Hurricane Recovery Continues at SPCA Puerto Vallarta SPCA de PV
August 20, 2022

It was a year ago this month that Hurricane Nora wreaked havoc on our shelter.

Yet it could have been worse. Thanks to the valiant efforts of our board, employees and volunteers, every last one of the 56 dogs and 10 cats we had in residence was saved.

Sadly however, one feral cat was impossible to catch and lost.

While the animals were saved and mostly placed in foster and adoptive homes, the damage to the structure was severe. Staff housing, the kitchen, laundry, cattery, examination room, quarantine kennels, and the hydrotherapy pool were all washed away.



Given the damage, the shelter has been “closed” and we’ve rescued very few additional animals. However, we’ve maintained the Sanctuary where dogs unsuitable for adoption are provided love and care. This would not have been possible without your continued support.

Since August last year, we manage to find furrever homes to 56 dogs and 18 cats.

Thanks to a Mexican government disaster-relief fund, monies sufficient to put fencing around the perimeter of property were provided. Also, Conagua was able to reclaim approximately five meters of land along the river bank, restoring at least some of the lost property.

With the land more protected from future storms, we have been able to shift our focus to rebuilding the facilities.

The shelter’s original architect Jose Luis Niño, generously provided plans for the new construction required to fully reopen and allow us to help more of the animals in need in Puerto Vallarta.



A new casita will provide housing, sanitary facilities, and a kitchen for the staff. Providing housing is critical to recruiting and retaining the employees that provide the daily love and care to the animals at the shelter. The housing will also allow us to promote ‘voluntourism’, providing accommodations in exchange for short-term work at the shelter.

We will build ten new dog kennels, to increase our capacity and provide a safe quarantine space for new arrivals. We also plan to build new cat kennels, so we can welcome our feline friends back to the shelter.

An existing small casita on the property has been refurbished and we plan to open a veterinary clinic. This will provide a permanent home for our spay and neuter clinics, lower the cost of treatment for our shelter animals and save many hours transporting animals for off-site care. We are very excited about the potential opportunity to provide low- or no-cost basic care to the animals of families with limited means.

BIG THANK YOU!

We are thrilled to announce that our new therapy pool will be built and operational soon, thanks to a generous private donation by Michelle Jimenez, owner of D’z Route 66 Diner in Marina Vallarta.

Michelle has been a long time supporter of the SPCA PV and we couldn’t be more grateful for this significant gift.

Thanks to your help we’re making steady progress!

The work we have been able to achieve thus far is because of your generous donations, both right after the hurricane and ongoing. The SPCA PV receives no governmental support (outside of disaster relief) and no funding from other non-profit organizations. 100% of our funding comes from individual private donations and adoption fees.

Please consider donating to help our rebuilding efforts and enabling us to continue helping the animals of Vallarta. On behalf of the animals we promise to protect, our gratitude knows no bounds. It truly does take a village.

To learn more about donations please visit SPCAPV.com/Donate or use PayPal to donate to SPCAPV.

Related: Finally! The First Criminal Trial for Animal Abuse in Mexico Is Underway (Vallarta Daily News)

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