An opn letter to Snow Birds

This was posted on TOB but in case you missed it:

First we are glad you are here. We enjoy having you here, and the additional income to local business is a great boost to the economy.

However, we respectfully ask that you do not try to adopt a pet unless you intend to provide a forever home for that pet. Don't think you are helping in any way by taking a dog into your home for a few months. Take it with you NOB when you leave, or don't take it at all. No local shelter runs a Rent-a-Pet service. "Adopting" or "fostering" a dog (or cat) and returning it to the shelter in April is horribly hard on the animal, not to mention on the resources of the shelter.

If you miss your NOB pets, volunteer to help at one of the many local shelters. Anita's in San Juan Cosala always needs folks to provide a little face-time, love and attention to the 75+ dogs and cats being housed there. The Friends of Animals Cat Shelter in Riberas will be happy to have you help care for or just snuggle with their cats and kittens. The Dog Ranch, in Chapala, has 80+ dogs who love to be walked or trained and played with in our large exercise pen. Lucky Dog, also in Chapala, has 20+ dogs who would love some additional attention as well.

You can find contact information for these Shelters in the pinned section at the top of the Let's Talk About our Furry and Feathered Friends section on Chapala.com.

Thanks for reading this.

Well said Flamingo.....

AMEN!!!!! Don't adopt if they are not to be a permanent part of your family.

Thank you for posting this. Another problem which occurs at this time of the year is well-intentioned snowbirds finding "lost" or "homeless" dogs which are actually Mexican's dogs. In actuality the dogs are dognapped. The problem is that most do not read these forums or put up posters or look for the dogs which have simply disappeared. So, if a dog is not in distress, is not skinny, leave it be. It probably has a home. If it appears skinny, leave food out for it, it probably does not get enough food at home. If it is skin and bones or appears to have problems which require vet care, take it to a vet, then return it to the area in which it was found. The majority of street dogs have a home.

I live in a predominately Mexican barrio. After a while you recognize the dogs who belong here. They have their routines and their streets. They trot around purposefully, alone or in small groups. They are my neighbors too.
Many Mexican-owned dogs are thin. You see the outline of their ribs but their hip bones are not jutting out nor are their ribs protruding. They may be matted and dirty but they have a home--or they "belong" to that neighborhood and are communally fed. Feeding a thin dog in place is the kindest thing to do.

Bravo Flamingo!

We adopted Ozzie in January of this year.
In April, we decided to go north to be with our daughter for the birth of her first child.
We took Ozzie with us because he is as much a part of our family as our children.
You would never adopt a child and think about leaving them behind because you were moving to a new neighborhood.
We stayed in Canada much longer than planned, and Ozzie got to spend 6 months in the company of 2 other dogs and 2 cats and ran free on our farm.
If he could talk, I am sure that he would say that the trip north was fun.
Leaving him here would not have been fun for him nor for us.
If you can not commit to a lifetime with an animal, do NOT adopt it.
They deserve more.

Ozzie is one lucky dog!

zenwoodle wrote:
You would never adopt a child and think about leaving them behind because you were moving to a new neighborhood.

Deleted by poster.

Well said Lady. Many dogs are fine, (and happy), living on their own as long as they can find food and water.

zenwoodle wrote:We adopted Ozzie in January of this year.
In April, we decided to go north to be with our daughter for the birth of her first child.
We took Ozzie with us because he is as much a part of our family as our children.
You would never adopt a child and think about leaving them behind because you were moving to a new neighborhood.
We stayed in Canada much longer than planned, and Ozzie got to spend 6 months in the company of 2 other dogs and 2 cats and ran free on our farm.
If he could talk, I am sure that he would say that the trip north was fun.
Leaving him here would not have been fun for him nor for us.
If you can not commit to a lifetime with an animal, do NOT adopt it.
They deserve more.

i couldn't agree with you more. Ozzie is one very lucky boy to have a family that is so committed to him