We are very exited to announce Cancun’s first spay/neuter clinic - September 29th through to October 4th.

The location will be at our facility in Bonfil and we will be working in partnership with www.vidas.org.

We are looking for sponsorship of this big event. Many vets and volunteers will be coming in to help us and donations for food, ground transporation and accomodation would be greatly appreciated to help us make this a big success.

Our goal is to spay/neuter over 50 dogs a day.

If you would like to help, please feel free to contact me anytime. Let’s make this a big success!!!

Girl Guide visiting our sanctuary in Cancun:


My daughter Jordan with a Mexican boy working together with the dogs:


Our temporary roof to protect the dogs from the rainy season:


A local television station came by our sanctuary to do a story about the
dogs and the help that CANDi is bringing to the people and the animals.
They were very grateful:




Here is a picture of a dog we rescued from the local warehouse. You
wouldn’t know it from the picture but he is doing much better. He is so
happy all the time. He really is a wonderful dog. In the background is
a better view of our sanctuary and some of the dogs there:



Here I am with some of the dogs at the santuary on a Sunday afternoon.
On this day we were washing dogs and visiting with the dogs. They love
the attention:


Here is a picture of my daughter in the “puppy facility”. We brought
them the bed so they wouldn’t have to sleep on the ground. They
absolutely loved it!


Here is a picture of Leta who works at the sanctuary giving the dogs
their daily hug!

I get contacted all the time from tourists who visit resorts and ask for help with the cats. Unfortunately we are not yet in a position to help any of these cats because the resort has security and they have their own way of dealing with the cats on the property. The majority of the time they destroy the cats by poison. The Cat Café would be a wonderful solution!

My family and I had the same experience at a resort. The day we arrived, a family from the UK approached us and asked us to feed the cats/kittens. We did, before we departed we told the next family to feed the cats. Our last night at the resort my children and I were so upset that we were leaving these cats. We knew that their fate would not be kind. Years later, we still think of them.

Here is a picture of a kitten we rescued in Playa del Carmen, along 5th Avenue. We were lucky that we knew of someone in Playa. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her at the Peanut Shelter one Saturday afternoon. Every Saturday the Peanut Shelter opens its doors to the public for their weekly dog shampoo day. For the lucky tourists who find them, tourists come by and wash a dog or puppy. They also have the opportunity to donate if they wish. On this trip I was fortunate to have met Laura Raikes, a cat specialist and volunteer at the Peanut Shelter in Playa. We called her the next day and she met us to help us rescue the poor little guy. My daughter, Jordan, is with her. She named the kitten Bubbles because his tummy was so bloated.

In many cases, once the puppies are born, they are thrown away into the garbage. The mother is still full of milk and has no way to express it so she becomes full of infection and dies a horrible death. We tried saving this little lady but she died shortly after this picture.

We are always looking for volunteers to come by our facility in Bonfile, Cancun. We are not too far from the airport or the hotel zone. We have many dogs and puppies who oare looking for a good bath or cuddle. Thank you to the volunteers who do come by. As you can tell from some of these pictures, the puppies and doggies love it too!

At the facility in Cancun we have a very special Cocker Spaniel who is looking for a home. He is really beautiful and gentle natured. He is also partially blind and would need to go to a very special family. If you are that special family, please contact us directly. We would love to find a wonderful home for Roger.

On my last trip to Cancun I visited the “warehouse” or pound where they keep
the stray dogs of Cancun for approximately 72 hours before they are
destroyed. The stray dogs are picked up in trucks by the local government
and taken to the pound. Like anything - you don’t know how bad it is unless
you are there. The situation is very distressing and there is literally no
hope for these animals.

In Cancun there is no adoption program - almost all the dogs who come to the pound are destroyed by electrocution.

There are approximately 15-20 dogs a day that are destroyed. It is our goal at CANDi to start free or low cost spay/neuter programs. At this time there is none. With a population of over 500,000 and twice as many dogs we know we have a very big job ahead of us. However, with the help of people who care we will make a difference.

Here’s another email we recently received.

This is a long mail. I am truly sorry. But I have a lot on my mind and need your help. also see attached pics.

I’ve just spent 3 days volunteering up at Acopio, and am left devastated, frustrated, sad and……. broke.

Ive bought all kinds of stuff. But what’s the point if they don’t use it. The staff there has no clue when it comes to animals. New staff.
They are lazy and have no interest or knowledge at all, and the most definitely lack logical thinking..

I had so many things I wanted to say to Jorge, who was the guy working there on those days I was there.
But unfortunately my Spanish wasn’t good enough

If anyone could please, in Spanish, pass on my thoughts to the people at the Acopio, Id appreciate it. And so would the animals!
Or at least to someone that can make it matter.

- I’ve bought some fence/net and nails and poles. PLEASE use it!!!! Make some more cages on the lawn p against the fence. There’s enough for a lot of cats!
Do not keep 2 big cats in a small carrier! Let them out instead - They are more happy IN THE NATURE!
- And when you actually have a huge crate stored there, not being used. clean it up and put the cats in there?!!

I bought cat litter and several boxes in different sizes for use as cattoilet. and Pooper scoopers (for food making, but waht the heck)
I showed Jorge, who works up there, how to use them, but I’m sure, he could need to be showed again J He’s a good kid. He has good intentions. Semed interested in what I told him. But he just seem either a tat lazy or maybe not knowing what to do. Perhaps he doesn’t see all the areas he can help out in. It’s a shame. Someone ought to show him. In Spanish

Cats are clean animals…. teach them to clean the newspapers in the crates everyday and give them clean water and food everyday.
MAYBE even let the cats come out on the lawn under a top ala cage for a few hours a day.
The staff do what they are told. Clean the big cages in the morning, food and water in the bowls and that’s basically it. Then they hang around, Sit and text or talk or go to the store or or or…. while piles of caca builds’ up in the dog cages, when I ask them to remove it, they look at be with and odd look. Saying …but I cleaned it this morning…
YES so?! Clean it again, just remove the poops. it takes you 2 sec.!
- I bought lots of small plastic containers to be used for food and water in the small crates or cages. make sure they use them
- I taught Jorge to mix the water in the cleaning bowl with Cloralex Mascotas, which I bought fairly cheap at Sorianas, should take care of bacterias

- All the grown up cats in the building in the courtyard,… they need to come out of those crates and in to cages on the lawn. use the material I bought! see pictures and make sure they use it and rather sooner than later.
How will any interested new potential owner fall in love with the animals, when the cats are stored away and therefore don’t know they are there.

- If you see the kittens have diarrhea or intestines worm, give them pills for worm or boil some rice and bring up there
- I bought q-tips…. clean the kitten’s ears when needed. The vet has something for yeast infection in their ears. Make sure he gives it to them, when necessary
- I bought some kitchen towels… dip them in a little water, maybe even put some of the soap in I bought. (Its special cat/dog soap) and clean the kittens / cats or dogs faces
around eyes, nose and mouth… the cleaner the animal, the more attractive to potential new owners

- I bought, intentionally, kitten and puppy food. I tried to tell Jorge that its very important they give the kittens kitten food instead of regular adult cat food.
I dont know if he understood that. So if anyone would please tell him and the rest of the staff again. Id be glad. It costs the same as regular! I also told him that I bought puppy food, for him to give to the skinny dogs so the could gain weight. Mucho importante!

- When I was up there yesterday the door to the storage (bathroom) was locked… and Jorge didnt have access to a key
which means the cats/kittens could get any food… and the dogs all got the same food from a bucket placed outside the door. NOT very clever.

- The cage the kittens is in has way to big holes in it, so the just crawls out thru the fence… I tried to close it up with cardboard
The should make a new cage for kittens and put some of the big cats in that cage….Intentionally I bought fence with small holes!

- The kittens could use some toys.. I brought a simple ball from Denmark and to see how the play arpund with it is absolutely amazing
I also brought the dogs some squeezy toys and rope toys but they wont play with it.. they dont know what it is… they wont even touch it.

Not even on the lawn. Hopefully its just a matte of getting used to it.

A little story from my second day up there…
I saved a little scared dog from being stranglled to death.ried to escape behind the walls of the back of the house and got stuck. The guys just stood there.
Nope, we cant get it out…. I was . well SO mad.
WELL GUYS Dooo something, you cant just letthe dog hang there in his neck… its all weak now. poobing and pissing all over itself.
After a minute where they just geeeeee, what do we do, I just took action and Pulled it out myself. I simply thought it was dead already, so I couldn’t do any worse harm to it.
It wasn’t dead. still alive, but scared to death….and after 5 minutes curled up on the ground he sneaked away. The next day he managed to escape and is now gone.
I’ve seen 6 cats brought in. and about 8 dogs. only one has gone out. One of the black and rusty medium Chihuahuas, sent off with a rope around his neck.
Despite the fact that I brought several dog colors and leashes for small dogs.

The police brought in a dog with a bunch of 1 day old puppies the other day when I was there. 2 days later all the puppies where dead. Froze to death Jorge says.
So I’m thinking… They need blankets big time!
BUT WILL THEY WASH THEM?? CAN THEY?

Another dog out in the building in the courtyard, had 3 puppies the other day… and is in a cage by the toilet?? Shouldn’t she get a real cage of concrete? Or won’t her puppies die soon?

Please please please pass on these ideas to some one who has some influence. I want to help, so badly…. but I can’t stay. I must continue my journey. Other shelters awaits.
I will be going up to the Acopio tomorrow Tuesday for the last time. Just to check up on how it all looks…if they changed anything and if they are using the material I bought for them.

Im also interested in helping out at the library on Saturday.. I leave Sunday (please bring me a large male t-shirt to buy)

Good luck. Please don’t give up… those dogs and cats up there need help.
So does the staff there. They know nada about dogs and cats it seems ;(
But GOD, there are so many adorable dogs and cats up there right now, true sweethearts with greatest personality.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.

May Hansen // Denmark

Ps. I hope I didn’t offend anyone by being so straight forward. It’s definitely not my intention!

These puppies were left to die. However with our help, we rescued the puppies.

Here is the email we received from a concerned tourist:

Hi there,

I returned home from Cancun today, deeply disturbed by something I witnessed yesterday. I was walking by Pepe’s Tiger Zoo (it’s on the main street in Cancun), and saw three puppies inside of the fence locked in a crate. As far as I could tell they had no food or water in the crate, and were covered in their own urine and excrement.

I tried to see if there was anyway to get in but could not (it was locked). The zoo looked like it was completely shut down, even though there appeared to be tigers inside. A dog I believe to be the mother was whining at the puppies. It was a disturbing sight and I have not been able to get the sight of these puppies out of my head. I think these puppies at least deserve a fighting chance to make it on their own. Is there anything your organization can do?

Even though we have over 50 dogs at our facility, the loss of one dog is always difficult.

Today we would like to say goodbye to Neron. He was one of our “forever dogs” and would have stayed at the facility until the end of his life. And that is just what he did.

Neron was special because he was MariaAlicia’s dog. He was one of our guardian angels. We will miss you Neron.