CANDi... saving the lives of stray cats and dogs through spay, neuter and adoption programs supported by the tourism industry, travelers and pet lovers.

CANDi's upcoming spay/neuter clinic promises to be a landmark collaborative effort bringing together local veterinarians, local government representatives, local animal welfare groups, and international animal welfare groups in an effort to improve conditions for Cancun's animals. The team plans to sterilize at least 450 cats and dogs, while also making inroads in veterinary training and humane education.  

Members of Humane Society International (HSI), representatives from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Alison Current of Isla Animals, and Steve McGarva of Achates Legacy Rescue Fountation will all be participating, as will volunteer vets and vet techs and lay volunteers from the United States and Canada. Celebrity dog trainer, Brad Pattison and his team will be supporting CANDi and working with the volunteers during the event.

The free clinic will be held April 19-23 at the Cancun municipal pound, CAC (Centro de Atencion Canina) where the team will work closely with staff veterinarian, Dr. Miguel E. Escobedo. In addition to conducting sterilization procedures, vets from HSI plan to train their local counterparts in humane euthanasia. These techniques are expected to replace the current practice of euthanasia by electrocution. CANDi will also be introducing WSPA's Vice President of Education to local government officials to discuss implementing humane education programs in the school system.  

The clinic will be open to pet owners who would otherwise not be able to afford the cost of sterilization. Approximately 800 dogs and cats were sterilized in CANDi's two previous clinics.

CANDi is currently seeking $15,000.00 in donations to cover the costs of medical supplies.  Donations by U.S and Canadian citizens are tax deductible.

Cats and Dogs International (CANDi) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing animal welfare groups together with businesses in the tourism industry to improve the lives of stray cats and dogs in destination locations.  Founded by Darci Galati, a 20-year veteran of the tourism industry, CANDi helps tourism-based businesses implement programs that enhance the environment of travel destinations, enrich the experience of travelers, and improve the lives of animals. CANDi programs provide humane, viable, long-term solutions to stray animal overpopulation through spay/neuter, adoption, and education programs that can be replicated anywhere in the world.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of puppies and kittens won’t be born into suffering and end up dying painful deaths thanks to CANDi’s second annual free spay and neuter clinic.  Nearly 450 dogs and cats were sterilized during two separate week-long clinics outside Cancun, Mexico in October. That figure will have a significant impact on local animal overpopulation.

Global activist and inspirational social commentator, Kathy LeMay, explores the growing importance of social change organizations in her first book "The Generosity Plan" -- and CANDi is one of her featured examples. Rather than providing one-time fixes to pressing problems, social change organizations address the root causes of the problem in such a way as to create lasting change.

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies endorses Cats and Dogs International to bring humane solutions to managing the stray cat and dog populations in tourist destinations.

CANDi is proud to announce that our second annual Spay and Neuter clinic will take place this October. We are doing the clinic in conjunction with CANDi’s Humane Partner in Cancun, RAP, Vet Ventures and the Pan-American Medical Mission Foundation. The clinic will run for 2 weeks.

During the last week of September, we had the VIDAS (www.vidas.org) Cancun 2008 spay/neuter campaign. This was Cancun's very first clinic. We are very happy to inform you that in 4.5 days we sterilized 269 animals.  We sterilized 40 cats and 229 dogs.  

Things are moving forward! Not only have we found the land we are going to build on, but we have a temporary facility getting cleaned up and ready to go as well as an amazing, caring team of local people in Cancun to do this vital work.