Saturday January 16th 2010
Well, our family has now moved back to the US after living 4 years in Mexico. Of course, I am continuing to follow up with the rescues we have done in the last few months. Such as Cebolla who had a baby, Lucero who was cured from a severe infection, the puppy that survived after being shot in the foot...
If we do receive donations, they will be forward onto to Dr. Julio who is the veterinary who has helped during the last 4 years, as well as MariCarmen from www.adoptandounamigo.com. I am not a ble to see new cases but if I am made aware of any, I will post them on my website. I hope to continue my rescues when my husband starts his residency program as a doctor but for right now, what with living in New York, I can only volunteer at the local animal shelter. For those out there in Mexico, please keep up the good work and I will continue to help however I can through passing on donations I may receive.
Friday July 10th 2009
Latest news, latest news...Lets go back a few months. In May, our lovely Mimi was eaten by a CROCODILE...Yes, you read this right! Guadalajara Reporter reported the tragedy.
| Heartbreak for family as croc devours pet dog | | |
| Written by GR Staff |
| Saturday, 23 May 2009 |
MANZANILLO - The Cahill family from Guadalajara watched in horror as their pet Labrador Mimi ran into a lagoon and within seconds was devoured by a crocodile.
 Max survived a crocodile attack at the beach. His companion Mimi wasn’t so fortunate.
The Cahills say their two children, aged 6 and 9, have been “terrorized” by the experience. “The new hotel in front of the lagoon has a path no more than two meters that leads to the beach,” Kate Cahill told the Reporter. “It is known as ‘gator alley’ but it’s the only way of getting to the beach.” Said Cahill: “My husband went on ahead with the kids to check the lagoon and I shouted, ‘Should I let the dogs out?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ The black Labrador ran straight into the lagoon and within seconds he was gone. “Then our other yellow Labrador went in and had a fight with what we think was a second crocodile. It survived with two bites and some scratches.” Cahill, who teaches English to businesses in Guadalajara, said Mimi had been with the family about a year and was rescued from the Horses in Mexico animal sanctuary. The dog was close to the family and witnessing the event has left the kids distraught. “The children are seeing a psychologist at school and they have to keep talking about it. It wasn’t just seeing the black Labrador, it was also seeing the yellow one, Max, fighting with the crocodile. Added Cahill: “We had to hold the kids back, the crocodile was going crazy.” The tragedy shows how quickly a family outing can turn into a nightmare and also highlights the need to improve preventative measures in places where crocodiles may lurk. “This could’ve happened to a child,” Cahill said. “We aren’t careless and I don’t understand why there isn’t some sort of fence like there is in Manzanillo.” The importance of being aware and reading signs, even though they might not be the priority of the particular moment, is also a lesson to be learned from the unfortunate incident. “There was a small sign that looked like it was from the 1920s and another sign with plain information on it but we didn’t stop and read it,” Cahill admitted. “It’s just not the first thing you think about. “I’ve been here in Mexico four years and I know how things work. At school my kids have to wear face masks and disinfect their pencils and hands, but at the beach something as awful and dangerous as this can easily happen.” |
If that was not enough I had my Sunny literally stolen from me!!!! I made the mistake to trust in a horseriding instructor in a nearby riding club who convinced me to give my horse away...yet he sold it and kept the money. I indeed made the mistake not to register my horse and that mistake cost me my horse. My intention was to leave Sunny in December 2009 with a good riding school for free as long as I was sure that he would be well taken care of. But when my so called trainer told me the story about a father dying of terminal cancer that wanted to give a horse to his daughter, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity for my horse to go to a good place...because I believed every word that my so called trainer told me at the time. So I was told to drop my horse at the Jockey Club of Guadalajara with a lady called Kim, but not to speak to anyone. The trainer called Salvador told me to go ahead and leave Sunny there because he would be tested for a couple of days but "Do not worry! We are going to ask for some money!". So a week later, as I had not heard anything from anyone, I decided to approach Kim who told me that the horse was given and that he had passed the test. The father had died and the horse was a miracle for the daughter. Great story I thought but how can I make sure my horse is in a good place and....what about the money? "What about the money Kate?" I could not believe my ears when I was told that my horse had been given away. I was furious and wanted the phone number of these people who had taken my horse. Well, Salvador got angry with me and told me literally: "No vas a molestar a mis clientes!" I asked why Clientes if he said that there was no money and that he had given my horse away. He replied that I had given the horse away and that was it, and what could I do about it...I had not registered him...I was just sick to my stomach...In other words, I trusted Salvador and Kim...they sold my horse, kept the money and gone was my horse where I can no longer find him!!!!!!!! I really thought that people would be considerate and honest, especially when they knew what I did with animals...WRONGGGGGGG!!!!! Goodbye Sunny and wherever you are I do hope you will be well looked after....
So let's see what else happened from that time onwards...My son William and I found this poor dog on the side of the street in Nextipac, he had been beaten up severely and had been put inside a box, shut by tape. Poor little thing was left in the sun and had to try the best he could to get out of the box. When we saw him, I knew it was bad. We called our favorite veterinarian Julio and he euthanized him immediately.
Then just a few days ago, we found yet another dog in the same spot where we found the other dog. That poor little puppy could not get up and was trembling...Called Julio who came down and told us the dog had been poisoned and must have been that way for 3 days...Had to euthanize him too...Gosh, I feel like a dog killer but when nothing can be done, better to put them out of their misery. The dog could have survived but never would have walked again...
And now a more positive piece of news...
The two horses are doing well and actually the mare came to the ranch pregnant... She never got fat apart from her belly which gives us the impression that she has another little one coming. We deparasited her when we first got her so that option was ruled out...We just hope she will be ok after having the baby because she is just so thin and needs to put some weight on. The foal that came with her is extremely wild and is rearing at anyone who approachs him. Would like to sell him to someone who can train him softly so we hope we can find someone soon....
Oh and all the dogs from the ranch including Mina (which I drove twice a week for 7 weeks to be treated for cancer without having one thank you word by the owners) went missing or have been found dead....lets see that would be Mina, Chica, el Papa, Chiquita, Fiona, the Beagle, Camila, the German Sheppard dog...how many is that 8 dogs?
Just did not want to finish on a bad note but hey, that is how it goes sometimes! We have 5 more months in Mexico until I close this project and I do hope I can finish on a somewhat good note...we will see, I am not positive anymore I just feel sad that such bad stuff has happened in the course of this year but I have wonderful friends who are truly animal lovers and I will leave Mexico knowing that someone else will continue to protect some animals...Thank you Mari-Carmen and Ana of Adoptando un amigo, Celina and Willy for always offering a place in your ranch for the rescues we have had... Willy for picking our first rescue, Donkey-do...I know you thought I was out of my mind for buying a donkey for 200usd....but I know you now understand what I was doing...Thank you so very much for being there when I all needed you...Un Besito!!!
Monday May 4th 2009
Sunday March 29th 2009
Another sad case that needs immediate attention...
Flacita
This mare is in need of immediate attention. Please if you can help in any way...We need to deparasite her for $200 pesos and then she needs some serious food. She had a foal and got a little thin but now the owners don't even come and see her, she needs to eat and she needs to eat now before she gets really sick. She has infections in both eyes and has some serious parasites. I need to buy her some afalfa and some grains to make her beautiful again. I just saw her this weekend and will be going back to see her tomorrow to give her some food. But if you know anybody who can help her, please let me know cahillkate@horsesinmexico.com or donations@horsesinmexico.com.
Saturday March 28th 2009
So little time to do anything these days and once again I have so much to say. Where to start this time? OK, since November 2008 we bought a new camera and I didn't really take many pictures until the house got broken into and of course our new camera was stolen. But I did get to take a few pictures though and will have to borrow my friend's camera to take some pictures over the weekend of all the horses that I have seen that need special care. Be patient with me as I try and upload these under image gallery.
Anyway, updates now...
In January, we adopted Max, a yellow labrador retriever who was found by a woman being beaten up by the Mexican policia. This poor dog got lost and for weeks wondered around the neighborhood looking for food and water. He was caught by the police who decided to beat him up to teach him a lesson. A woman walked him on them and was told not to get involved in what they were doing. She begged to let her take him and off she went with him in a taxi to find Adoptando un Amigo, a great organization in Guadalajara. I took Max into our home only on the basis of rehabilitating him (as he was skin and bones) and put him up for adoption. But we all know how that goes, he is still with us and I just can't let him go now. Of course he has eaten quite a few of my pillows and Zoe's teddy bears but we are patient with him and he is doing bettter.
Rocco on day he was rescued
Rocco a month after
Tuesday November 11th 2008
What a terrible time in the US and in Mexico. I broke my camera 2 months ago and still haven't had a penny to buy another one. If all goes well, Santa Claus will bring me one for Christmas and my birthday...Yes, right, dream on! Well so much has happened and I have been meaning to write but never got around to do it, now that I have no pictures to put up. Let's see, my friend took pictures on her cell phone but I don't always receive them. So, here it goes:
This is one of the sad events that happened in the last couple of months. This beautiful mare died one afternoon after being hit by a car at around 7am. She was left to die in agonizing pain because the owner decided to leave her rather than pay the damages to the car and the veterinarian fees. When we finally got the call about her, my vet went up to check her out, but it was too late . As you can see, she was hit by a car in a populated area, yet it took hours for her to finally get attended to by a veterinarian.
We also lost both dogs above in the picture. Chico ran after our car the first day we moved to our new home. He ran after us to be with us and we never heard his cries. We searched him that night and the days after. We never found him. We hope he was picked up by a nice family, as he was a great little dog and looked so cute the day we lost him. Camila, the thin one in the picture, disappeared from the Paradise ranch one day. We searched her as well and never found her. We think she died because she was never putting weight on and we just couldn't get her to put some weight on.
We had to put down the little black and white dog that had severe infections. We just couldn't save him and decided to put him to rest. I took some pictures but I am still waiting to receive them. And on a more positive note now:
Mimi, the labrador from the Paradise ranch has now come to live in our home permanently, she is so happy and so are the kids.
We also were able to fix up a little stray dog, Flacito. We sterelized him, fed him, gave him shots and we are pleased to say that he was adopted by a nice family. We were also able to place Rocco in adoption in San Miguel de Allende,in a great ranch owned by a couple of Americans. He is truly happy and we do hope that he will remain in his permanent home.
We are just about to receive another dog, a German sheppard
This fellow was found abandoned on the street and is currently thin and very scared. We hope to fix him up quick and find an adoption home for him. Haven't named him yet but we are opened to suggestions. Here are also great pictures of horses down the ranch from us.
Wednesday September 11th 2008
Latest update! Polly was sold to a new ranch and is now happily (or not) pregnant. She is well! Sunny finally has a rounder behind and is happily eating. He is a pig though and literally makes his stable filthy a day after it is cleaned. He is costing me more in bedding than in food! We have brought one of the adopted dogs from the Paradise ranch back to our house, her name is Mimi and I will put some pictures up of her soon. Rocco is now fat and his legs have been completely healed. He was sterlized and had his extra nails removed. He is a good looking dog and up for ADOPTION to a good home with plenty of room to run. Anyone interested, send me an email to cahillkate@horsesinmexico.com. Monday July 21 st 2008
Here is the latest update! Sunny is a new addition to the Paradise ranch. Sunny is a 2 year old horse that is pretty much already trained ! He is young but is very intelligent and learns very fast. He was a little thin at first but within a month of being here, he already has a shinier coat and a little more fat all around. He is on a good diet of grains and rastrojo; a swell as fresh grass every day. Of course, he exercises every day too!
Oh and I am talking with a psychologist about maybe using Sunny for equine therapy, which is what I just finished studying. He has a couple of patients that we could be working with using Sunny. Let's hope that works out. I have a meeting with him in a couple of weeks. The money we earn from the equine therapy will be great to have so as to pay for the food for Sunny and others in the region.
Sunny boy! Kind eyes Here his coat is now shining! His ears are alert!
Also, Rocco, the San Bernard dog I adopted a couple of months ago is now fully recovered! He is running and jumping just like a normal dog. Like there was never anything wrong with him.... If you are in Mexico or in the US and would like to adopt any of the dogs in my friend's ranch, they can be adopted but only to a good home. There are so many dogs in Mexico that need homes, and I mean that are hundreds of them!
Rocco on the left with his front legs This is Rocco now! Straight legs and already fatter!
malformed! When we first got him
early June.
Rocco playing with Chico!
Wednesday June 4th 2008
Today, Horses in Mexico adopted another animal. His name is Rocco, he is big, young and well...in bad shape. Rocco is a Saint Bernard who grew rapidly but never had the chance to form properly. He has problems walking and is rather thin under all the hair he has. Rocco will be staying at the "rescue" ranch for a month to help him walk again. His diet has now been changed and he started taking multi-vitamins to help with the malnutrition. Rocco is a sweet 6 month old dog who is great with animals and kids. If you would like to help support his medical treatment, please help. This dog requires medical attention and some good adult food for extra big dogs, I would appreciate anyone's help on this fellow. He is sad and I think he should have the opportunity to walk and run again...
Tuesday June 3rd 2008
It is with great sadness that we have had to let Donkey-do go. It was a sunny Mexican day and he had had a nice meal before we was put to sleep. He didn't struggle and we were there to make his passing a little smoother. Donkey-do was the first animal that I rescued in October 2007. He arrived at the ranch thin and dehydrated. He took a few months to get well but he then became blind. He was often getting hurt due to his poor sight and it got to the point where one could not attend him because he was kicking. Donkey-Do will be remembered in our thoughts and in our hearts.
Tuesday April 28th 2008
Good news, Mitsy was adopted and is now living in a loving home here in Mexico. Polly is now looking nice and healthy. I plan on taking her back with me to the US and she just got her "owner tattoo" a week ago. She is now fully trained and can be ridden on trails.
Here is a picture of Polly one day after I got her... very thin and very scared..
And here is her now...Her coat has now changed color and it is very shiny. She is a totally transformed mare, she is alert and can now be touched easily...
She always like to climb the steps to look for snacks...
Definitely a change in her coat. I just brushed her for the picture. No water was used...I repeat, no water was used...
Saturday April 26th 2008
I found this group of horses wandering around the country on my way to the rescue ranch. They are used for "piales en lienzo" and are usually pretty wild. The grey mare came all the way to the car and I was able to give her a little water and some carrots. She didn't want me to go but I plan on finding them again next week to give some more water and treats.
Sunday March 16th 2008
Red Pro Gato is looking for a good home for 4 year old Mitsy. Mitsy was found in the city of Guadalajara a few days ago, she is very good with kids but is very scared of people. She has all her vaccinations and she is free! Please contact me if you live in Jalisco and are interested in adopting her
Saturday March 15th 2008
Remember Polly, the horse that I purchased on February 5th? Well, she is a changed woman...I mean mare. She has taken the bit, gave us a great rodeo show with the saddle and finally she is not as scared as she used to be. Check out these pictures!
Smiley flag desensitizing - she is alert but not frightened
Standing still...
Except for her ears that were full of ticks when we got her, she took the bit in and is wearing the bridle without any fuss. She even ate a couple of carrots with it...
Polly looks just beautiful in this picture! She has a charro saddle on and is giving Zoe a besito...
Friday February 29th 2008
Remember Zachary whom we did an article on last year?
Monday February 25th 2008
Another hooray! Our Polly is not pregnant...Julio, the vet, came over last week and confirmed that indeed she was not pregnant. We believe that her stomach was swollen due to parasites. Her belly has now slimmed down and she is now on a fattening diet. We have started lunging her and she has already understood the concept. We are still working on making her less scared of people. She seems to be stable protective and shows her butt off when someone tries to come into her stable.
Friday February 8th 2008
Hooray! I got my Poly! Now a little explanation... Julio, the vet, told us that she first needed an operation to help her eat food better which then would help her put weight on her. The operation went well and she is now sleeping in her stable. The anasthetic will be wearing off by tomorrow but she won't be able to eat grains until Tuesday. She will be on afalfa and salvado until then. He tried to see if she was pregnant but found parasites instead.... We will need to wait until later on to see if she is indeed pregnant. Please wish her a speedy recovery! 
On anasthetic, Poly is dosing off...her belly is big due to parasites, but she is very thin...
Now really dosing off. You can see her bony bottom.
This was a great operation to watch, the vet and his assistant actually cut up a piece of her palet that was too swollen and was stopping her from masticating food correctly.
I had to take this picture, it looks horrible but she didn't feel the pain. I promise!
As you can see in this picture, Poly was very skinny and her ribs clearly are seen!
Checking for a possible potrillo (foal)...but only found parasites!.......Picture of Norberto on the left with Julio the vet on the right!
Monday February 4th 2008
Well, I should be getting the young mare this Thursday so long as there is space for her next to the burro I purchased a few months ago. I hope to get her back on her feet within a couple of months. Meanwhile, my husband found a little street puppy a couple of weeks ago. Still haven't found a new owner for him but we hope to find a new family for him soon...Anyone interested?
Sunday January 20th 2008
Happy New Year 2008, hopefully this year will be better for Horses in Mexico. The donations made last year were pretty much non-existent except for the kind donations a French gentleman made. Thank you, Serge! Also a big thank you to Francoise and my mum. It is hard to make it with donations so without donations it is even more difficult. I hope to get better luck this year! Anyway, on a more positive note. I am hoping to buy a young mare. She will cost USD$150. The owner wants to separate her from her foal and she is just skins and bones because of the foal drinking all of her milk. It is very possible that she is also pregnant. I will just have to wait and see. It is sad to see her so thin but I am sure that she will get better in a couple of months. I will be updating the website with some pictures as soon as I can. And here is a not so long ago taken picture of Donkey-do that was the first animal that Horses in Mexico was able to welcome.
Saturday December 7th 2007
This is an article that was published today in response to the shooting of wild burros in Texas...
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) has asked Peaceful Valley for assistance in removing the wild burros from the Big Bend State Park near the Mexican Border. A recent news story has circulated on the Internet describing the Park's current shooting policy. 18 wild burros have been shot in the last few months. The Directors of the TPWD have tried helicopter roundups in the past with no luck. The area is too big and the terrain is too rough. Our method of baiting, waiting and trapping is ideal for this situation. Many of the burros in this area have migrated into the park from Mexico and this is a major concern for the US Department of Agriculture. No one knows what diseases or parasites the burros may have. The government puts all of its
"burro money" into the BLM program. This leaves nothing on the table for the other agencies. They are mandated to reduce the population and have no choice other than to shoot them. Peaceful Valley must usually fund these projects out of pocket. PVDR has a management plan that includes castration and selective removal. With better management, there would not be a need to constantly bring in large burro herds form the wild. In order to implement our plan, we must take on these types of projects to prove our worth to the Federal, State and Local agencies. As always, the public has voiced their opposition to the killing of the burros but that fact remains that without the help of Peaceful Valley, the TPWD will have no other alternative. This program is going to be very costly. We need everyone's help!
Thursday December 6th 2007
Two 4 year old Andalusians were taken with a three horse slant trailer from a pasture in Southwest Houston, USA. The chains on two gates were cut and the thieves drove in, stole the trailer and took two horses. If you have think you may have seen these horses or know of anyone who would have stolen these two horses, please e-mail lisaschlitt@yahoo.com. Here is the brand that can be recognized on them. 
Please help them bring these horses home for before Christmas!
Sunday December 2nd 2007
These two intelligent little ponys are made for each other. They sometimes play, sometimes fight and keep each other company. They now have their winter coats on... Too cute!
Sunday November 11th 2007
These young mares just had a nice meal and some water...
Saturday October 20th 2007
A photo of young mares and their foals eating grains and drinking water...
Monday October 9th 2007
GOOD NEWS! I was just told that the owner of the horses living in a field near Guadalajara, have asked the next door ranch owner to provide water to his horses. These horses were relying on rain water and were not drinking enough, which is a major reason why they were so thin. Water is not easy for these horses to access to when the rainy season has stopped, and it can be difficult for their owners to get water to them!
Sunday September 23rd 2007
Bad news and good news... The bad news is that one of the horses in the pictures below (the appalloosa) died during the week. He was only 19 years old... After taking him back to his ranch, the owner administed him some vitamins and minerals, his heart failed...Please keep the owner in your thoughts. He was such a beautiful horse.
The good news is that I just received a 24 year old donkey that belonged to a horse riding club. After a 45 minute drive, he arrived at his new house, a ranch nearby the small village of Nextipac. The local veterinarian came by to administer him half a shot of suedo, anti-parasite and anti-biotics for his infected eyes. He received a good bath, some fresh water and of course some fresh grass. He is now in paradise... I plan on fattening him up fast!
Tuesday September 11th 2007
Just hanging out...free time!
Sunday September 9th
On my way to the country, I came across a few horses inside a ranch. It was a pleasure to see such beautiful horses...
Friday September 7th
This is an old 24 year old donkey that will soon be moving to my friend's paradise ranch.
Saturday September 1st
Diego is a 13 year old boy that is a dear friend of Horses in Mexico, he has been riding since he was 7 years. Hi Diego!
