Project Balam-July 2020
The Dogs of Ek Balam, Mexico (Feb 2015-July 2020)
Help us bring a better quality of life to the dogs living within the Ek Balam Mayan Ruins, Village & other areas of the Yucatan Penisula.
Project Balam was initially an initiative to help the stray & village dogs of Ek Balam, Mexico. We had hoped to raise enough money to have all the dogs fed on a regular basis, be vaccinated, treated and spayed or neutered. Projects evolve and are posted on the updates. We are not only focusing in the Ek Balam area but will help where it is needed and where there is an organized volunteer individual or group. To date, we have assisted with clinic sponsorship in Ek Balam, Tulum, Puerto Adventura, Valladolid & Puerto Morelos and with donations for veterinarian treatment to rescue groups: MexiPaws(Puerto Adventura), Cocos Cat Rescue(Playa del Carmen), Snoopi Project(Playa del Carmen), FRESA(Tulum), Planned Pethood International(Puerto Morelos) as well as others.
How it happened:
Upon visiting the Ek Balam Ruins in January 2015, my kids and I were shocked & saddened to find malnourished and docile dogs living within the Mayan ruins’ grounds. There, they found some safety and a few scraps of food from the workers. The most heartbreaking situation was a mother(Baretta) with a broken leg and her puppies, which all had skin lesions and were very thin. Like many of the tourists, we were at a loss. We had no food to give them and no information on how to help them.
After returning to Canada and with much research, I had connected with Lee Christie of Genesis Ecolodge near Ek Balam. Lee had been doing rescue and humanitarian relief for area stray dogs for years using her own funds. She has also assisted with veterinarian care, fostering and adopting out 70 dogs within Mexico and to the USA and Canada. Lee had provided occasional food & medical supply to the Ek Balam dogs, but she must have financial support to continue carrying out this work.
Sponsorship:
When Angela and I visited & organized a clinic in Ek Balam with Lee in November 2015, we were joined by Martie Martson and Veronica Tores to help us catch and treat the ruins dogs. Our vet was unable to spay these females that we captured but we did have 5 dogs spayed from the village. This clinic was a success in expanding our team to include Martie and Veronica who have a great deal of experience with organizing clinics in the Yucatan. Martie and Veronica followed up with organizing the spaying & neutering clinic for 68 dogs in the village of Ek Balam. Details within one of the updates. This clinic resulted in introducing me to Tricia, Danielle and Phyllis....dedicated animals rescuers.
Clinics:
Nov 2015, 10 dogs treated with deworming & vaccinations with 5 spayed or neutered
May 2016, this mobile clinic in Ek Balam for 68 animals.
July 2017, donation to MexiPaws toward clinic.
May 2018, donation to MexiPaws for a spay/nueter clinic in Playa Maya.
June 2018, donation to Lost Dogs Foundation for their clinic in Tulum.
Nov 15, 2018, $750 covered the cost of 21 dogs + 1 cat for spay/neutering @ Planned Pethood International(PPI)in Puerto Morelos for MexiPaws
Nov 17, 2018, $420 sponsored 13 sterilizations @ PPI for APACCC (Danielle Michon) from Valladolid
Nov 22, 2018, 15 dogs for sterilization via PPI sponsored by Wendy Fortner and Sharon Ceslak
(included with the sterilization are pain medication injection, long acting antibiotic injection and other medications for obvious conditions such as mange, fleas, tick born diseases. Ticks are removed, ears cleaned, nails trimmed....it's a spa!)
Please note: the cost per animal for spay or neuter in Mexico @ PPI is about $30 Canadian. It is amazing!! It is nearly 10x that cost here so a donation goes a long way.
Project Balam has made numerous donations to help injured and sick animals rescued by the individuals and groups listed above. The rescued animals have all thrived and most have gone on to be adopted and some have returned to their owners. We have continued to provide funding for feeding and treating the dogs at the ruins. We are very proud of our responsible distribution of funds.
Funds available:
There is $1000 remaining in the account.
How You Can Help
a) Donate/Raise Money
b) Spread the word & read the updates. Please share our message on social media: twitter, facebook and instagram.
c) Adopt a rescue
d) Transport a pet by escorting on a flight
e) Take a humanitarian suitcase of supplies or crates.
Who Are We?
We are animal enthusiasts who want to work with local communities to help control the feral animal population and decrease the spread of preventable diseases. Our team: Sharon Ceslak from Saskatoon, Canada, and Angela Gooliaff also resides in Canada (Vancouver) and Wendy Fortner from Saskatchewan. Over the past few years, we have learned so much from the volunteers who live in Mexico and devote their time, energy and resources to controlling the population of dogs and cats and to rescuing the injured and neglected. There have been many happy endings!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your support! Your contribution, whether in the form of donation to the campaign or sharing the message with your family and friends, is truly appreciated. It’s through sharing that the campaign will be successful and we will bring good health to the Ek Balam dogs and beyond.
Dec 2018
If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to post questions on GoFundMe. Once again please read the updates(find the "more" option). Many good things have happened over the past years.
On behalf of our team and our furry four-legged friends,
Gracias!
Sharon
Help us bring a better quality of life to the dogs living within the Ek Balam Mayan Ruins, Village & other areas of the Yucatan Penisula.
Project Balam was initially an initiative to help the stray & village dogs of Ek Balam, Mexico. We had hoped to raise enough money to have all the dogs fed on a regular basis, be vaccinated, treated and spayed or neutered. Projects evolve and are posted on the updates. We are not only focusing in the Ek Balam area but will help where it is needed and where there is an organized volunteer individual or group. To date, we have assisted with clinic sponsorship in Ek Balam, Tulum, Puerto Adventura, Valladolid & Puerto Morelos and with donations for veterinarian treatment to rescue groups: MexiPaws(Puerto Adventura), Cocos Cat Rescue(Playa del Carmen), Snoopi Project(Playa del Carmen), FRESA(Tulum), Planned Pethood International(Puerto Morelos) as well as others.
How it happened:
Upon visiting the Ek Balam Ruins in January 2015, my kids and I were shocked & saddened to find malnourished and docile dogs living within the Mayan ruins’ grounds. There, they found some safety and a few scraps of food from the workers. The most heartbreaking situation was a mother(Baretta) with a broken leg and her puppies, which all had skin lesions and were very thin. Like many of the tourists, we were at a loss. We had no food to give them and no information on how to help them.
After returning to Canada and with much research, I had connected with Lee Christie of Genesis Ecolodge near Ek Balam. Lee had been doing rescue and humanitarian relief for area stray dogs for years using her own funds. She has also assisted with veterinarian care, fostering and adopting out 70 dogs within Mexico and to the USA and Canada. Lee had provided occasional food & medical supply to the Ek Balam dogs, but she must have financial support to continue carrying out this work.
Sponsorship:
When Angela and I visited & organized a clinic in Ek Balam with Lee in November 2015, we were joined by Martie Martson and Veronica Tores to help us catch and treat the ruins dogs. Our vet was unable to spay these females that we captured but we did have 5 dogs spayed from the village. This clinic was a success in expanding our team to include Martie and Veronica who have a great deal of experience with organizing clinics in the Yucatan. Martie and Veronica followed up with organizing the spaying & neutering clinic for 68 dogs in the village of Ek Balam. Details within one of the updates. This clinic resulted in introducing me to Tricia, Danielle and Phyllis....dedicated animals rescuers.
Clinics:
Nov 2015, 10 dogs treated with deworming & vaccinations with 5 spayed or neutered
May 2016, this mobile clinic in Ek Balam for 68 animals.
July 2017, donation to MexiPaws toward clinic.
May 2018, donation to MexiPaws for a spay/nueter clinic in Playa Maya.
June 2018, donation to Lost Dogs Foundation for their clinic in Tulum.
Nov 15, 2018, $750 covered the cost of 21 dogs + 1 cat for spay/neutering @ Planned Pethood International(PPI)in Puerto Morelos for MexiPaws
Nov 17, 2018, $420 sponsored 13 sterilizations @ PPI for APACCC (Danielle Michon) from Valladolid
Nov 22, 2018, 15 dogs for sterilization via PPI sponsored by Wendy Fortner and Sharon Ceslak
(included with the sterilization are pain medication injection, long acting antibiotic injection and other medications for obvious conditions such as mange, fleas, tick born diseases. Ticks are removed, ears cleaned, nails trimmed....it's a spa!)
Please note: the cost per animal for spay or neuter in Mexico @ PPI is about $30 Canadian. It is amazing!! It is nearly 10x that cost here so a donation goes a long way.
Project Balam has made numerous donations to help injured and sick animals rescued by the individuals and groups listed above. The rescued animals have all thrived and most have gone on to be adopted and some have returned to their owners. We have continued to provide funding for feeding and treating the dogs at the ruins. We are very proud of our responsible distribution of funds.
Funds available:
There is $1000 remaining in the account.
How You Can Help
a) Donate/Raise Money
b) Spread the word & read the updates. Please share our message on social media: twitter, facebook and instagram.
c) Adopt a rescue
d) Transport a pet by escorting on a flight
e) Take a humanitarian suitcase of supplies or crates.
Who Are We?
We are animal enthusiasts who want to work with local communities to help control the feral animal population and decrease the spread of preventable diseases. Our team: Sharon Ceslak from Saskatoon, Canada, and Angela Gooliaff also resides in Canada (Vancouver) and Wendy Fortner from Saskatchewan. Over the past few years, we have learned so much from the volunteers who live in Mexico and devote their time, energy and resources to controlling the population of dogs and cats and to rescuing the injured and neglected. There have been many happy endings!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your support! Your contribution, whether in the form of donation to the campaign or sharing the message with your family and friends, is truly appreciated. It’s through sharing that the campaign will be successful and we will bring good health to the Ek Balam dogs and beyond.
Dec 2018
If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to post questions on GoFundMe. Once again please read the updates(find the "more" option). Many good things have happened over the past years.
On behalf of our team and our furry four-legged friends,
Gracias!
Sharon
