We have had dogs since we moved here in 1994. We rented a house that had in its garage a mother dog and her five new puppies. One of the conditions of the rental was that we allowed the dogs to stay until the person looking after the house for the owners could find the puppies good homes. As we had 2 children aged 10 and 12 we readily agreed.

Our son fell in love with the mother dog a beautiful cross between a Doberman and a Lab and I knew we would probably take a puppy too. We did and they had full happy, healthy lives with us until they passed away. The puppy was almost purebred Dalmatian and impossible to train. She was, however, the smartest dog we have ever had.

The maid had accidently left the gate unlocked so our puppy opened it easily with her paw and she and her mother set out on an excellent adventure. The mother dog was brought back by the person who was looking after our rental house but the puppy was missing for 2 and ½ days and we thought she was gone.

Late one night I heard scratching and crying at our front door and I knew our clever puppy had found her way home in the pouring rain in the dead of night. There was elation all around.

A few years later our daughter had become attached to a little miniature Schnauzer that was living on the street outside her school in Chapala. Our daughter had been feeding this feisty little puppy and lined a cardboard box with an old sweatshirt and fed her every day she was at school. I broached the subject of a third dog with my husband who said “no” without hesitation. I explained that this situation was different and our daughter had become attached to this animal.

To my great delight my husband went to my daughter’s school and picked up this puppy (who he hoped was the right one) and brought her home. The next day we took her to be shampooed, clipped, rid of fleas and dosed with all the appropriate shots and picked up our daughter who had been staying overnight with a friend. I will never forget the look on her face and the puppy was jolly happy too.

When our first mother and daughter dogs were getting older we were lucky enough to get a wonderful street dog a baby girl Lab who we all love to pieces as we have loved all of our dogs. She is an amazing watch dog and takes her job of protecting the family very seriously.

Last year we lost our little Schnauzer to a heart condition and so we were down to one dog. I could not even think about getting another dog.

Then another street dog this time a little boy Bichon Frise/Poodle mix came to my husband’s office. We put up signs trying to find the owners but when no one came forward we adopted him happily and he soon took the pain out of our hearts from losing our little Schnauzer.

Aside from the immense pleasure our dogs bring to our lives with their unconditional love we also appreciate the fact that they protect us and our house. I am not saying not to look into various security systems but the best security is a barking dog.

4 out of the 5 dogs we have adopted over the years were or are street dogs and I highly recommend these animals as they are so appreciative to have found a good home where they are loved and looked after that the reward is tenfold.

Call the Animal Shelter at 765-5514 to see about adopting a security system today.

This a charity that spays and neuters, feeds 76 dogs, gives refuge and rescue and helps all needy animals regardless of ownership.

This year the menu is a Prime Rib Dinner for $250.00 pesos per person and a cash bar.

The Entertainment is Carol Bedford and Jerry Mayfield.

There is also a Silent Auction November 6th at 4:00 pm at Paseo del Mirador # 14 in La Floresta.

Tickets are available at: Handy Mail, Diane Pearl, Blue Bell Ice Cream Ship, Animal Care Pet Shop, Yves Restaurant, 2nd Time Around (next to Ruben’s Restaurant) or call: 766-3813, cell 331 431-7744, 766-0780 or 765-3435.

Unfortunately, no tickets will be sold at the door and it is by reservation only.

This event always opens the festive season for us and we always have a good time with good food, wine and company with the bonus of knowing we are helping to look after and feed animals.

Come on out and enjoy a lovely dinner with wonderful caring people.

We hope to see you there!

Being a family of dog lovers when were first introduced to Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) we absorbed avidly all the information and training he was teaching us about the problem with any dog is the “energy” of the human.

All any dog gets from us is our smell and our “energy”. Cesar teaches us to be calm and assertive so our dogs will be calm and submissive and reach the balance that will make their lives happy. If we are nervous, frustrated, angry, weak, sad or any other negative emotion our dog will pick up on this and reject us as a suitable pack leader and take over that role themselves. This is not something they want to do or are comfortable with but our negative energy leaves them no choice.

There are many lessons we can learn from Cesar and another one which resonated with us is that “you don’t necessarily get the dog you want you get the dog you need”. Our dogs can teach us many things but as we struggle with the positive energy that will help us have balance for our dogs it will also give us balance. As we become calm and assertive our lives will also change for the better as we rid ourselves of some very draining negative emotions.

I had occasion to unwittingly put this positive calm assertive energy into practice the other day at the bank.

We needed to pick up some business checks at our bank in Chapala which should have been a straightforward undertaking. For those who have lived in Ajijic, Lake Chapala for any amount of time you know this is not always the case. There is no guarantee that any transition at the bank will be straightforward.

We knew the checks were indeed ready so our daughter tried to pick up the checks with the appropriate signed authorization. She was told only my husband or I could pick up the checks with our passports in hand.

My husband then tried but the bank customers were overflowing out onto the street and he had another appointment. He was also worried as he only had his driver’s license with him and not his passport.

The task then fell to me, armed with my passport, to try to pick up the checks as we now were totally out.

I drove to Chapala and was pleasantly surprised to obtain a parking space close to my bank. I walked in and sure enough the bank was still filled with waiting customers backing onto the street. I first thought I would try later and then I made another decision.

I strode purposely right through the bank to the customer service offices and told the first person I saw that I was here to pick up my checks and how might I go about accomplishing that feat. She asked me to sit down and would attend to it right away. I put my passport on her desk and she returned with the checks in hand which I duly signed for and she activated them on her computer for immediate use. I also needed to cash one of my new checks so I went to the head of the preferred customer line and was served immediately. The teller did not even ask for my passport!

The entire production took ten minutes and I was happily on my way back to Ajijic checks in hand.

The moral of this blog is that a positive personal energy will elicit a positive result. Try it! It works.

The People
Mexican people are known for their warmth, good humor and hospitality. In world surveys about happiness, they regularly come out to be one of the happiest nations. Everyone is always welcome at their fiestas, baptisms, weddings, and a host of other events with family and friends.

The Food
The most well-known Mexican dish is chili con carne which we have never seen on a menu in Mexico. Mexican food is cheap (unless you want to eat at expensive International restaurants), plentiful and astonishing in its variety. Every region has its own cuisine. The food can indeed be hot through the use of many kinds of chiles, but also includes many other tastes and sensations.

Carlos Fuentes claims there r five major gastronomic traditions in the world. French, Italian, Spanish and Mexican.

The Climate
Because Mexico is such a large country, the climate varies enormously according to region. Where we live in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, it is 75 degrees and sunny 90% of the year.

The Colors
When we first came to Mexico we loved the colors, especially the combination in some houses of deep blue and orange. Life in Mexico is colorful, in every sense of the word.

The Landscape
D.H. Lawrence, in his novel set in Mexico “The Plumed Serpent” described the Mexican landscape as harsh and unyielding. He was referring in particular to the dark hills that ring Lake Chapala. Lawrence is right in that the landscape can indeed be harsh, arid and inhospitable. But these same dark hills turn to green velvet during the most beautiful of seasons – the rainy season from June 15th to October 15th. In Ajijic, Lake Chapala the landscape is magnificent. We are nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Lake Chapala affording us wonderful panoramas of both.
The Wildlife
Mexico is one of 12 countries in the world that between them contain 60-70% of the planet’s biodiversity, which entitles it to be called ‘magadiverse’. Mexico occupies first place in reptile diversity, second in mammals, fourth in amphibians and vascular plants and tenth in birds. It is estimated that more than 10% of all world’s species live in Mexico

The Surrealism
The famous French surrealist, Andre, Breton, commented that Mexico was “the surrealist country par excellence”. This surrealist encompasses not just what is visually everywhere but also to what happens in Mexico. As one of my favorite sayings about Mexico states – “Mexico where the impossible is possible and possible impossible”. I also have my own saying – “that Mexico is a very flexible country”.

These are a few of the reasons that we love Mexico and we know you will certainly find your own.
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Animal Shelter A.C.

Geoffrey Kaye, longtime resident and owner of the shelter, is truly a pillar of the community. All proceeds from products sold at the shelter to back into food and caring for the many cats and dogs he gives homes to until they can be adopted.

The shelter is connected to the Ladron Veterinarian Clinic. Both Antonio and Hector Ladron are excellent vets and have looked after our animals with care and kindness for 16 years.

The shelter sells all makes and manner of animal food and supplies at very competitive prices and has a wonderful facility for cats and dogs with many caring volunteers to look after them. One of the great things that Geoffrey organizes is having the children from various orphanages in Ajijic, Lake Chapala come to the shelter to walk and play with the dogs and cats. This is an activity that is enjoyed by the kids and the animals alike.

You can imagine our surprise, then, when on Monday of this week, we received an email saying the shelter was in danger of being closed as one person had 8 signatures to protest the noise from the dog shelter.

Four government officials arrived at the door of the shelter and threatened to remove all dogs on the spot and euthanize them forthwith.

Geoffrey managed to convince them to give him 48 hours to find homes for the 14 dogs that were currently in his care.

Tuesday over 1,000 people arrived to the shelter to sign a petition to keep it open and, thankfully, all 14 dogs were adopted.

We ourselves adopted a 7 month old male golden retriever/lab but, unfortunately, two of our family members were allergic to him. Our son’s friend, however, saved the day, as he was going to the shelter to get a dog that very day, and, happily, took this sweet kind puppy home to his beautiful house and big garden in the Racquet Club.

Although things are still up in the air we have subsequently learned that because of the overwhelming support Geoffrey and shelter received it stands every chance to remain open and the continue the wonderful service it provides to the community and it’s animals.

If you wish to get involved with this most worthwhile venture an ensure the shelter stays open to continue its great work please call Geoffrey at 765-5514 and ask what you can to do help.

Dogs in Ajijijc, Lake Chapala, Mexico

We too, here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, are dog lovers. Of course, we had dogs growing up in Canada but somehow they were never the best friends and givers of unconditional love that they are to us now.

Our transition to Ajijic, Lake Chapala was difficult for our children who were 10 and 12.
The first house I found for us to rent in the village of Ajijic came with a mother dog who had just had 6 puppies. The owners of the house had let this stray Doberman/lab have her puppies in their garage and did not want her disturbed until the puppies were old enough to be farmed out to loving homes.

This was the answer to a prayer for me because what child does not love puppies and we readily agreed to rent the house and look after the mother and her puppies.

When the children arrived the puppies still had not opened their eyes and so they happily raised them with Norma, the mother. Norma seemed to understand that these two children loved her puppies dearly and, therefore, she let them help. If anyone else went near her puppies she would growl but if is was the kids that was OK.

Every day the kids would come home from school and directly go to see to the puppies needs. The vet, Antonio Ladron, was kitty corner to our house in those days so taking them for their shots and checkups was no problem. The kids showed amazing responsibility and they are the puppies and, of course, Norma, thrived.

I knew we would end up with one of the puppies for ourselves but I did not expect the bond that sprang up between our son and Norma who had previously been an abused street dog and loved Conner with all of her heart. One day one of her puppies, the wily Mancha, opened the front gate with her paw, and they left on an excellent adventure. Our son was inconsolable but thrilled when a neighbor saw Norma in downtown Ajijic and drove her home to us. Mancha did not come home for two days. In the middle of the night in a raging thunderstorm I heard something at the gate and knew it was Mancha. She had miraculously found her way home in the rain and she was only 3 months old.

Although, Norma, left us two years ago we still almost 15 years later have Mancha who can still open any door or window in the house.

We have added two more street dogs to our family. First a miniature schnauzer and more recently a beautiful golden lab. Both dogs were about one year old when we got them and had both had bleak lives on the streets of Chapala.

The unconditional love and joy we receive from our animals is truly heartwarming and we agree totally with Rourke that they are the greatest companions you could have.

There are many such street dogs in Ajijic,Lake Chapala and I heartily recommend that if you adopt a street dog your life will be vastly improved. They are so grateful for a loving home and will protect you and keep you safe and love you with all of their little hearts.

The yellow animal shelter on the carretara is a wonderful place to find an amimal that will change your life.