Author: Maia

People are traveling more than ever these days – just try booking an Airbnb and you’ll see! Traveling can be fun and exciting, but if you’re an animal lover it can be hard to arrive at a destination and see suffering animals and feel like you don’t have the resources to help them. Turning your back on an animal in need feels terrible and not knowing what to do is disheartening. If you’re like me (Maia, the founder of PPR) – someone who loves seeing the world but hates witnessing animals suffering, I assure you there’s a way to have fun and help those in need!

In January, I traveled to Curacao – a small Caribbean Island near Aruba. I knew there would be animals in need on the island, as there are all over the Caribbean, so leading up to the trip I reached out to several animal welfare groups about volunteering. I connected with Rescue Paws, Alle Hadoc Rescue, Stichting Dierenhulp, and Feed Friends Foundation and immediately got to work when I arrived on the island. It’s been a thrilling, yet eye-opening experience. Despite working in the animal welfare field for 18 years I always learn something new when I work with a new group – Curacao was no exception. There are wonderful groups like Rescue Paws and Alle Hadoc that are rescuing dogs and cats and making vet care services accessible to locals and Stichting Dierenhulp, is working to provide spay/neuter services. There’s also a group, Feed Friends Foundation, that has 40 volunteers feeding 125 stray dogs every day all over the island! It’s a simple yet brilliant program to keep stray dogs fed and healthy, and not put further demand on rescues that are already bursting at the seams. The stray dogs being fed by the Feed Friends Foundation are often healthier than owned dogs, receiving both regular food and vet care. The commitment to these dogs is like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else.

Because Curacao is an island everything must be brought in and that makes things expensive – a regular bag of the cheapest dog food is $50. On an island where 1/3 of the people are living below the poverty line, making just $850 a month, the cost of pet food is out of reach for most people. People end up feeding animals what they have left over, mostly bits of table scraps which are never enough. Many animals would go hungry if it wasn’t for the work of the Feed Friends Foundation. Curacao’s animal rescues are filled to the max, so only the most desperate of dogs and cats get off the streets. Instead of turning their backs on this massive problem, the Feed Friends Foundation was created to address the need and ensure street dogs aren’t forgotten dogs. Every dog I met with the Feed Friends Foundation was in great shape – healthy skin, weight, and genuinely happy dogs! 40 volunteers show up every day at the same time to feed “their pack” of dogs all over the island, and it’s been thrilling to see how happy the dogs are when we arrive. Many are fearful of people, but some are social and enjoy some cuddles with their dinner, which I was more than happy to provide!

Assuring these dogs have reliable and regular food is essential to their well-being, but we also know that spay/neuter is vital to every animal’s long-term health, and Feed Friends Foundation agrees. They spay/neuter and provide regular dewormer and flea/tick treatment as part of their program. I’m truly impressed by the work Feed Friends Foundation is doing in Curacao and it’s a program I would love to see grow to feed more hungry dogs, but that requires funding! It costs $1,500 (USD) to feed 125 stray dogs each day for a month – at just $12 you can fill the belly of one homeless dog and ensure they live a healthy and comfortable life. PPR has committed to helping eliminate animal hunger in Curacao by funding 1 month of food each year and helping this group reach more dogs in need. Can you help us raise the funds needed to feed 125 stray dogs for the month of February – there is no donation too small for these stray dogs! Give Today!

Want to learn more ways to get involved with animal rescue and welfare while you’re traveling? Here are our tips to have a fun, successful, and rewarding travel experience while helping animals in need.

5 Ways to Help Animals While Traveling!

Research animal welfare groups in your destination and contact them prior to arrival. Give them plenty of time and specifics like– whether you will have transportation, the dates, days, and hours you’re available, and any restrictions on what you can help with. The more details you can share the easier it is for non-profits to know how to best use you as a volunteer.

Donate! It seems simple, but money is the number one thing all non-profit organizations need. Sponsor a rescued animal, donate the brands of pet food needed, and sponsor a spay/neuter surgery!
Give your time – many shelters need more volunteers to help with the hard work of keeping the shelter clean and animals fed.

Share what you’re doing with your friends and family. Post pictures and tag the organization on social media. Reaching a new audience could help get a dog or cat adopted or bring in a new supporter!
Think about what talent you have that could help – are you great at photography? Rescues always need quality photos of animals to share. Do you have a knack for fixing things? There’s often a laundry list of to-dos to get fixed at a shelter. Do you have IT skills, website knowledge, design, or marketing skills – the list is endless, and your talent may be exactly what a group is looking for!

**What not to do** Don’t contact groups and say, “There’s an animal in need here at xyz” and not help beyond notifying them. Every organization is overworked and stretched on funds while managing a long list of animals in need daily. Could you help transport the animals to them, offer to meet them and help if transportation is an issue, or donate to the animal’s care? Ask what would help most – just remember that saving an animal takes action and teamwork!

PPR is continuing to grow and help dogs and cats near and far, but we need to increase our monthly funding to continue to meet the needs of the communities we work in. In 2024 we’ve set a goal to get 50 new monthly donors to provide vet care for needy dogs and cats. You make it possible to provide care for animals in need and prevent homelessness and suffering! By securing 50 new monthly donors at just $10 a month we can spay/neuter 500 additional animals in 2024 and prevent 3,750 future homeless puppies and kittens in a single year – join us now as a monthly donor at a level the works for you!

1 new monthly donor secured – 49 to go! Thank you, Olive Holbrook, for becoming our first new monthly donor of 2024!

January Stats

• 54 total spay/neutered
  (39 cats / 15 dogs)
• 1 dental surgery
• Prevented 405 future homeless puppies and kittens

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Who doesn’t love to snuggle on the sofa with their furry family member?! But sometimes their bad breath can make you want to cut this time short! Stinky!

Helpful tips for getting rid of the stink:

Teeth Exams, Cleaning and Polishing
Dog and cat dental cleanings are very similar to human dental cleanings. After the cleaning, your veterinarian will perform a thorough oral exam and check for signs of disease like gum loss, root exposure, or pockets around the root.

Teeth Brushing
Dr. Sheldon Rubin gives easy, step-by-step instructions on how to teach a dog or cat to accept a daily tooth brushing.

Dental Cleaning Products
Not all pet dental products are created equal. If you aren’t able to brush your pet’s teeth as often as you’d like, consider using other dental products designed to help maintain your pet’s oral hygiene.

One of our favorite dog products: Ark Naturals Breath-Less Chews

One of our favorite cat products: Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Cat Treats

Dental Fact:
Studies show that 50% of all dogs and cats have some form of periodontal disease. That number jumps to 80% in pets that are 3 years of age or older. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause infection, pain, and tooth loss over time. It can also lead to serious health problems like microscopic changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Meet Tux!

Tux was trapped by a wonderful volunteer, Nicole, as part of a local Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) project last month. While under anesthesia for his neuter surgery it was discovered that he had a broken canine tooth with pulp exposure – which means his tooth was painful! Tux needed to have the tooth removed as soon as possible.

We never want an animal in pain, and a damaged tooth can impair eating. It can also lead to an infection, which would be deadly for a community cat. We were able to get him into the vet and have the tooth removed, and Tux healed quickly and rejoined his community cat colony as a healthy and happier kitty!

Learn more about our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program.

We’re thrilled that in our first week of Paws Across Borders we have reached 36% of our goal and are on our way to the border of Mexico!

For just $5 you can get us 1 mile closer to Mexico and our goal of providing 725 dogs and cats with much needed free vet care!

While Mexico may seem far away, it’s actually only 2,900 miles from Minneapolis to Playa del Carmen, and we believe love and compassion transcends borders, language, and cultures. We are asking for your help to virtually bridge the distance and get us to Mexico, with each $5 donation representing 1 mile traveled. Our goal is to raise $14,500 to fund our Mexico clinics in 2021, allowing us to provide care for 725 animals.

Please give today and help us travel closer to Mexico and our goal of helping 725 animals. Whether you’re able to contribute $5 or $500, every mile helps and together we will prevent future generations of puppies and kittens from being born on the streets and entering shelters. Thank you for your support and shared dedication to end animal homelessness and suffering from MN to Mexico!

The Impact of Your Donation!

Today, in addition to our local programs, we work with partners in Mexico to provide free veterinary care for owned and street animals. Our Spay/Neuter clinics directly address and greatly improve the issues of overpopulation and animal homelessness. In 2020 PPR was able to provide care to 428 animals in Mexico, but the need is immense and we have an opportunity to do more – this is where we need your help.

While Mexico may seem far away, it’s actually only 2,900 miles from Minneapolis to Playa del Carmen, and we believe love and compassion transcends borders, language, and cultures. We are asking for your help to virtually bridge the distance and get us to Mexico, with each $5 donation representing 1 mile traveled. Our goal is to raise $14,500 to fund our Mexico clinics in 2021, allowing us to provide vet care for 725 animals.

Our virtual walk will start on April 28^th with a match for the first $1000 donated! By donating on April 28th, the first day of our virtual walk, you will double your impact and help twice as many dogs and cats! Visit our event page and learn more about our work in Mexico and our upcoming virtual walk.

Thank you for supporting PPR and animals in need. We couldn’t do this life-saving work without you and your support!

PPR’s longtime volunteer and supporter, Christine Garrison shared her experience volunteering with PPR at a Mexico spay and neuter clinic and why her experience cemented her support for spay/neuter programming!

In 2012, I went to Playa del Carmen for a friend’s wedding. We stayed in a resort, enjoyed cocktails, and relaxed in the sun for four days. My trip then took an interesting turn as I then headed to Cancun with three other PPR volunteers to help staff a large, high-volume spay/neuter clinic that was taking place later that week.

Instead of a crowd of wedding guests and long-time friends, I was now surrounded by a bustling mass of volunteers, pet owners, and a seemingly endless line of cats and dogs in need stretching out the door. For five days, volunteer veterinarians performed surgery after surgery on dogs and cats. Some of the animals had families, some were feral and lived on the streets or in the jungle. But the reason for the clinic visit was the same – preventing the ongoing cycle of animal homelessness and suffering.

Instead of an air-conditioned resort room, I was now in an open gymnasium, standing beside a table of cats and kittens recovering from surgery. The cats were lined up, vaccinated, and monitored for any anesthesia complications. As the cats woke up, we called for their family or rescue group to take the cat home or back to its cat colony on the streets. One memorable kitten struggled after surgery, but the vets acted quickly with some medications and I spent a half hour rubbing her chest until she recovered, meowing and ready to go home.

Instead of a delicious cocktail by the beach, I ended my day with a cold beer and a sore back, thrilled with the accomplishments of the team. Over five days, the volunteer team spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and provided other assorted care for 1,574 animals. But it wasn’t just spay/neuter surgeries provided. A dog came in with a leg wound from being dragged behind a car, and that dog was helped with veterinary care. A cat came in for a spay surgery with a giant abscess on her face, and that abscess was also cared for. The generosity and patience of the volunteers was boundless.

And instead of tears of joy at a wedding, I cried tears of joy when a semi-feral cat was given an opportunity for a better life. A woman brought in semi-feral street cat she found in her neighborhood. The cat also had a zip tie wrapped tightly around her leg, which was one of several instances of animal cruelty I saw inflicted on the street animals. The zip tie was removed, the cat’s leg was saved, and she was spayed, but we were all concerned about how this cat would recover from surgery on the street. Of all of the things I saw during my time at this clinic, the only time I cried was when the woman who brought the cat into the clinic decided to take the cat in—even though she was semi-feral—and give her care and give her a home. Thinking about it now, almost ten years later, still makes me tear up.

It was one of the most impactful three days I’ve ever spent, and what I saw during that clinic makes me thrilled to continue my support of Pet Project Rescue’s ongoing efforts to help animals in need in Mexico. The efforts in Mexico provide so much needed care for animals in need, but these clinics also support the people in these communities and educate the younger generations about animal welfare. It’s critical work that I’m proud to support.

There’s 2 simple reasons we are thrilled to celebrate World Spay Day today!

Spaying & neutering dogs and cats is key to ending animal homelessness and suffering.
Love is free from borders and animal lovers like you and me know that every animal, no matter where they live, deserves a happy, safe, and healthy life. PPR is providing that through our free spay/neuter clinics!

Of the 6.5 million animals that enter US shelters every year, approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized. When you consider stats outside of the US the numbers grow by the millions!

Numbers like that can be daunting, but with progressive spay/neuter programming we are seeing real improvements thanks in large part to animal advocates just like you!

A majority of these animals are healthy and adoptable but are killed due to lack of shelter space, adoptive homes, and financial resources to care for medical needs. As advocates for animals we believe this is unacceptable and that solutions are available to end the practice of euthanizing healthy animals.

By providing free spay/neuter resources for both pets and community animals in low-income communities who lack access to pet care, we can prevent dogs and cats from entering shelters – greatly reducing the rate of euthanasia and reducing both health and behavior issues long term. The end result is far more animals stay in their homes and out of shelters and off the streets!

Join us in providing spay/neuter resources to animals in need from MN to Mexico! Come along, starting on April 28th, for our Paws Across Borders – a virtual walk to end animal homelessness. More details to come soon!

We can’t thank you enough for your support throughout one heck of a year!

Here’s what you helped us achieve in 2020!

• 511 total animals received free vet care at our free vet care clinics
• 393 owned dogs and cats were vetted
• 118 community cats were vetted
• 463 total dogs and cats spayed and neutered
• 70 Minneapolis cats spayed/neutered through our Trap-Neuter-Return program (with a 3-month Covid closure from March 1 – June 1)
• 97 Mexican cats spayed and neutered
• 296 Mexican dogs spayed and neutered
• 35 dogs and cats received additional vet care through our Hero Fund, including chemo for TVT cancer, de-parasite medication, dental surgery, mange treatment, and additional vaccines
• 13 community cats were rescued and adopted through our partnership with area animal rescues

Your donation prevented

• 525 kittens from being born on the streets of Minneapolis
• 728 Mexican kittens
• 2,220 Mexican puppies
• 3,473 fewer puppies and kittens living on the streets and entering shelters in 2020 from MN to Mexico!

We could not accomplish the work we do without each and everyone of our donors, volunteers, and advocates for TNR and spay/neuter programs. Thank you!

This year has been challenging for most of us. Here at Pet Project Rescue, when the pandemic hit, we knew our services were going to be needed now more than ever. With the cost of housing, food, and amenities weighing heavy on many of our minds during a time when jobs are scarce, we didn’t want the care of one’s pet, or a community animal, to be an additional burden. Our small team of volunteers worked around the clock this year to make the following happen:

• Helped over 400 dogs and cats receive free spay and neuter surgeries

• Prevented 3,000 puppies and kittens from being born on the streets without hope for a forever home

• Provided life-saving treatment for skin conditions, parasites, wound care, cancer treatment, and medication for dogs and cats that came through our free clinic

• Held weekly spay/neuter clinics in Mexico

• Ran daily Trap-Neuter-Return in Minnesota

While we have achieved so much, we hope you will help us complete a lofty but necessary goal before 2020 ends. Pet Project Rescue still needs to provide 100 spay and neuter surgeries by year’s end. This will prevent 1,000 additional puppies and kittens from being born without a safe place to call home.

Why do we need to complete 100 more surgeries? Because according to the ASPCA, 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year. By joining us as a donor on Give to the Max Day on November 19th, you help lower this number by ensuring that dogs and cats receive the life-changing surgery of being spayed and neutered.

Schedule your Give to the Max Day donation now – you don’t have to wait until the 19^th to take part!

 Please help us create better lives for dogs and cats in Minnesota and across the border!

P.S. You can help turn 2020 into a positive year! You can schedule your GTTMD donation before 11.19 and you’ll be entered in a raffle for pet gift baskets, restaurant gift cards, PPR apparel and more!