In the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 25, 2005, I began a journey that I will never forget. I didn't know it at the time, but I was destined to travel to Mexico.

I never knew that there were Bichons in Mexico, and a rescuer of these Bichons, desperately needing our help.

Since that time, Small Paws has adopted "Casa Andrea" as our Sister Rescue in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in an outreach capacity.

We now have monthly commitments from our donors, and are able to send them $500.00 each month, to help them to help our Bichons.

To send veterinary equipment, new or used, to Oscar, the Vet in Puerto Vallarta, this is the address.
M.V.Z. Oscar Gerardo Gomez Huerta
Berlin No. 112
Col. La Vena
48820 Puerto Vall

Read the newsletters below to see the pictures of Bichons needing our help in Mexico.


This is the cobblestone road in front of Casa Andrea. The yellow steps lead to the most beautiful tropical oasis, where I was hosted for my two days in Mexico.

Late Tuesday Night October 25, 2005 from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Gem of the Day: Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
~Norman MacEwan~

Dear Small Pawsers,

As you know, a few days ago we learned about a situation going on in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico regarding a Bichon at a kill shelter.

Many thanks to Vicki and Jim Furstenburg for donating their airline mileage so that I could fly here, to Puerto Vallarta, early this morning at no cost to Small Paws.

Andrea is hosting me, free of charge for two nights, in one of the rooms of the small resort hotel (11 darling apartments) that she and her husband own here. Casa Andrea

You know, there have been some things that have happened in all of our lives...things that are life changing moments. Moments that you will never forget. Moments that change you to where you will never ever be same.

Today was filled with those moments for me...so much so that I can't type it all out fast enough to tell you.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter how much I tried to get out of this trip...no matter how many people (ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAHA) that I asked to go in my stead...I know, that I know, that I know...GOD SENT ME TO MEXICO.

First of all, Andrea (a private rescuer doing unimaginable work here in Puerto Vallarta) had a hold on the little Bichon that was pictured on Petfinder's...a hold on her for Small Paws.

Well, in between then and the time when I got down here this morning, she was adopted out by the shelter that had her...they didn't tell Andrea and she was very upset with them. I had already left on my trip when this happened this morning.

You guys know what? Even though that baby has been adopted into another home, this was a God thing that I came down here. I have to tell you about what is happening here...to BICHONS and how we can help them.

Andrea has another little Bichon mix that desperately needs us...and so I am going to being her on home to Small Paws. This is a picture of her little Bichon butt and I will get a better one of her face for you soon!

Andrea and her own personal Bichon, Cooper (on left) and our Bichon mix, (On the right) "Paloma's" butt. Paloma means "Dove" in Spanish. She is coming home to Small Paws! Her new name is now "Paloma Andrea' Small Paws"

I have so much to tell you all, and yet I just can't type it out fast enough. I am so hot and sweaty, (the heat index was 98 degrees here today...all make-up melted off long ago) and yes, I am exhausted, and yet it is one of those times I feel God is speaking directly to me...the same way he did when we went to find Tennessee Tommy.

OK, where do I start? First of all, Yes, Andrea is a Bichon Mom herself. I had no idea of this when I came down here. She didn't tell me this when I made arrangements to come down here.

I'm not sure that Andrea KNEW that her Cooper is a Bichon, but he is as much Bichon as you or I. :) They seem to call these Bichons, POODLE MIXES down here. Trust me...these are Bichons.

She rescued "Cooper" when he ended up in that same kill shelter.

Andrea and her own Bichon, "Cooper" share a playful moment together.


"Cooper" lives here of course with Andrea.

I'm going to try to tell you about things in the order in which they happened to me today. This is all so overwhelming and yet I am grateful for the opportunity to come and tell you all about it.

I got here at the airport and found Andrea outside of baggage claim, holding this little poodle baby and this sign.

At first, I thought...now wait...that is a toy poodle...she is darling but she is a toy poodle with very longgg legs. (Andrea had fostered "Emma" for four months, after finding her mostly dead and starved.)

Well, yes she is a toy poodle, and she was at the airport today because she was going home to her new Mama who flew in to pick her up from San Francisco. It's cheaper to fly in and pick them up than it is to fly them home to the states in cargo from Mexico. Average cargo price $700-800.

"Beverly", Emma's new Mama, has adopted from Andrea before. Meet Beverly's first Bichon, Bella! (Yes, they called her a "poodle mix" too!)

Bella's Mom, who lives in San Francisco knows that her Bella is a Bichon but I am sure having to educate the rest of the town here as to what a Bichon really is...

Andrea holds her former foster Bichon, "Bella" after not seeing her for over a year.


"Bella" prances as best she can while wearing panties to make sure she doesn't tinkle in the airport! (DIDN'T I TELL YOU SHE WAS A BICHON????)

While we were at the airport, we met three Americans who asked about the dog rescue that Andrea does.

They all live in Manhattan, NYC. As I live in breathe, as they heard the story the dogs of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, they said that after their 8 days of vacation here, they WILL come see Andrea and they WILL adopt a dog from her and take it home with them on the plane and give it a forever home.

Let me explain what is going on down here and why I am hoping that we can help them to save the lives of 3-4 Bichons...yes, these are Bichons, each and every months.

There are pure bred dogs running loose in the streets. If they have a certain tag, it means Animal Control has picked them up and vaccinated them against rabies...and you are to leave them alone. The shop owners feed them and they live in the streets.

People here don't think about dogs the way we do. The little Bichon Mix that we are saving was tied to a stake on a roof, and left with no food or water.

Andrea began to paint a picture so horrific, that it was hard for even me to listen to...and you know, I have seen a lot in the puppy mills across our country.

Andrea told me of a dog that was so hungry that he was hanging around a taco stand begging for food. This happened several years back. The business owner didn't want him there, so they poured hot oil on this dog to get him to leave.

Of course he was badly burned and almost died from the infection.

Andrea saved his life. She does this work with her own funds, out of her own pocket. She cries when she has to let some of these small placeable dogs...and yes some are Bichons...to be put down because of a lack of enough money and medical equipment to be able to save them.

Today, when Andrea and I went to lunch in an open air restaurant, she was telling me of her plight to try to save the dogs of Mexico.

While we were there, we met an old man named Dimitri. He was American, but he lives in Mexico.

Andrea ask him how "Jeffrey" was. I didn't know the man or his "Jeffrey."...or wait a minute...maybe I did.

Dimitri remembers his beloved "Jeffrey."

You see, Dimitri is the man who ten years ago, adopted that dog who had hot oil poured on him in front of that taco stand.

The man welled up with tears and told Andrea that Jeffrey had finally become too old, and he had to let him go on to God after ten years.

As I saw his tears, mine welled up as well. This man talked of how this dog, this Mexican street stray, saved his sanity after losing his wife of 35 years.

Andrea went back to her story and began to tell me about how she operates and what she does. She goes to the Centro Shelter every week, and tries to pull as many dogs as she can afford to feed and vet...herself. She uses the money she makes from renting her rooms to feed the dogs, and to get them needed vet care.

She told me of how Oscar, her vet, is a young vet who still lives with his folks, so that he can save money to be able to take care of more of the dogs with his own money, does what he can but doesn't even have modern equipment to work with.

This young vet doesn't even have an x-ray machine.

Oscar, the vet, and his Schnauzer.

He is operating in conditions that remind you of a third world country...trying to do what he can to save the dogs. Prepare yourselves. This is primitive.

Oscar, the vet, saved and saved to send off for this operating table. He is so proud of this operating table. He boils his instruments to sterilize them. He has to substitute a crochet hook for one tool that is used to spay the females.

Do you want to see what KIND of dogs Oscar is trying to save? Brace yourselves.

This poor fluff had a fractured pelvis. Oscar did surgery on him to repair it! AN orthopedic surgeon from Canada came down and gave a seminar to the vets in Mexico, teaching them how to repair orthopedic injuries.
They sneak these dogs into the human hospitals where their friends work, in the early mornings, so they can use the human x-ray machines.:(

Oscar also grooms the dogs he has helped Andrea to save, after they are adopted. The problem is,,..,there are so many of them needing homes. Tell me if you recognize what kind of dogs these are. These were all at his vet clinic today. I stood there quietly gasping for breath.

This is the work Andrea is doing out of her pocket and she is drowning here.

There are fluffs everywhere, starving on the streets here. She takes as many in as she can, but she can't do anymore than she is doing. She is saving and vetting 3-4 "Poodle mixes" a month and these dogs are BICHONS I tell you. Halos. Spots on tummies, and some of them do the wave.

She needs help. She didn't ask for our help...but I am telling you, I believe that God has brought me here, to show me what is happening here, and that He is asking us to please help her.

If any of you are in the medical professions and have access to used X-ray machines...or to any veterinary equipment, please let me know.

Anything at all is so very appreciated.

Even if the pieces are old and outdated, anything would be better than what they have now.

Andrea tells me she goes to Sam's here, and buys dog food in broken bags at half price...to feed the dogs at the shelter, so they won't be in pain for the several days that they are held there, before they are euthanized.

Folks, she is using her money, to save our fluffs, If we could just support her to take care of 3-4 Fluffs a month, she could use her funds to take care of the other precious and dying dogs of Mexico.

It's not these fluff's fault that they weren't born in Toledo, Ohio. It's not their fault that they don't speak English.

They are our family, and they need us to help Andrea, to help them.

Sometimes churches adopt other churches in another country as their "Sister Church". They help that church in an outreach capacity.

I don't know how to tell you this except just to tell you. I feel that God is leading us...leading me, to ask you to please consider taking Andrea and the Street Fluffs of Puerto Vallarta, on as our "Sister Rescue", in an outreach capacity.

We have so much here in the states. We don't even know how much we have. Until you see what I have seen here today, with my own eyes...we just don't know what we have.

I know we have to take care of the fluffs in our own country first. Never ever has even one fluff gone without a surgery or heartworm treatment while in the care of Small Paws Rescue.

I am going to be bold here. I am going to ask you, if all of us come together, Small Paws Rescue, can send a monthly donation down to Andrea, to help her to save and rescue our fluffs...to make sure that none of our Bichons get left behind at that awful kill shelter where they can't even afford to feed them, for days, before they kill them.

I don't know if we can do it...I don't know if you will want to do it...but my goal would be for Small Paws to send $500.00 to Andrea and Oscar, her vet, , each month, to help them to save our Bichons, and yes, they are Bichons, and to find loving homes for them.

With $500.00 U.S. dollars, we can save maybe one Bichon. They can save several with this same amount!

Are you guys with me on this? I wish you could have all been here today to see this with me...but then again, I know some of your hearts are too tender.

I know I ended up here in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, the last place in the world I would have thought I would be, for a reason. I believe that reason is to come and tell you what is happening here....to Bichons in need.

____________________________________________

Thursday October 27, 2005 from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Gem of the Day: "Here is a secret. First comes the step ... then comes the path. When you step the path appears.
There is a difference between doing and getting ready. It is easy to spend your life getting ready all the while believing you are doing."
~Jerry Scott~


Oscar, the Mexican vet helps Andrea to save the fluffs of Mexico.
His mailing address (if you would like to send him any kind of medical supplies or equipment) is
M.V.Z. Oscar Gerardo Gomez Huerta
Berlin NO. 112
COL. La Vena
48820 PTO. Vallarta, Jal.
Mexico

Dear Small Pawsers,

It's almost 7 A.M. here in Puerto Vallarta as I prepare to return back home to the states. I will never be the same, after having witnessed what I have witnessed here in Mexico.

I had no idea...NO IDEA on God's green earth that there were Bichons and Bichons mixes here...desperately needing our help.

Andrea is 60 years old, and works very hard all day, from 6 in the morning until about 10:30 a night, operating Casa Andrea, a small resort hotel, located in the older downtown district of beautiful Puerto Vallarta.

This woman is doing tremendous work here to save the street dogs of Mexico. I never dreamed that so many of them are Bichons or Bichon Mixes.

They were calling them "poodle mixes" down here. Now they know that they are BICHONS! They groom them with shaved faces. (Probably a good idea as it is so hot here.) Does a rose by any other name still smell as sweet? You bet...and these roses are Bichons, I tell you. See the little short legs of the one on the grooming table?

My mind is still spinning with all I have seen on this unexpected journey to one of the poorest countries.

Last night, we took little Paloma Andrea (Pronounced "Ahn-DREY-a") over to Oscar for her health certificate so that she could travel with me today on the plane.

Oscar also groomed Paloma for Small Paws.

Paloma is fresh and coiffed and ready to come home to Small Paws!
(Click here to hear the song Una Paloma Blanca! (The White Dove)


This is Oscar, the vet's, Mom. Look at those cow spots on her tummy! (Paloma's, not Oscar's Mom.) Bichons have pigmentation like this under their white fur, over their whole body. I've always called them "cow spots." This is proof positive that Paloma once knew a Bichon...

Andrea and I went out to "the nursery" last night. No this isn't a place for babies...nor a place where they grow plants.

It is some property where Andrea takes care...NURSES, the street dogs of Puerto Vallarta back to health so that they may be adopted by American tourists who come to Mexico, many times coming there just to save a dog and take it back home to the states.

Remember little Bella, the Bichon from the airport on Wednesday? Bella was adopted one year ago to a lady in San Francisco. This lady returned to Puerto Vallarta, in order to adopt another dog, this time a toy poodle, from Andrea.

Andrea holds her former foster Bichon, "Bella" after not seeing her for over a year.

Well, when Andrea rescued Bella, one year ago, Bella also had four puppies. Andrea rescued all of those and placed them in loving homes.

One of Bella's puppies was adopted by an American, who was living here in Mexico. He was recently transferred overseas, and opted to leave "Chico" here with Andrea, rather than put him in quarantine for six months.

While "Chico's" mother was a Bichon, I do believe his daddy was a Wheatie...a Wheaton Terrier.

Chico, last night, at the "nursery". He was so glad to see Andrea as we pulled up in her tiny red car.
(UPDATE! Nov 8, 2005. Thanks to the Small Paws Mailing List, Chico is being adopted by a Wheaton Rescue Mama! SHe is flying there to bring him on home!)

One dog, a large mixed breed, was at the nursery. She had come in with ovarian cancer. Oscar gave her chemo-therapy, in the most primitive conditions possible.

After he removed all of the cancer, and treated her for the remaining cancer cells, I'll be if she didn't get bitten by a poisonous frog, and dadgum nearly died yet again. She is supposed to be here for some reason I would say!

Our little Paloma Andrea, the Bichon mix I am bringing on home to Small Paws, spent one month re-cooperating from near starvation and flea and tick infestation at "the nursery."

Look at our little Paloma now, as Andrea and I went to dinner late last night.


This charming outdoor cafe is just 1/2 block down the hill from Casa Andrea. We ate dinner there each of the two nights I was in Mexico.

We walked to a nearby outside cafe and little Paloma (Paloma means "Dove") was our honored guest at the table.

As the sights and sounds of Mexico floated past me last night, (a small white burro, laden with a load on both sides of his back, walked right by our table, being led by his owner) I looked deep into the eyes of this amazing woman, known to all of the locals as Andrea, the "el perro" (the dog) lady.

Andrea has tremendous respect of the shop owners and hotel owners. You see, she is trying with everything she has within her, to educate the Mexican people about the importance of spaying and neutering EVERY SINGLE DOG AND CAT..

As we walked down the steep hill from Casa Andrea, on the heavily cobblestoned street, she pointed to a charming balcony accented by brightly colored bougainvillea streaming down.

Many of the Mexican people live like this, in apartments right above their shops.

There, on that balcony, stood a Bichon. Big as life. Right there in front of God and everybody on the balcony, right above my head.

Andrea told me of how this Bichon had puppies. Andrea told the owner, "You give me the puppies. I will find them homes with American in the States. And...let me take your chiquita (your little one) to see Oscar to be spayed. I'll pay."

And she did just that. Ok, I am tearing up here just remembering it all. She told me story after story..I met person after person who had been touched by this woman's love of dogs and of the people who love the dogs.

At dinner last night, she pointed to a tan colored pit bull that she says is a very sweet dog. This dog was just sitting on the corner, under a street light.

She said, "I just swooped him up one day and took him over to Oscar. Oscar neutered him, and vaccinated him, and then I returned him back to the beach where he still lives today. The Americans feed him. He is healthy now. I worm him every six months, and give him a Heart Worm pill once a month. Everything is the same for him except now there are no more puppies coming from him."

I lifted my glass filled with a delicious fresh Papaya smoothie and made a toast. "SNIP-SNIP!!!"

Andrea and Oscar are changing life in this part of the world as I had no idea that two people with no money, no supplies to speak of, and even less medical equipment, could do. Andrea is doing this all out of her own pocket.

Andrea told me that she and Oscar have a deal. When she has some money, she will pay him something. Sometimes she has some money to pay to Oscar from the rent of her hotel rooms.

During low season, like it is now, she many times doesn't have money to pay Oscar.

Yesterday, I told Andrea and Oscar that Small Paws Rescue had overwhelmingly spoken, loud and clear. They said, "SAVE THE BICHONS AND BICHON MIXES OF PUERTO VALLARTA".

Yesterday..ok..tears are coming up here again...oh man...yesterday we all gave birth. Meet...
"Small Paws Rescue Outreach: Puerto Vallarta."

Oscar and Andrea gratefully accept their first monthly donation from Small Paws. I gave them a check for $500.00...hand written with love from all of you. It was hard to get Oscar to believe it. He kept asking if I was real. I assured him that I was your representative...and that you all are very, very real and that we won't forget him after I come home. I gave him my oath. We are going to support this mission to save the fluffs of Puerto Vallarta, every month. With your help, we can do this! I know we can do this!

Monday Morning October 31, 2005

Gem of the Day: Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
~Dale Carnegie~


Oscar, the Mexican vet's hand written WISH LIST of medical equipment that he needs. I told him to DREAM BIG.
X-Ray Machine
Ultrasoundindo (Ultra sound machine)
Inhalada Anesthesia (Anesthesia Inhaler)
QBC Blood Tests
Clean Tooth Dentist Machine
Microscopio (Microscope..Good Lord..he doesn't even have a MICROSCOPE? AHHH!)
Electric Carterio?? (I presume this is an electric cauterizing machine)
Surgery Instrumental (Surgery instruments. He has written the words "Ortopedy by Trauma"

His mailing address (if you would like to send him any kind of medical supplies or equipment) is
M.V.Z. Oscar Gerardo Gomez Huerta
Berlin NO. 112
COL. La Vena
PTO. Vallarta, Jal.
__________________________________________

Dear Small Pawsers,

Next, we have this update regarding our Mexican Sister Rescue!

I want to thank Small Pawser Janet Bryant, for meeting me at the Dallas Airport, to take little Paloma home with her, for foster care until she is adopted.

I came out of customs with an already tight connection, thinking I would have to go and find Janet, perhaps three terminals over.

Oh nooooo not even maybe. The minute I walked out of Customs, and back into the public area of the airport, there she was, standing in a crowd of people, calling out my name.

I looked over and saw an attractive, well dressed young woman holding a dog crate, and it was like a familiar face had appeared when I most needed to see one. Janet was a friend I just hadn't met yet...and Paloma loved her instantly.

Paloma Palomita (popcorn) Chiquita (Cute little one) is what Andrea called this special little girl.

I've been home from my whirlwind trip to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, since last Thursday evening, and yet, it's as if the memories of what I saw there haven't even begun to subside. In fact, I think they have only gotten stronger.

I spoke to Andrea last night and she was very excited to tell me that due to our first donation, she has been able to take in an 8 month old Bichon, a female, and have her spayed. She has a home waiting for her! Also, while I was there in front of the vet clinic last week, a Mexican man was walking up and down the sidewalk selling two puppies. They were Bichon poodle mixed babies only 7 weeks old.

With some of the money that we had donated, Andrea bought the puppies at Mexican prices...very low, with the agreement that the Mom would be spayed, and Andrea would be paying for that spay with the help that we are giving her. THAT SPAY IS TAKING PLACE TODAY. Already, our affiliation has helped Andrea to spay three more females in Puerto Vallarta.

I'll never forget the moment when I walked onto this room of Oscar's vet clinic. Though I had been told a couple of hours before, that these "poodle mixes" were all over Puerto Vallarta, some of them even roaming the streets, I hadn't yet grasped the concept that they could actually be Bichons and that there were Bichons desperately needed our help, in Mexico.

Seeing this many fluffs at once, all being groomed by the vet who vetted them after Andrea rescued them, well, let's just say it got my attention, big time.

Shirley Lyall, our co-team leader for Southern California, wrote the following words to me and they have stayed in the forefront my mind.

"I’m so happy that you went to Puerto Vallarta! You were definitely sent there. If we were not absolutely meant to adopt that rescue, (as our Sister Rescue) then those cages would have been full of beagles."

I think of all with which we have been blessed here at Small Paws. Whenever we have had a need for one of these Bichons, you all come through for them, from here in the U.S. and from 17 other countries...Bichons have always had a friend and comforter in the people of Small Paws Rescue.

I can't even imagine what it must have been like for years for Andrea and Oscar the Mexican Vet, doing all of this rescuing of our fluffs, with no help, little money, and even less medical supplies.

Andrea told me that she prayed for help to come, so often, and that she didn't think her prayers were being heard.

I mean, if you think of it, what would be the chances that a large organization of people would show up on your door step one day and make a commitment, each month, to help you with your work.

For them to hope for something like this, would have been like one of us winning the lottery.

The odds against this happening...help showing up for them like this, were probably a million to one.

But one thing I have learned over the past several years is that...there are no odds, when the Lord is watching over His people, and His animals.

I was telling Dale last night if was as if God had His hand on Andrea, and her work, and His hand on me and His beloved Small Paws.

Somehow, someway, when we all least expected it, He moved His hand on me, towards His hand which was on Andrea...to bring the support and prayers of thousands of Small Pawsers right to her front door...after all this time of she and Oscar, doing this work to save our fluffs, alone, with nothing and no one to help them.

Small Paws Rescue Outreach: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Oscar and Andrea gratefully accepted their first monthly donation from Small Paws Rescue for $500.00.

Chico, a Wheaton/Bichon Mix, now shows great hope of being brought back to the States and placed for adoption here by Wheaton Rescue, thanks to Tracy Johnson, who is on our mailing list and also a member of Wheaton Rescue!

This is an update to let you know where we are for trying to raise funds for our monthly $500.00 promise of support to Andrea and Oscar.

We gave them our first check last Thursday. Since then many of you have been either making new monthly donation pledges or adding to the ones we already have from you, tagging it for the Mexican Bichon relief effort.

Thanks to all of you for the letters of support for our decision to help Andrea, Oscar and the Bichons and Bichon mixes of Puerto Vallarta where the temperatures will reach 96 degrees tomorrow with 96% humidity. Oh man, it is hot there. I love you all. Robin

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