By Megan Gabel
For many years, the SPA has taken in dogs from San Miguel’s kill shelter. When it was across the street from the SPA and referred to as Ecologia, we would walk over and see what dogs we could save and be sad about the ones we couldn’t. In 2012, Gypsy was one of the dogs we rescued. In 2021, when her owner became ill and could no longer take care of her, Gypsy returned to the SPA, and is now named Cleo.
When we have space, our first choice is to go to Canine Control to choose dogs to bring in. The lives of these dogs are in danger. A number of factors play a role in our decision. First is knowing what space we have available. We can’t bring in a large dog if we only have room for smaller dogs. We can’t bring in five dogs if we only have space for two. The temperament, age, and health of the dogs are critical. We always go to Canine Control with our veterinarian, Dr. Omar Córdova, so he can conduct a basic physical on the dogs and also test them for parvo and distemper. We see how the dogs react to us and to other dogs at Canine Control. We do our best to bring in healthy, adoptable dogs. Even then, the dogs we choose are kept in isolation at the SPA for at least a week.
Too often, the dogs at Canine Control are not in the best of health. Adopters are not given veterinary advice about the health of the dog being considered for adoption. To assist those who have chosen to adopt a dog from Canine Control, the SPA has initiated a free consultation program. That’s right—free! A coupon will be given to an interested adopter for a free consultation with the SPA’s veterinarian as long as the consultation is done within 30 days of adoption. We encourage adopters to contact the SPA from Canine Control to arrange to bring the dog in to see our vet as soon as possible. This is especially important if the adopter has other pets at home. Our hope is to give new owners valuable information and peace of mind.
Right now, we have 13 dogs we brought in from Canine Control: Nina, Charlie, Annie, Clara, Sammy, Champ, Sierra, and Angel plus five new dogs: Valentina, Buddy, Sunshine, Sasha, and Bailey. Each dog we rescued was scheduled to be euthanized by Canine Control. We’re so happy to have saved them. Each is ready for adoption and to become part of a loving family.
Meet them and the rest of our dogs looking for good homes during our adoption hours, Monday-Saturday, 11am—2pm, Los Pinos 7, 415 152 6124. All our available dogs are here: https://www.spasanmiguel.org/adopt-me-dogs/ Our available cats are here https://www.spasanmiguel.org/adopt-me-cats/ Our adoption fee is 600 pesos. For dogs, it includes sterilization, all current vaccinations, deworming, and the leptospirosis booster. For cats, the fee includes sterilization, all current vaccinations, deworming, and the feline leukemia vaccine and booster.
The SPA’s dental cleaning special has been extended through March 31. Our normal price of 700-1,000 pesos for teeth cleaning (cats and dogs) is reduced by 20% (includes anesthetic and professional cleaning with ultrasonic scaler/polisher). This is a very popular special so call 415 152 6124 today for an appointment!
