MHTA / Mexico for the Humane Treatment of Animals
a Network of Animal Lovers in Baja I’ve been living in San Felipe since July of 2003, and as many of my friends know, I came here to retire and pursue my passion for dogs. I arrived in San Felipe with five of my own, and although many have since passed, I still have six dogs that I live with, five of which are local San Felipe rescues.
BTW, groups that focus on population control and care of cats are so needed in Baja. They almost have to operate independently, because of the scope of the cat overpopulation problem and the cost involved.
I co-founded San Felipe Animal Rescue in 2003, and after separating from SFAR in 2007, formed a group called ZAPP, which is an acronym for the “Zero Additional Pup-ulation Project”, which focuses almost entirely on controlling the stray and indigent dog population of San Felipe, by holding ongoing spay/neuter clinics.
I discovered that getting a program such as ZAPP off the ground in Mexico was no easy feat. I was always aware of all the great work being done in Northern Baja by other rescues, shelters and spay/neuter groups. Not to mention all the folks that travel the streets of Mexico feeding and watering strays. You Go, guys! I thought, “wouldn’t it be great for all of us to have a forum where we could speak out and exchange ideas each month”----Mexicans and Americans alike!.
And then it happened! In June, a group of us from San Felipe met with other from Mexicali and San Luis for our first meeting at the University in Mexicali, with the hope of very soon expanding our membership to include rescues and shelters from Encenada, Tijuana, Rosarito and Tecate’. We call ourselves MHTA, Mexico for the Humane Treatment of Animals, and we are a group of like minded individuals who are committed to raising awareness and having an impact on policies that exist in parts of Baja that we are at odds with.
Number one on the agenda is ending electrocution as the preferred protocol for euthanasia in Mexicali; also, we are focused on just how to initiate low or no cost spay/neuter programs throughout northern Baja with the possible involvement of the Government; we are also seeking out ways to enforce existing laws on the books that deal with animal abuse in Baja, and of course, instituting a long overdue education program for young people in San Felipe, by bringing Spanish language classes to schools and community centers that address care and respect for animals. Mexicali is involved in humane education, and we continually share back and forth with those already doing it regularly.
Good things are starting to happen for us as a result of networking, especially since a revolutionary new social networking site was started by animal advocate Shawn Santos, from San Diego. HOPE ANIMAL NETWORK is our very own FACEBOOK for animal lovers. You can join Hope Animal Network by simply going to
www.hopeanimalnetwork.org. You can also join the
MHTA Group on HAN by clicking on
groups and choosing
Yucatan. Please support us any way you can.
Our next MHTA meeting is scheduled for August 8th in Mexicali. We’d love for you to come and be part of our network. You can also call 707-320-4969 from the states, or 686-577-2708 in San Felipe for any information. Contact us at bajaanimalrescue@yahoo.com.
"SHOES for SPAYS" 
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