If you are a dog lover, I bet your heart breaks every time you see a stray dog wandering on the streets, lonely, scared, hungry, or ill. Our furry companions love us unconditionally and are always there to show their loyalty, care, and affection.

One city in Mexico, Soledad de Graciano Sanchez, decided to reciprocate these feelings and easy the life of stray dogs, which are currently over 300,000 there.

In January 2019, the city launched two new programs.

The first one, called ComeDog, is run together with the City Hall and citizens’ response group Respuesta Ciudadana, and ensures that the pups easily find food.

Volunteers placed 15 PVC pipes on utility poles all around the city and turned them into food dispensers, filled with dog food. The dry dog food is donated by locals, and volunteers regularly go out and refill the pipes.

Also, every dispenser has fresh and clean water to hydrate the thirsty furry fellas.

The second program, “Ambudog”, ensures the dogs are healthy, and it is the first ambulance used solely for caring for animals in Mexico.

Veterinarians are offering free healthcare for both stray animals and pets, and some of the most important services include vaccinations, spaying, and neutering.

This program fascinated many as well, and people keep bringing their pets in the ambulance.

Mayor Gilberto Hernandez Villafuente said:

 “Today I realize how many people appreciate this program, we have been congratulated by different means and, well, I am going to ask you to participate and help us to have a very successful refuge.”

According to the Director of Municipal Services in Soledad de Graciano Sanchez, Dolores Elisa García Román, vaccinating stray puppies after birth will help prevent the spreading of diseases:

“There is an infectious picture when the puppy is born and if a month and a half is not vaccinated mainly by distemper or parvovirus, there is a contagion, both in people and animals, then this ambulance will be taken to all the colonies to attend to all the puppies.”

Both programs have been highly successful so far, as numerous stray dogs eat from ComeDog’s food dispensers, and many dogs have been vaccinated and treated with the help of AmbuDog.

Furthermore, city officials maintain that this is only the beginning. They stated that the local citizens supported the two programs, and with their help, they intend to add more food dispensers to keep the dogs fed, and develop other programs to help shelter them and find a permanent home.

Let’s just hope that other cities will follow suit and try their best to care for the stray dog population.

Sources:
animalchannel.co
shareably.net
easyhappydog.net