The SPA

Sammy and Sadie in the usual moring sunspot.

My current Project at the SPA, Lucy a 2 yr old, Golden/lab who has been at the shelter for at least a year.

















Another Project, Copal, who has been at the shelter since a pup. Very cute with an adorable overbite.

The last several nights I've been thinking about all that has happened since I came to Mexico, and the funny instances. Between them all, there is rarely a dull moment. The video above was taken at a talent show at Casa Ayuda. This week I went to Board meeting for the SPA, seeing the way that the organization has been run, and the changed that many board members are proposing are interesting to see. The thing that frustrated me about the meeting is that when I would talk to a board member, and they found out I was a volunteer, they suddenly felt I was beneath them. Even, when I talked with the woman who coordinates some of the logistical planning for one of the programs and asked if I could help- I was told that I was not at the level to be able to help. I also took a dog to the jardin on thursday that needed adopting, and the SPA is there every thursday morning. I got the sense that even though my presence was "permitted", and they all knew a new person was coming to start helping, I was unwelcome. They feel that only board members can be the active ones doing things for the shelter. The idea that one board member had for me to take over the volunteer training and coordination for thursdays was shot down and a proposal was made to search for a person on the board who had the time. (Just as a side note 1. Many of the people hardly know the shelter policies, 2. they have no idea which animals need to be adopted, 3. they don't know the dogs or volunteers, 4. They only approach and talk to Americans, any mexican that came up to ask a questions they were very cold- It took one of the dogs up to a mexican family who had been eyeing her, and they wanted to adopt a dog- not any of the ones we had there that day, but I saw them adopted a dog from the shelter the next day). The more I think about it, I am going to have to get to be a part of the board in order to be listened to. It is frustrating for me. I'm "just a volunteer".