January 17, 2010 - 39 animals sterilized 
today by Dr. Tello, our wonderful veterinarian. 

Our first clinic for 2010 was a great success and we had a beautiful day... sunny, moderate temperature, and without the strong winds that we often get this time of year.

Dr. Tello sterilized 19 dogs and 20 cats. Of the 19 dogs,  13 were female and 6 were male. Of the 20 cats, 15 were female and 5 were male. In addition to sterilization, he also removed a large venereal tumor from a female dog and from another dog he also removed a tumor from the shoulder. 

It is encouraging that people are bringing their male pets to be sterilized, especially male dogs that are at high risk for internal venereal tumors (the same as females) which are eventually fatal if not discovered and removed. As far as I know, Dr. Tello is one of the very few veterinarians in Panama who knows how to remove these tumors....he may be the ONLY one. There are certainly no other vets capable of this kind of surgery in our area.

We had a great team of volunteers. These clinics are long days and hard work, but besides the gratification of knowing we are reducing the overpopulation and suffering of so many animals, we actually have FUN. We are all friends and we enjoy working together.

Please inform your friends and neighbors about our clinics and the importance of sterilizing their pets. Besides preventing the eventually fatal venereal tumors in both male and female dogs, sterilization also prevents the birth of many puppies and kittens that would end up homeless and suffering miserable lives. Remember, in 7 years a female cat and her unsterilized offsprings can be responsible for the birth  of 420,000 cats; in 6 years, a female dog and her unsterilized offsprings can be responsible for the birth of 67,000 dogs. Please help to end the overpopulation!

Please donate! A donation of just $20 per month will pay for the cost of sterilzing one dog; a $10 donation will pay for the sterilization of one cat.

MANY thanks to our wonderful volunteers and contributors. Without their help and dedication, this important work simply could not be done. 

Olivia Kroekel was a first-time volunteer and she did a wonderful job as registrar. (Argelis Gomez often serves as registrar but she could not arrive until later in the day. Olivia was enjoying herself - and doing a great job - and she decided to stay all day.)
Lynn Longbons and Devin Licata administered the anesthesia and other pre-op injections. 
Einar Espinosa, also a first-time volunteer, performed pre-op shaving and prepping. (Einar is a wonderful young man; he is Jose's son.) 
Jose Espinosa. He is my permanent employee and I donate his time and work to the clinics. He helps weigh and tag the animals and give the anesthesia and often helps with pre-op shaving and prepping. Jose and I go to the clinic site on Mondays following the Sunday clinics to clean and organize for the next one.
Wally Ewen performed post-op care: cleaned the surgical site, tattooed the ears of female dogs to indicate they have been sterilized, gave injections of vitamin B-12 and antiparasite, and administered flea and tick treatment when necessary..
Francia Pinedo assisted Dr. Tello and helped with translations. (Francia also helps schedule animals prior to the clinic, and she also does the translation for the Spanish version of this web site.) Francia is a good friend and I know her to be an excellent - and HONEST - real estate agent in Volcan. Her web page is http://www.volcan.paradisepanama.net 
Eymi Pitti and Karolyn Rovira who cleaned and sterilized the surgical instruments and monitored the animals while they recovered from the anesthesia.
Claudia Armstrong, also a first-time volunteer, learned the requirements of several different jobs during the clinics.

Thanks to Eva and Warren Croxford for providing sandwiches, Sharon Borgman for a pot of soup, Carla Black for four bottles of soft drinks and Charles Eberle for six bottles. (We have two bottles left for next time.)  I provided picante salsa and corn chips.

Please forgive me if I have neglected to mention any volunteers or contributors! 

Income and expenses: 

Thanks very much to Ruth King and Charley Leves. I've never met them, but they have donated $500 in the past as well. The same with Freda Clarke in Florida, who has made two large cash donations.

At this January 17, 2010 clinic, we sterilized 19 dogs and 20 cats. With my average cost of $20 per dog and $10 per cat, expenses were $580, plus $300 for building rent, for a total expense of $880. (Although we didn't have a clinic in November or December, I still had to pay the $100 per month building rent.) With contributions of $1,148.00, there was actually a POSITIVE cash flow of $268.00. Therefore, since October of 2006 to date, my accumulated deficit is reduced to $3,351.75.  (The clinics began in March of 2006 but it didn't occur to me to keep financial records until October.)

Please donate! I very much appreciate your contributions, which are welcome and needed! (US citizens: please contact me about how to make IRS tax-deductible contributions.)

Following are some pictures taken during the January 17, 2010 clinic. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of every volunteer, but the ones I missed have pictures on other clinic pages.

Olivia Kroekel, registrar	Group on the porch and in the yard.	We had quite a large crowd.
Little doggie waiting her turn.	Doggie being operated on.	BIG dog!
Einar Espinosa shaving.	Devin Licata and Lynn Longbons	Claudia Armstrong
Don Binder with their newly adopted "Gus." Gus has a deformed front leg but gets around just fine. Dr. Tello's oldest child is petting Gus.	In addition to sterilization, this doggie has a tumor on her shoulder to be removed.	Internally, this venereal tumor was very large.
Carol Lodge with the two male dogs she and her husband brought from David.	Devin Licata eating soup. Wally Ewen waits at the post-op table.	Karolina Rovira works in after care.

Dr. Tello brought his two girls with him. The youngest one drew this cool picture for me. (Ana, his wife, came later with Emanuel, their son, who was one year old today.)

Thanks to everyone who participated in our clinics today, and to those who had their pets sterilized. 

Here in Volcan, our small group has been responsible for sterilizing 898 animals to date. Added to the 129 animals that Spay/Panama (from Panama City) sterilized in in Volcan in February of 2005, we have sterilized 1,027 dogs and cats! There are many more to go, but we are making progress!  Our goal is to sterilize at least 75% of the dogs and cats in the Volcan area, and thus almost completely solve the problem of homeless dogs and cats, and the terrible venereal disease suffered by so many dogs.

Dorothy Atwater - 771-5883, 6780-2565 or viajar2566@yahoo.com

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