October Clinic - BMA sizzles!

Strange, October is always our hottest month and adds to the challenge of a full day's work. Bringing in the animals and the volunteers in three shifts makes it easier for bearing a shorter stint of heat. Yesterday, we were all like sails on a still sea, sensitive to catch every breeze.

The day began with 8 cats. Margit and Cathi came to learn about cat recovery from Minerva. She had everyone in masks carefully cleaning kitty-cat ears. One of the "cats" was a tejon, a badger. He arrived in a kennel with three cats and they were clearly family. For the record, BMA does not endorse having a wild animal for a pet and will no longer be offering services outside of dogs and cats, but we all enjoyed our exotic patient and marveled at how cats and badgers get along so naturally.

Large dogs began arriving at 10 am along with Sandra, Bill and Justine for dog recovery. This is our new protocol and even though we designed it to minimize contact due to COVID 19 it is proving to be a better system. But, there are always things we do not plan - like a female dog showing up in heat in the midst a street-gang of males  - how can we say no? That's why we are here! We took in females that were in heat twice during the day, adding them to an already bulging roster. 

By 1 o'clock, our surgical team had performed 18 surgeries! Christina arrived with a hot lunch and cold, crispy salad - the whole enchilada, literally! Hard work and good food - there's nothing better!

Back to work, 10 more surgeries and another group of helpers: Leslie and Hiromi and Justine stayed on. Bill came several times during the day just when we needed help. He was our transport and ambulance service -  don't send a big, drunk dog home in a wheelbarrow on a cobbled road!  

8 cats, 20 dogs later, as the dusk turned to darkness we closed the gate and turned toward our homes in a camaraderie of weariness and contentment. Our reward: a shower, a meal, a pillow, a full heart...

Thank you, beautiful friends - it's an honor to work together!

BMA Clinic - September 12, 2020

Yesterday's clinic had many challenges, but in the end everything turned out. Atleast that's what I heard, I wasn't there.

Ana, with her new prosthesis, was there early to open.  When Wally saw her he took her into his arms for a dance! We are so happy to see how well she has come along in this remarkable recovery that we all want to dance with her! Thank you to everyone who particated in bringing this into reality! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was at home unable to walk or move my head due to  vertigo. Ana said, 'no problem' and she took the bull by the horns, managing the whole of the clinic. That's a heck of a task when you have a new leg and a day full of surgeries. But she has been through many clinics and knows what it takes in every department.

By 7:30 the clinic was open and taking in cats while Dr B. was stuck on the autopista with a car that wouldn't run. I don't know how that story turned out, but he arrived at 11 and surgery began. The final count: 15 cats, 14 females, 1 male and 8 dogs, 3 males and 5 females, for a total of 23. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. considering the late start and with the electricity blinking off and on.

A big debt of gratitude to everyone who stayed late to finish: Dr B., Ana, Minerva, Shunashi, Kenny, Leslie, Hiromi and Bill. Ana, Kenny and Minerva put in a 13+ hour day! Leslie, Hiromi and Bill wouldn't leave till the last animal was picked up. Thank you Barb and Trilby for checking in and supporting the team. Even Anne in Canada was supportive in guidance by phone. Thank you Christina for a delicious break in the long day. Everyone raves over your lunches. I hope you readers realize what dedication there is here. People who love like this are our everyday heroes who in the end will save the world!

This team is tight! Working with the same people every month and knowing each other so well that we can move together as one - HEY,  we are dancing!

Rain-n-cats-n-dogs... BMA August Clinic Report

On Saturday, August 8th, BMA had the second modified clinic since COVID.

We treated 8 female cats and 5 males, 12 female dogs and 2 males - a total of 28 animals. 

Anna, Kenny and Shunashi opened the clinic to a floodgate of cats - 13 in all, 6 of them from Santiago.  

A client from there wrote:

"... you have no idea how grateful we are for the blessing you were to us. We love animals but sometimes financial resources don't work in our favor.

We have 23 cats and 2 dogs, all rescued! And it has been a great effort to be able to sterilize them all! But thanks to people like you and with God's help it has been possible. It is difficult for us to feed them.

Again, thank you very much for your work, for your time, for your example of dedication. May God bless you one hundred fold for what you do. Thank you!"

By 11 we finished with the felines and the dogs began to come in as part of our new protocol with three different check-in schedules. This reduces the time our animals are waiting. 4 strong beautiful women came from San Blas with street dogs. Sandra wrangled one of them at 3 in the morning!  And all of them stayed to help in recovery. Thank you Sandra, Evelyn, Guadalupe and Paloma for the love and stamina you have for animals! Jenny, Leslie and Hiromi were also there to check respiration, de-tick and clean ears...the normal-special attention that our animals receive as they recover.

Ana prepped every animal for surgery and

 was the first person to arrive and the last to leave. 

The afternoon brought intense heat and rain and mosquitoes! Leon lent us tents from the tianguis to shelter us. We finished at 5:30 - wet, hungry, tired and well-satisfied. What a valiant crew! Someone should make a movie...

With a little help...

Hello,
BMA would like to thank all the donors for this campaign for Ana.
As we have reached our goal and Ana will have her prosthesis by the end of August, any donation made from today (Aug. 6, 2020) will be donated to BMA for the sterilization campaigns.

Thank you again.

WE DID IT!!! Today we reached our goal to raise money for a prosthesis for Ana! 

Ana has an appointment on the 13th of August to be measured for a leg with working knee and foot designed for her. What an amazing contribution this is to the quality of her life and future. Thank you for making it a reality!

Update: Ana is ready for a prosthesis and the cost is 150,800 MX pesos or $6,765 US. Let's help her get to the goal and end well. Please consider what it means to lose a leg and how you can help someone continue as a valuable member of our surgical team and community. Thanks for your generousity!

GoFundMe
or Paypal

Update : GoFundMe page is back to work :
https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-prosthesis-for-ana-una-protesis-para-ana
BMA team is also ready to serve as an intermediary, either for a bank transfer or directly in cash. Just ask Anne, Amaranth or Barbara




In March 2020, Bahia Matanchen Animal's surgical nurse, Ana Gutierrez was hit by a drunk driver. She sustained many injuries but the worst was her leg had to be amputated above the knee.

Because of COVID, she wasn't allowed visitors in the hospital and had to endure alone. She is a trained nurse and physical therapist so she knew the whole picture of what was needed to recuperate. Now she is home and on crutches, training to strengthen her right leg to carry and lead her movement. She changes her dressings herself. In June 2020 she will be ready for a prosthesis. This is an incredible story of recovery!

Ana needs our financial help.  Ana is a hard-working woman, persevering with a positive attitude and a renewed sense of what is important to her life.  BMA is one of her passions. Please help someone who is good, brave, and a fighter for animals. She deserves our support. BMA needs her.

June 2020 Clinic - not back to normal...

Dear friends of BMA, 

You may be wondering what is happening with our monthly clinics... The clinics have been mandatorily closed like everything else due to the corona virus. Today, the government announced that we can open again in June  - June 13th. It will be a modified clinic to respect safe distancing. Only BMA staff and animals without their human families will be present. Each of our volunteers will be bringing animals from their towns and returning them to their homes.  This will make the logistics a bit more intensive but we are modeling responsible social interaction in this transition time.

BMA is dedicated in supporting animals and our community with love in the time of COVID-19. In the meantime, BMA volunteers continue to rescue, feed and foster where we live. Be strong everyone and spread the love of animals!

BMA Clinic Report - March 14, 2020

BMA Clinic Report - March 14, 2020 

The day of the clinic was gorgeous! The courtyard was glistening clean with a fresh cut and shave - literally. The magnificent ficus in the center is also a high rise condo to the frigates. Many of it's branches had been removed to open the canopy and hopefully reduce the number of frigates. It's a show-stopper and  looks amazing, but now the poop can splat far and wide with mucho menos branches to slow the free-fall of avian excreta. Well, there is a Plan B and hey, it's still the loveliest recovery room in Nayarit... hats and gloves are required.

The courtyard and museum are undergoing improvements and a cut and shave is only part of it. It's going to be glorious. These changes are in response to the passing of Dr. Rose Lee Patron, Director of BMA and also a founder of the museum. The museum is making space for Dr Patron's personal archeological collection. As BMA's surgery and recovery area is also on this site BMA will be dedicating a garden in her memory.  We are raising money in a campaign now for this effort. Please consider being a part of advancing two noble causes in our community in honor of a friend who lived as its ambassador: The Aticama Museum of Archaeology and History and BMA, two facets in the gem of Bahia Matanchen. The museum and the legacy of Rose Lee give voice to the rich past that is rooted here. What is that worth? Use this link to give generously:  gf.me/u/xnzt8p

Back to the clinic: We treated 10 dogs (8 females, 2 males) including a chemo treatment for papiloma and also 5 cats (4 female and 1 male).

Kate brought us a feast for the last time until next November. If there's anyone out there who would like to volunteer for providing lunch, please raise your paw.

Thank you, Leon and Jorge for the improvement in our garden/courtyard/recovery area.

Thank you Minerva and Katherine for animal recovery.

Thank you Dr B and Ana for excellent surgical care.

Thank you Nena, Kenny, Barb and Amaranth for the rest...

And speaking of rest - the April clinic is postponed due to COVID 19. Please take precautions and be responsible by staying at home and boosting your immune system. We wish you all good health.

Elegy to a Queen: Rosa Patron, BMA Director and friend...

Our BMA bee hive has lost her queen...Rosa leaves a great void in our community.

If I were to say only one nice thing about Rosa it is that she never met anyone she didn't like...she was open and generous with all kinds of people, always believing the best and never the worst of others. She savored friends like some savor food. In fact I never met anyone who became so energized by the company of people.

Thank you, Rosa querida for your profound hospitality even in the last year confined mostly to bed. You still wore flowers and pink and served up goodies as you led with a gavel and closed with an inspirational directive. You are the best queen we ever had and we will always remember how you loved each of us as you encouraged our best.

BMA Clinic - February 8, 2020

Once a month we come together to make a clinic. We come from our varied lives of personal busy-ness and for one Saturday each month we shift our focus for the work of BMA. We are friends. We have talked and teased our way through literally hundreds of cats and dogs. At the end of the day, we hug and go home tired, hungry, hopefully satisfied. Often we don't see one another until the next clinic.

This morning Anne began her return to Canada via Mexico City. Having her at clinic yesterday felt so right. She naturally brings a feeling of right order to the running of things. She is an experienced captain at the helm of BMA. Today we are back in our everyday lives but for a moment, I savor what it is to be a part of a team of beautiful friends. These photos should give a taste of yesterday's clinic.

BMA's Silent Auction - January 25, 2020

A fabulous turnout last night for BMA's 10th Annual Silent Auction!

Thank you all who volunteered to help make this event full, rich and fun! And thank you all who came out to support the work of BMA by donating and buying. Looking around the room, feeling the energy of friends - what a beauty-ful community!

BMA Clinic Report - January 11, 2020

Our first clinic of 2020 was a record breaker: 30 animals!

It was not our intention to treat so many animals but a succession of decisions kept leading us further down the path of a long day.

We learned a lot: that our best efficiency is when we limit our treatment to 22-25 animals, that we must take good care of one another, not just the animals to make a good clinic and that prioritizing must not be compromised. It is very hard to say "no" but for the good of the most it is necessary.

I have such respect for Nena and Kenny who started and ended the clinic in the dark - more than 12 hours. Nena never lost her smile or willingness to do what was needed.

BMA has outstanding volunteers: Minerva, her niece and Nena had 12 post-op cats to watch over. Jenny, Leslie, Lorraine, spent all afternoon with 18 dogs in succession. That's a lot of up and down, on the ground and running around! And the quality of their attention should be mentioned - each animal is given sensitive attention to their unique characteristics. Barb and Mel came late in the afternoon to give us some relief.

I want to mention Minerva especially because she cleaned the bathroom and mopped the portico, clipped palm branches and kept busy with many things...so thoughtful. She cared for the animals and the ones caring for the animals.

Dr B is always the same: steady, calm, present, and generous - on his feet for 30 straight surgeries.
Ana, always moving, prepped and checked on animals before and after surgery, her eyes are on individual animals through the entire process, beginning to end.

This clinic was tough and humbling. It's not about breaking records, but always to learn and personally grow. BMA is more than a project - it's an alchemy of character, energy and intelligence of volunteers in service to others. Let's take good care of the ones who make our little piece of the world better.

BRAVO, BMA! Y GRACIAS A TODOS!