME DRIVING ON THE ROADS: TAXI DRIVERS. We are offering those cab drivers who wish to be a part of the project a starter kit, with 2 free “I brake for animals T-Shirts” and 100 free business cards with the name of the driver, the number of the dispatch andof his vehicle, his cell number, and of course our slogan. Even though the taxis cannot have any stickers or other advertisements on or in it, just giving the passengers the card and wearing the T-Shirt will help to keep spreading the message. And we know that the drivers who participate, will also make sure to act according to the message they are representing. As a bonus, we are also starting a list of all “pet friendly” taxis which we will be recommending to both locals and tourists in all media.

THE T-SHIRTS ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET ONE, (OR MORE) PLEASE LET US KNOW.

And here, again, a huge thank you to both: the designer of these wonderful stickers, T-Shirts, signs and business cards – American artist CRYSTAL MCLAUGHLIN, and also to LINDA LOOK, who not only is sponsoring the project, but also helped create it together with us – Linda has always been there with ideas and advice.

To change this, we are starting a new project “I BRAKE FOR ANIMALS”. Its first stage is the distribution of bumper stickers for cars, and placing street signs on the roads in our area. We are offering to all car owners a sticker to put on their car. Our goal is having the stickers on all cars in our county, so that the message gets out and is seen every day by everybody, both driversand pedestrians. We’ve also already submitted our request to the municipality for permission to put signs on the roads in Jaco and Herradura. As soon as we receive the permit, we will, for now, produce 12 signs and put them on 6 main streets.

The art for the stickers is donated to us by an American artist CRYSTAL MCLAUGHLIN from Myrtle Beach, and we are very grateful for this awesome design, which makes from these stickers little pieces of art, so attractive that everyone will want at least one of them.

This project is sponsored by our friend and supporter from the US, LINDA LOOK, who is also sponsoring our education program.

Please order your stickers now, and help us to reduce the number of animals injured and killed on our streets!

The stickers are available in black and yellow, the price is 500 colones.

This event was one of the most entertaining festivals we’ve ever organized. There were dogs which could do tricks I’ve never seen before – a one-eyed mutt was riding a skateboard, climbing a ladder, carrying trash bags and putting them in the trash cans. This dog had sunglasses on and loved the show, and anyone could see that she had at least as much fun as we did. There was a singing Chihuahua – the funniest Chihuahua I’ve ever seen – who is a very smart dog with so many tricks that it was hilarious. And there was dog (the same one that won the “Most Mutty Mutt” contest) who could play soccer with the kids.  All entrants were very well taken care of, and their owners were very proud of them and one could see that they really loved them. The decorations were great as well. with different animals cut out of cardboard (pets and wildlife) and their respective rights – each animal had a sign with one of their rights: right to be taken care of, right to live and die in dignity, right to be healthy, right to be free, as well as the right to live unmolested in the natural environment for wildlife. There was an exhibition of the artwork which illustrates animal rights, and there was also an exhibition of the best animal stories – all created by the students in our education program. Both parents and the public alike were very interested in this, and I saw lines in front of these exhibitions.

The message of this activity was repeated in all our presentations and decorations: all animals have rights, and it is the responsibility of the entire community to make sure that these rights are respected. Once this happens, Jaco will become a better place to live for all: humans, pets and wildlife animals.

A huge THANK YOU goes to everyone who helped us to make this activity such a big success: the director of Escuela Central Vera Alpizar and all teachers participating in the event, especially professor Asdrubal Moya Orozco, who manned the microphone during the entire event, and toGuillermo Rios from the Red Cross, housewifeFlor Morales Jimenez, and Lineth Aguilar Carmona, a college student – all 3 of them worked as a jury for the entire event. Thanks also to Angela Maria Lozano, who is in charge of the education program in our organization, her husband Johnny, who helped with the decoration and organization, all the donors mentioned above, and to everybody who was there to share this great adventure with us.

53 ANIMALS BELONGING TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES OR STRAYS SPAYED/NEUTERED THIS SEPTEMBER

September was also a busy month for our spay/neuter program. We had our spay days with DR. JOSE MANUEL JIMÉNEZ in Jaco and in Esterillos. Thanks to Leo Hogan and Doris Schluckebier who assisted Dr. Jimenez with the surgeries, and also to Silvina Rogers for being there and taking care of the patients, both pre and post-op. And a special thanks also to Laleña Bennett for offering us her home to hold our clinics – having this great place, located so close to everyone involved and set up so perfectly for our needs, makes it so much easier to make these spay days happen! Also in the Jaco clinic, DRA. WENDY VILLALOBOS provides low-cost castrations for our rescues, as well as for pets belonging to low income families who cannot afford the regular price. During the month of September we were able to spay/neuter 53 animals!

UPDATE ON OUR OLDEST MCKEE PETS: DUKE AND BUDDY

8 months after we rescued Duke (see pictures below), the abandoned dog with a terminal kidney disease, he’s still alive and kicking! Originally he was supposed to go to the farm and live out the last few weeks of his life, yet this guy is still with us and doing better than ever. His blood work is, considering his condition, good enough to live a comfortable life at Doris and Dieter’s place. His kidney disease didn’t disappear of course, but it is 100% controllable. Thanks to Doris, who gave this animal so much love and care, Duke is today one happy dog with a good quality of life. Thank you to all his sponsors: Sue Bartholomew, Ronald Meltzer, Mary Stompe, Mimi Arandjelovic andAnnie Forget for helping with his treatments and special k/d food. To Dr. Marco Rodriguez fromLaboratorio Clinico Jaco for helping us with Duke’s blood work, and to Dr. Wendy Villalobosfor being there for Duke when he needed permanent care, and for always believing that he would survive.

2 months after we rescued Buddy (known also as Pinto, from the Turtle Refugio in Hermosa) – see the collage below - who miraculously survived despite the horribly neglected condition we found him in, has recuperated so well that considering his advanced age, neither we nor the vet can believe the incredibly fast recuperation this animal has shown. He spends his mornings mostly on the beach, watching the waves, (and Liana surfing them!) then he goes to the library where he rests and plays with the children, all of whom love and spoil him a lot. His condition is very stable but he still needs special k/d diet. We hope that after some more time he will be able to eat regular “senior” chow. Buddy had so many sponsors, that we were able to not only pay his bills at the University clinic, but we also had enough for his emergency care and hospitalization at the clinic in Herradura, all his tests, meds and even his special food. Thank you to all his sponsors: Galeria Murillo, PikoTravel.com, Cheryl Kern, Dennis Ward – Capitan of  “Never say never”, Anonymous, Julie Textor, Douglas Giampapa, Marcia Briceño Valverde, Sue Bartholomew, Stuart Welch, Leo Plumley, Enid Alejandra Retana, Mary Stompe, Melisa from M’s Fashion Store, Family of Bubba Hallstrom – (in memory of Bubba), Lighthouse Rescue Faro Rescate Animal, Nancy Lebo, Ghogha Amon, Tina Wallace, Bruce Carl Ertmann, Lois and Robert Newman, Deborah Gauthier, Henry & Eugenia Balke, Frances Jones and Roberto Mariaca, who from time to time visits this old guy at the library and who just offered us a regular contribution to Buddy’s medical care in the future. Thank you for being Buddy’s heroes!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS OF LAST MONTH

And like always, our huge Thank You goes out again to the sponsors of all three programs in this month of September - Linda Look, Stuart Welch, Liz from Taco Bar, Leo Plumley, Hotel Mar de Luz, Cathi Brennan, Wishbone Restaurant, Paola Alvarado, Hotel Los Ranchos, and Gabriela Contreras Cordero for their regular monthly support, as well as to:Crystal McLaughlin, Shannon Clarke, Damion Silvey, Rossy Quesada – Café del Mar, Annie Forget, Dennis Ward – Capitan of “Never say never”, Sarah Jones, Julia Johnson, Ayurveda Centroamericana, Economedica Internacional, Bridget Hatch, Marco Rodriguez – Laboratorio Clinico Jaco, Mary Stompe, Vivian Calvo, Roberto Mariaca.

Thank you for your time.

Katja Bader
Asociación Pro Bienestar Animal (McKee Jaco)

…and there is not one day that this quote doesn’t come to my mind, not one day that I don’t see the indifference around me. First I thought that it’s cruelty. Then I thought that it’s ignorance. And then, one day I realized that it’s mostly the indifference. Indifference of those nice and always friendly people who would watch their pets slowly die over a period of weeks without doing anything to help them.

The same pets they took in, gave them names and called them “their” pet. The same pets who loved them with the unconditional love only an animal can give. The same pets who protected them and their homes. Some time ago I wrote a brief story about Osa, a loyal family dog, very smart, protective and loving, who after she got sick was put on the street to  spend her last weeks of life slowly dying just a few meters away from “her family’s” house.

Well, situations like this one are not that unusual here, and there’s not a week that goes by when we don’t hear of a similar case. But what concerns us the most is that it happens in the families we know, whom we’ve already helped with their pets, who have our phone numbers and know that we will never refuse to help them. Like Osa, who was spayed in one of our clinics, and who’s orthopedic surgery we took care of after she was hit by a car.

And like TARZAN, a great and loyal dog, famous in his neighborhood as the best looking, funniest three – legged pet around. Three – legged because in the past he’d been in a car accident, and his family contacted us too late to have his leg saved. His family knows very well that we ALWAYS will help them, they have all our phone numbers and they even have permission to bring the dog directly to the clinic if for some reason they cannot reach us first to get the authorization. So I will never understand why they did nothing when they saw that he was sick and wouldn’t eat for days. When we were finally informed, (which happened 20 days after he stopped eating!) he’d gone from a 18 Kilo dog to a 9 Kilo bundle of skin and bones that still, even in his advanced condition, managed to wag his tail a little when he saw Leo coming. Our help came too late though, as the advanced ehrlichiosis affected his kidney and his liver to the point where his blood work was one of a dead dog, and he did in fact die the same day in the clinic.

A heartbroken Leo, who for years has worked so hard in the very same area Tarzan came from, brought his body back to his family. All of the family members and neighbors were there when she tearfully explained to them that their dog didn’t need to die, that the disease was totally treatable and that this was solely their fault. She made sure that they buried him and left hoping that maybe, just maybe this sad moment will make them learn something for the future.

And now we all, heartbroken and hurt, sit around and discuss how it is possible that after all these years teaching kids at school (the same school the kids from Tarzan’s area go) all about being a responsible pet owner, about respect and care for our animals and about animal rights, how is it possible that they are still so indifferent. Every day, 5 hours a day, with different groups we teach them that animals have a right to be free, to be fed, to be healthy and to live and die in dignity. The kids paint pictures about all those rights, they write stories about them, and they bring their artwork and their stories home, so how is it possible that there are still cases like Osa and Tarzan and many, many more we even don’t know about? Is all this time and money spent on the education program for nothing, or is it just such a slow process that we will probably not see a change in our lifetime?

Katja Bader
Asociación Pro Bienestar Animal (McKee Jaco)

When I went to the refuge to take Buddy’s new pictures, I found him sick and anemic, and his prognosis didn’t look good. We first took him home, and then to the clinic where he spent 3 days on i/v fighting for his life. But Buddy is indeed a fighter, and after being stabilized he was picked up by Liana, who also offered to keep him for the rest of his life, as he cannot get the necessary treatment and meds at the turtle place anymore. So Buddy retired from his work at the refuge, but instead of enjoying his pension and laying around the house doing nothing, he’s already got himself a new job. He is now the new library dog, and can be seen there Tuesday thru Saturday, teaching the kids and their parents love and respect for older pets. The donations collected for Buddy will cover his UNA bill, the transportation costs to UNA of $70 and also the new bill of $175 generated at the Herradura clinic. Thank you to everybody who helped us with it – see the list below.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPAY/NEUTER MONTH

July is always a busy month for everybody down here. Jaco is full of both national and international tourists, and the majority of our members are on vacation, so the castration figures are generally lower than those of all other months. So far we’ve been able to spay/neuter 43 animals on our small spay days with Dr. Jose Manuel Jimenez at “Casa Lalena”, and in the Jaco clinic with Dr. Wendy Villalobos. This number represents only the animals we financed, (both fully and partially) and it doesn’t include those when the owners pay for the low cost castration by themselves. Our THANK YOU goes to both vets, their assistants Elisabeth Lubbers and Silvina Goren and of course to Lalena Bennett for providing her house every week for these clinics.

NEWS FROM OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM

Our EDUCATION PROGRAM “Sharing the world with the animals” has been a huge success during the last two months, as we concentrated our efforts on Escuela Central de Jaco (Kindergarden to 6^th grade) with 750 students. We were able to reach all the students with many different presentations and events, and here are some of the subjects we covered: 

• “HOW SHOULD WE TAKE CARE OF OUR PETS”
• “WHAT’S DANGEROUS TO A PET?”
• “WHAT’S GOOD AND BAD FOR OUR PETS”
• “WHAT DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE ADOPTING A PET?”
• “CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS IN WILDLIFE AND PETS, AND THE BASIC NEEDS OF BOTH GROUPS” 

Special Thanks to Angela Maria Lozano Lorza, who does an excellent job in teaching our young people everything they need to know about animals, their needs and feelings and about how to be a responsible pet owner. Also a huge THANK YOU goes to the school principal Vera Virginia Alpizar and to all the other teachers for their support and cooperation. And, of course, to Linda Look for sponsoring this great project.

THANK YOU TO DONORS OF SO NEEDED MEDS

The month of July started for us with two very generous donations containing different meds, all of which are so needed in our rescue and adoption program. Leo Hogan brought us many different medications, all of which were donated to us by her friends from Irvine Animal Care Center in California: Dr. Karen Moreland, Emma Cusack and Mila Rihter.

And right after that, Dr. Karen Bolt from the USA also brought us bags full of meds and supplies! We were still logging these meds into our inventory when Kristen Hascall, a young vet student came to visit and brought us another huge donation from Dr. Littlehale and staff at Santa Clara Pet Hospital in California.

We are now taking inventory of all the above mentioned meds, and will be distributing them to our local vet clinics, as well as to other vets who work with both us and with other associations that are known supporters of animal organizations in Costa Rica. Kristen also organized for us a little fundraiser at home in California, and brought us a cash donation, in addition to the meds. In our own name and in the name of all those who will benefit from these so generous donations, a HUGE THANK YOU!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS OF LAST MONTH

A huge Thank You goes out again to the sponsors of all three programs in this month of June -Linda Look, Stuart Welch, Liz from Taco Bar, Leo Plumley, Hotel Mar de Luz, Cathi Brennan, Wishbone Restaurant, Paola Alvarado, Hotel Los Ranchos, and Gabriela Contreras Cordero for their regular monthly support, as well as to  Henry & Eugenia Balke, Fundación Natz de la India, ANPA Costa Rica, Pets y Mas, Pikotravel.com, Economedica Internacional, Cheryl Kern, Dr. Karen Bolt, Pat Huntley, Dr. Karen Moreland – Irvine Animal Care Center, Emma Cusack – Irvine Animal Care Center, Mila Rihter – Irvine Animal Care Center, Marina Imatova, SEANDA S.A. – Daniel Madrigal, Fiorella Pugliese, Olga Ureña, Lori Shaffer, Darien Zuniga, Joy Flunch, Sha Rojas, Valerie Hopson, Marco Rodroguez – Laboratorio Clinico Jaco, Annie Forget, Judy Witt, The Bartholomew Family, Kristy Stockwell, Donna Nicholson, Miriam Baird, Mimi Arandjelovic, Galeria Murillo, Piko Travel.com, Cheryl Kern, Dennis Ward – Capitan of “Never say never”, Anonymous, Julie Textor, Discovery Horsetours, Kelly Limehouse, Bridget Hatch, Douglas Giampapa, Marcia Briceño Valverde, Sue Bartholomew, Stuart Welch, Leo Plumley, Enid Alejandra Retana, Mary Stompe, M’s Fashion Store, Family of Bubba Hallstrom – (in memory of Bubba), Lighthouse Rescue Faro Rescate Animal, Nancy Lebo, Ghogha Amon, Dr. Littlehale and Santa Clara Pet Hospital, Kevin and Linda Haynes, Sandy and Pat Hascall, Nancy Newlin, Lauren Jones, Maggie Christensen, Kristen Hascall, Tina Wallace, Bruce Carl Ertmann, Lic. Alba Sofia – CR Legal Group, Lili & Till – Hotel Tortuga del Mar, Marga Hanks – Apartamentos Iguanas and Lois and Robert Newman, for their support this month.

HELP FOR LUCAS NEEDED

Lucas is a cocker spaniel mix owned by a Nicaraguan family in Herradura. He got into a serious car accident, and his back leg couldn’t be saved, so it was amputated at the University Clinic in Heredia, where he was also diagnosed with severe ehrlichiosis, which required (besides the regular treatment) an emergency blood transfusion. We have an outstanding bill of $500. Ninoshka Pardo is contributing $200, yet we still need $300. If somebody could help us to pay for his surgery, it would be great, as though they really love him and take care of him, his owners simply cannot afford to pay anything.

If you would like more information about these projects, please contact Katja at info@mckee-jaco.com.

Thank you for your time and support!

Katja Bader

Buddy-Pinto  is not just a regular dog, Buddy is an employee at the Turtle refuge in Hermosa. He was trained to find turtle eggs, and he does it better than anybody else.

Even though he does such a fantastic job, there is no budget for him. We’ve been helping with his food, LOIS NEWMAN helps out with the expensive Rimadyl which Buddy needs every day, and we also help with his health care. When he was run over by a car and nobody was there to help him, we picked him up and after his checkup and x-rays (sponsored by CAROL ANGUS) we sent him to the University clinic, where he stayed for a long time after a very complicated orthopedic surgical procedure. We had to pay $70 for his transportation to Heredia, as well as the fact that we still have an outstanding bill at UNA for $440 for Buddy’s surgery.

IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO HELP US PAY FOR THIS GREAT DOG, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

Thank you for your time and support.

Katja Bader
Asociación Pro Bienestar Animal (McKee Jaco)

HOW TO CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE EHRLICHIA

Ehrlichia infection can cause a number of clinical signs. It can be extremely hard to diagnose due to the wide range of detectable symptoms that can occur. Most dogs infected with this microorganism will be lethargic, lose weight, show less interest in food and become anemic. Other possible clinical signs include hemorrhages under the skin and/or around the gums, swollen lymph nodes, muscular or joint soreness, nasal discharges or nosebleeds, severe neck or back pain, blood in the urine and eye problems ranging from a simple discharge to severe inflammation of the internal eye structures. Neurologic signs such as seizures and difficulty walking can also occur. If the acute infection is not treated, and the animal does not succumb during this stage, ehrlichiosis will change to its chronic form. In this case, the dog may appear to be normal or may show vague signs of illness occasionally, but the chronic illness can suddenly become very severe again if the dog is stressed in some manner or his immune system goes down for any reason.

The diagnosis is based on the typical clinical signs and results of special blood tests.WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO ALWAYS CONSULT A VET AND LEAVE THE DIAGNOSIS TO HIM/HER. We know of many cases when the owner “diagnosed” the disease by himself, often based on some information read on the Internet and/or the fact that the dog had tics. These usually end tragically, as in some cases the dogs actually had kidney problems, which if not treated in time, (plus the effect of the strong antibiotics given to the animal over an extended period of time) usually results in the animal’s death.

HOW TO PROPERLY TREAT EHRLICHIOSIS

The antibiotic recommended to treat this illness is Doxicicline. Most recent studies made in Costa Rica at the National University show that to successfully treat Ehrlichia, this antibiotic has to be administered in a dosage of 10 mg per kilo, every 12 hours for 28 days.Lower dosages, different schedules (for example every 24 hours) and/or a shorter duration of treatment will NOT completely cure the animal, and could cause the transition to the chronic version.

HOW TO PREVENT EHRLICHIOSIS

There is no vaccine for ehrlichiosis. Tick control is the established way to prevent this tick-transmitted disease. Products which repel and kill ticks (FRONTLINE, ADVANTIX) used together with tick collars containing the active ingredient Amitraz (PREVENTIC), work in most cases. It’s much more difficult if the dogs are maintained and/or spend considerable time on farms or in the woods, due to the higher concentration in these areas. In these cases the dogs have to, in addition to the regular prevention, be checked for ticks every day. One needs to also be aware that in our country (Costa Rica) the tick responsible for the transmission of ehrlichia usually lives in environments created by humans, so it’s highly recommended to control and fumigate the areas where both people and animals live.

In closing, areas such as right here in Garabito county, where probably 70% of our dog population is infected with ehrlichia canis, we strongly recommend to NEVER ignore any signs of an illness, and ALWAYS consult a professional regarding any diagnosis and subsequent treatment. PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR DOG’S LIFE AT RISK – AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ANY SYMPTOMS, BRING HIM TO THE CLINIC!

Katja Bader
Asociación Pro Bienestar Animal (McKee Jaco)

We returned Osa’s body to the family, hoping that seeing this dog which had spent years with them dead (as well as having to deal with her body) might make them feel bad. And that maybe they might reflect on what they had done. Wrong – their only concern was where to cast her off, and they showed visible discontent when we made sure that they understand that she cannot be just thrown away, that she needs to actually be buried.

This was a very sad moment, one of those when one starts doubting about the sense of our work…

PRESENTING “THE GOLDEN PAW AWARD”

THE “GOLDEN PAW AWARD”  is presented twice a year by both OUR ORGANIZATION and by the magazine “PETS Y MAS”, and its purpose is to honor the people in our communities for their compassion and service toward animals. On June 9th, 2012 this award was presented to Cynthia Orozco Rodriguez from Jaco.

Cynthia helps all animals who happen to cross her path. Until about a year ago, Cynthia and her family were still living in their own house, set on a big piece of property where all animals were welcome at her place – she was one of our best foster homes for both dogs and cats. She and her kids were taking good care of all those which were sick and needed treatment, as they were staying with this extraordinary family until they got healthy, spayed/neutered and ready for their new homes. This had to change when Cynthia and her family had to leave their place and move to a small house where they are not allowed to keep any more dogs. So now Cynthia is taking care of kittens, especially those which need special care, like being fed with a bottle.

Because her space and the tolerance of her neighbors is very limited (and there’s no more than 4-5 kittens at a time to take care of) Cynthia decided that she can also take care of animals in need which stay in other places, where the people are willing to let them stay on their property, but not willing (or able to) give them the necessary care. Kind of like ambulatory care, very common in human care. Cynthia visits the patients every day, some occasionally twice a day, feeding and treating them and making sure that they are receiving all that they need. She is mostly accompanied by at least two of her kids, which love helping her out. All 5 of her kids, and of course also her husband are involved in this charity work she performs every single day. Thank you Cynthia and family, for all the time and love you give to those furry little friends who so need your help.

THE EDUCATION PROGRAM CONTINUES

Our education program “Sharing the world with the animals” continues. With 10 weekly presentations at Escuela Central de Jaco with its 750 students, and one weekly activity with the children from the little Escuela Las Monas with its 32 students. All of this month, Angela Maria concentrated her efforts on one very important subject: Animal Rights. In one of the older editions (2009) of the animal magazine “Pets y mas” we found a great article under the title of “The animals have rights”. We decided to use this article “adapting it” to be used in grades 1 through 6, making sure that all students, independent of their age, understand this very important message. At the end of each presentation, the students have to write a short story from their life that best illustrates one of the rights discussed during the class, painting a more solid picture of this right. There is a huge difference between the stories the kids wrote back in February (when we started our program this year) and now. Back then some stories were pretty scary – talking about animals dying in accidents with no help from anyone, chickens being trampled to death, etc.  Now the kids are telling us about how they have rescued animals from the streets, how they have saved nests with baby-birds falling out of the trees, and how they brought their sick dog to the clinic.

The rights of ALL animals are  discussed — those who are wild and have the right to be free, as well as those who cannot survive without our care and have a right to be loved, fed and taken care of. We are planning on publishing the art and the stories – some of them are really quite exceptional.

…and like always, a special thanks to Angela Maria Lozano Lorza, for her continued effort in designing the presentation in this very interesting and accessible way, and to the school principalVera Virginia Alpizar and to all the other teachers for their support and cooperation. And of course, to Mrs. Linda Look from the USA for sponsoring this so very important and innovative program.

ANOTHER 68 ANIMALS BELONGING TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES OR STRAYS SPAYED/NEUTERED THIS MONTH

Like so often in the past, we got lucky again - Dr. Ellen Gray and Dr. Kyle Farrell, the two extraordinary young vets who right after their graduation (instead of taking a week of well-deserved vacation) decided to come down here and don their scrubs, helping out wherever they were needed. We organized two spay days by combining the Plaza Boulevard Clinic together with this vet team, and even though the conditions were very different to what they are used to in their country, both veterinarians adjusted quickly to the “field conditions” here and did a wonderful job during the clinics.

Kyle and Ellen also brought us a lot of very needed meds, all donated by Shari Lindburg fromLloyd Inc. and Mandy Vinay from a vet clinic in Florida. The vets stayed in a beautiful beachfront condo in Jaco, who’s owner Mr. Stuart Welch provided for free to help this noble cause. Together with our little spay days with Dr. Jose Manuel Jimenez, and the surgeries performed in the Jaco and in the Herradura clinic by Dr. Wendy Villalobos and Dr. Yessenia Alpizar, we were able to spay/neuter 68 animals, all coming from the poor areas in Tarcoles, Jaco and Herradura.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS OF LAST MONTH

A huge Thank You goes out again to the sponsors of all three programs in this month of June -Linda Look, Stuart Welch, Liz from Taco Bar, Leo Plumley, Hotel Mar de Luz, Cathi Brennan, Wishbone Restaurant, Paola Alvarado, Hotel Los Ranchos, and Gabriela Contreras Cordero for their regular monthly support, as well as to  The Bartholomew Family, Crystal Curry, Rachael Rudd, Heidi Copley, Barbara & Ardon Schambers, Dennis Ward – Capitan of “Never say never”, Susie Wardle,

Jan Tilson & Greg Bertrand – Hotel Vista Pacifico, Engelberth Triana Villalobos, Dr. Ellen Gray, Dr. Kyle Farrell, Mandy Vinay, Shari Lindburg – LLOYD INC., Rita & Steve DeVore – Casa Bella Rita, Lilly & Till – Hotel Tortuga del Mar, Rubi & Tim Olson, Judy Witt, Sylvia van Baekel, Krystel Byers Silverstein, Lisa & Hugo Camilieri – Hotel El Jardin, Calypso Tours, Importadora Monge Jaco, Canopy Vista Los Suenos, Discovery Horse Tours, Café del Mar, DayStar, Anna Pilz,

Hotel Marriott – Herradura, Judy Witt, for their support this month.

Thank you for your time.

Katja Bader,
McKee Jaco

After Night was rescued and cured from ehrlichiosis, the terminal disease if not treated on time, which he was diagnosed with, he was adopted by Doris and Dieter and their furry family, who gave him what he never had in his sad life – a home and a big family, consisting of both humans and doggie and kitty brothers and sisters.

After all the trouble so many people went through rescuing and saving this huge purebred Great Dane, Night is now helping to save other dogs. Due to both his big size and good health condition, Night is the first choice as a blood donor in our area. His blood has already saved more than 12 dogs, all of them treated in the Jaco and Herradura clinics with a transfusion containing his blood. Sometimes the calls come late at night, as the condition of a sick animal often doesn’t allow for waiting until the next day, and Night is always there to help his doggie friends. Sometimes there is blood needed just after Night has already donated, and in these cases Riley – another big rescue adopted by Doris and Dieter – becomes the donor, himself helping to save another life in peril. Even our famous rescue dog Page, one of our very first success stories, helped out once. Thank you to all of them, and especially to their “parents” Doris and Dieter who, no matter what time of a day or night, always bring them to the clinic so they can donate their so very needed blood.

EDUCATION NEWS

During the last two months, our education program “Sharing the world with the animals” has also been a huge success, as we concentrated our efforts on Escuela Central de Jaco with its 750 students with a daily presentation. Once a week we also work at two other smaller schools -Escuela Hacienda with 62 and Escuela Las Monas with 32 students.

Special Thanks to Angela Maria Lozano Lorza, who does an excellent job teaching our young people everything they need to know about animals – their needs and feelings, as well as how to be a responsible animal owner. Also a huge THANK YOU goes to the school principal Vera Virginia Alpizar and to all the other teachers for their support and cooperation.

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

Did you know that 80% of the dogs in our area don’t have their own food bowl? They get fed on a piece of newspaper, or on old plastic plates or simply just poured on the ground.

This is now changing, thanks to a donation from one of our electric companies — COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE FUERZA Y LUZ (CNFL), which gave to FUNDACIÓN MCKEE all the covers from the old electrical service meters, which just happen to be the perfect size and shape for a nifty food bowl. In our education program at the Jaco schools, after a discussion about how to be a responsible pet owner, the kids painted their own bowls for their dogs, and committed to maintain said bowls always full of water and food. Look at the pictures, and see how nice they are!

ANOTHER 69 ANIMALS BELONGING TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES OR STRAYS SPAYED/NEUTERED FROM APRIL 1st TO MAY 15th

Besides the regular weekly spay days with DR. JOSE MANUEL JIMÉNEZ, we also had a mini clinic in Esterillos Este, organized and sponsored byKaren Huss. During the last six weeks we were able to spay/neuter 69 animals! Like always our Thank You goes also to Elisabeth Lubbers, Leo Hogan and Doris Schluckebier, who assisted Dr. Jimenez with the surgeries, and also to Kristen Luke and Sarah Olmstead for being there and taking care of the patients before and after the surgery. And also thanks to Laleña Bennett for offering us her home to hold our clinics. Also in the Jaco clinic, DRA. WENDY VILLALOBOS provides to us low-cost castrations for our rescues, as well as for pets belonging to low income families who cannot afford the regular price.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FROM APRIL 1^ST TO MAY 15^TH

A huge Thank You goes out again to the sponsors of all three programs in this month of April - Linda Look, Stuart Welch, Liz from Taco Bar, Leo Plumley, Hotel Mar de Luz, Cathi Brennan, Wishbone Restaurant, Paola Alvarado, Hotel Los Ranchos, and Gabriela Contreras Cordero for their regular monthly support, as well as to  Henry & Eugenia Balke – USA, Karen Huss – Esterillos, Costa Rica, Sylvia van Baekel – Herradura, Costa Rica, Douglas Giampapa – Herradura, Costa Rica, Dennis Ward – Capitan of “Never say never”, Emma Cusack – USA, Annie Forget – Canada, Paul Grandy – Jaco, Costa Rica, Lisa & Hugo Camilieri – Jaco, Costa Rica, Julie Dean – Canada, Hella Ruetter – Austria, Karen Huss – Esterillos, Costa Rica, Dr. Yvette Maclean – Canada, The Bartholomew Family – USA and Crystal Curry – USA. And a very special thank you to Emma Cusack from the USA and to Dr. Yvette Maclean from Canada for donating to us so many different and so very needed meds.

Thank you for your time and support.

Katja Bader
McKee Jaco