Spay/Panamá with the help of Los Angeles de los Animales and five volunteers from "United Vets in Training - Helping Spay/Panama" completed a spay/neutering weekend in La Ermita. It was our third time and it is organized by local residents.
Here are some of the Angels, holding a cat until it falls a sleep after receiving anesthesia.
Saturday May 29, 2010
Unpacking the car and setting up while people are waiting with their pets.
All animals need to be weighed, registered and then receive a tag.
After getting the anesthesia, and to prepare for the operation, the dogs and cats receive antibiotics and a painkiller, they are shaved and disinfected, and the dogs get a tattoo with the letter S (stands for “sterilized”) before being transported to the waiting area for operations.
The animals get noted in the operation log, and are moved to an operation table when it is their turn.
Saturday evening we had two vets: Dr. Augusto and Dra. Gloria.
Vet students volunteering are watching an operation and a wounded dog gets extra care for its leg.
After surgery, the animals get vitamins and dewormer, their ears cleaned and then they are sprayed against fleas and ticks. Dogs over 3 months old get a rabies vaccine. Cats also receive a little nip of their ear instead of the “S” tattoo (easier recognizable).
A volunteer sterilizes the surgical instruments; another volunteer is preparing dinner and an Angel is counting donations received.
Sunday 30 May, 2010
Dogs and puppies waiting for a happier and healthier life.
Left: Cue for surgery. Right: Dr. Andres operated on Sunday.
Dra. Raquel joined as well on Sunday. Dra. Gloria gets assistance from a local volunteer, Roberto.
Left: An Angel is “Taxi”, transporting animals from station to station.
Right: Volunteers from the USA and an Angel are all working together at the Post and Pre Operation stations.
In total 118 dogs and 12 cats were sterilized (53 on Saturday, 77 on Sunday).
The Spay Panama team was represented through veterinarians: Dra. Gloria Fonseca, Dr. Augusto Barragán, Dr. Andres Bailey and Dra. Raquel Fuster, and the following assistants: Roberto from La Ermita, Los Angeles de los Animales, Ginny (Universidad de Panama), Abi, Liz, Joanne, Allie and Stephanie (volunteers from the US), Ronald, Alberto, Rebeca, Daniel, Sandra, Sylvie and Pat.
Mili (Milagros del Carmen) will be going to Massachusetts on June 5 with Stephanie and Allie Charlip
A total of $316.20 was collected or the equivalent of $2.44 per animal. Help us to put a stop to the overpopulation causing a large number of animals to roam homeless, hungry and sick by clicking here.