Hurricane Nora wreaked havoc on our shelter

In September 2021 Hurricane Nora wreaked havoc on our shelter.

Yet it could have been worse. Thanks to the valiant efforts of our board, employees and volunteers, every last one of the 56 dogs and 10 cats we had in residence was saved! Sadly however, one feral cat was impossible to catch and lost.

While the animals were saved and mostly placed in foster and adoptive homes, the damage to the structure was severe. Staff housing, the kitchen, laundry, cattery, examination room, Quarantine kennels, and the hydrotherapy pool were all washed away.

Given the damage, the shelter has been “closed” and we’ve rescued very few additional animals. However, as was Janice’s vision, we’ve maintained the Sanctuary where dogs unsuitable for adoption are provided love and care. This would not have been possible without your continued support. Since August last year, we manage to find furrever homes to 56 dogs and 18 cats.

Thanks to a Mexican government disaster-relief fund, monies sufficient to put fencing around the perimeter of property were provided. Also, Conagua was able to reclaim approximately five meters of land along the river bank, restoring at least some of the lost property.
With the land more protected from future storms, we have been able to shift our focus to rebuilding the facilities.
The shelter’s original architect Jose Luis Niño, generously provided plans for the new construction required to fully reopen and allow us to help more of the animals in need in Puerto Vallarta.

A new casita will provide housing, sanitary facilities, and a kitchen for the staff. Providing housing is critical to recruiting and retaining the employees that provide the daily love and care to the animals at the shelter. The housing will also allow us to promote ‘voluntourism’, providing accommodations in exchange for short-term work at the shelter.

We will build ten new dog kennels, to increase our capacity and provide a safe quarantine space for new arrivals. We also plan to build new cat kennels, so we can welcome our feline friends back to the shelter. An existing small casita on the property has been refurbished and we plan to open a veterinary clinic. This will provide a permanent home for our spay and neuter clinics, lower the cost of treatment for our shelter animals and save many hours transporting animals for off-site care. We are very excited about the potential opportunity to provide low- or no-cost basic care to the animals of families with limited means.

Our four-legged friends need your help

We are not supported by the government, corporations, foundations, or businesses. We fully function on private donations.