FAQ
Q. If I find a dog while on vaction in Mexico, can I bring it back to Canada with me?
A: YES! A lot of people fall in love with that cute, homeless beach dog, but are unaware that they can bring it home with them. The first step is to call your airline and make a reservation for the dog. If the dog is small, it will most likely travel with you under your seat in a soft kennel, however, if it is a bigger dog it will go into the special cargo area of the plane where it will need to be in a hard sided kennel. All the airlines require that the dog is at least 8 weeks old, has a health certificate from a vet stating the dog is in good health, and if the dog is over 12 weeks old it must also have a rabies vaccine. You can get the health certificate by visiting a local vet in Mexico and getting the dog examined. You will want to do the health certificate a few days before leaving as the airlines require it to be done within 5 days of the flight. You can check out your airline's guidline for 'travelling with pets' by going to their website.
Q. Don't Mexican dogs have diseases?
A. Any animal, anywhere is at risk of being sick. There are some common but very treatable diseases in Mexico.
Erlichlia- this is a disease transmitted by ticks. For most dogs who have good immune systems their body rejects the disease and they are fine, however if the dog has a weak immune system they can not fight it off and need antibiotics. We test each dog for this and treat it with a medicine called Doxiciclina for 4-6 weeks. Erlichlia is a fully treatable illness.
Heartworm- Is transmitted by mosquitoes. It is rare in Puerto Vallarta but not unheard of. We test for this and treat if the dog is infected. Heartworm and Erichlia can take a few months to show up on tests, so we recommend you re-test you dog for these in 6 months time to be sure your new pet is in the best health possible.
Transmissible Venereal Tumors- This is why it is so important for dogs to be spayed/neutered. TVT are tumors that are spread by sexual contact. TVT can be seen on the males penis area, and occasionally can develop around the nose or mouth (from sniffing an infected dog). The most common female symptom is vaginal bleeding. These tumors can be treated with a 90% cure rate, with either surgery to remove them along with chemotherapy, or with chemo alone. Most dogs need at least one treatment a week for 6 weeks.
Distemper/Parvovirus- These are diseases which are common all over the world, including in Canada. Unfortunately there is not a high survival rate for either, but you can prevent distemper and parvo by vaccinating your dog. We test all of our rescues for both illnesses before bringing them into foster care.
Q. Does Meximutts have a shelter in Puerto Vallarta or Canada where I can go and meet the dogs?
A. No, we do not have a shelter. All our dogs are cared for in a loving home environment. If you are interested in adopting and want to meet one of the dogs, we can make arrangements for you to visit the home to meet them.
Q. Is it really necessary to ask people to go through an adoption process when adopting a dog?
A. Yes. The dogs come from rough living situations and we put a lot of time, energy, love and money into these dogs, so we want the best home for each and every one of them. We look for a home where the dog and the new owners are well matched and will be happy together for the rest of their lives.
Q. If I am on vacation in Puerto Vallarta can I adopt one of your rescues?
A. Yes. We will ask you to fill out an application, you will meet the dog and we will ask you for references in lieu of a home check. If we feel after those steps that you are a great match then we will assist you in getting things in order for the dog to fly home with you. If you are wishing to adopt while on vacation but don't feel a connection with one of our rescues, we will put you in touch with other animal rescuers and try to help you in everyway to find the right rescue dog for you in Puerto Vallarta!
Q. Do you make money from 'selling' the dogs?
A. This is one of the most frustrating questions, especially when people use the word 'selling' dogs. We do not sell our dogs, we rescue them and when they go to their new homes they are being 'adopted'. We make zero money at this. When the cost goes beyond the adoption fee we pay out of our own pockets to cover the costs. Why? Because these dogs are very special and once we take them in, we make a silent promise to them to get them healthy and to find them the best possible home.
Q. WHY Mexico, aren't there enough dogs in Canada that need help?
A. Our local shelters on Vancouver Island have many larger breed dogs, and there are many people who want to adopt from these shelters but they would like a small breed dog for their own personal reasons. Since most of the dogs in the shelter are larger it leaves the people with few options, so they end up buying, which sometimes means, with out knowing it - puppy mills. Meximutts rescues small to medium size dogs who are in desperate situations, which gives those people an option to adopt and save a dog's life instead of purchasing a dog. We have chosen not to bring larger breeds to Canada as we feel there are many in the shelters in BC that need homes, so if people are looking for larger dogs than we are not taking a home away from the local dogs.
On a second note to this answer, there are dogs all over the world that need help. Compassion should not have borders, therefore if there is a dog here that we can help - we will. If there is a dog in Mexico that we can help - we will.
A: YES! A lot of people fall in love with that cute, homeless beach dog, but are unaware that they can bring it home with them. The first step is to call your airline and make a reservation for the dog. If the dog is small, it will most likely travel with you under your seat in a soft kennel, however, if it is a bigger dog it will go into the special cargo area of the plane where it will need to be in a hard sided kennel. All the airlines require that the dog is at least 8 weeks old, has a health certificate from a vet stating the dog is in good health, and if the dog is over 12 weeks old it must also have a rabies vaccine. You can get the health certificate by visiting a local vet in Mexico and getting the dog examined. You will want to do the health certificate a few days before leaving as the airlines require it to be done within 5 days of the flight. You can check out your airline's guidline for 'travelling with pets' by going to their website.
Q. Don't Mexican dogs have diseases?
A. Any animal, anywhere is at risk of being sick. There are some common but very treatable diseases in Mexico.
Erlichlia- this is a disease transmitted by ticks. For most dogs who have good immune systems their body rejects the disease and they are fine, however if the dog has a weak immune system they can not fight it off and need antibiotics. We test each dog for this and treat it with a medicine called Doxiciclina for 4-6 weeks. Erlichlia is a fully treatable illness.
Heartworm- Is transmitted by mosquitoes. It is rare in Puerto Vallarta but not unheard of. We test for this and treat if the dog is infected. Heartworm and Erichlia can take a few months to show up on tests, so we recommend you re-test you dog for these in 6 months time to be sure your new pet is in the best health possible.
Transmissible Venereal Tumors- This is why it is so important for dogs to be spayed/neutered. TVT are tumors that are spread by sexual contact. TVT can be seen on the males penis area, and occasionally can develop around the nose or mouth (from sniffing an infected dog). The most common female symptom is vaginal bleeding. These tumors can be treated with a 90% cure rate, with either surgery to remove them along with chemotherapy, or with chemo alone. Most dogs need at least one treatment a week for 6 weeks.
Distemper/Parvovirus- These are diseases which are common all over the world, including in Canada. Unfortunately there is not a high survival rate for either, but you can prevent distemper and parvo by vaccinating your dog. We test all of our rescues for both illnesses before bringing them into foster care.
Q. Does Meximutts have a shelter in Puerto Vallarta or Canada where I can go and meet the dogs?
A. No, we do not have a shelter. All our dogs are cared for in a loving home environment. If you are interested in adopting and want to meet one of the dogs, we can make arrangements for you to visit the home to meet them.
Q. Is it really necessary to ask people to go through an adoption process when adopting a dog?
A. Yes. The dogs come from rough living situations and we put a lot of time, energy, love and money into these dogs, so we want the best home for each and every one of them. We look for a home where the dog and the new owners are well matched and will be happy together for the rest of their lives.
Q. If I am on vacation in Puerto Vallarta can I adopt one of your rescues?
A. Yes. We will ask you to fill out an application, you will meet the dog and we will ask you for references in lieu of a home check. If we feel after those steps that you are a great match then we will assist you in getting things in order for the dog to fly home with you. If you are wishing to adopt while on vacation but don't feel a connection with one of our rescues, we will put you in touch with other animal rescuers and try to help you in everyway to find the right rescue dog for you in Puerto Vallarta!
Q. Do you make money from 'selling' the dogs?
A. This is one of the most frustrating questions, especially when people use the word 'selling' dogs. We do not sell our dogs, we rescue them and when they go to their new homes they are being 'adopted'. We make zero money at this. When the cost goes beyond the adoption fee we pay out of our own pockets to cover the costs. Why? Because these dogs are very special and once we take them in, we make a silent promise to them to get them healthy and to find them the best possible home.
Q. WHY Mexico, aren't there enough dogs in Canada that need help?
A. Our local shelters on Vancouver Island have many larger breed dogs, and there are many people who want to adopt from these shelters but they would like a small breed dog for their own personal reasons. Since most of the dogs in the shelter are larger it leaves the people with few options, so they end up buying, which sometimes means, with out knowing it - puppy mills. Meximutts rescues small to medium size dogs who are in desperate situations, which gives those people an option to adopt and save a dog's life instead of purchasing a dog. We have chosen not to bring larger breeds to Canada as we feel there are many in the shelters in BC that need homes, so if people are looking for larger dogs than we are not taking a home away from the local dogs.
On a second note to this answer, there are dogs all over the world that need help. Compassion should not have borders, therefore if there is a dog here that we can help - we will. If there is a dog in Mexico that we can help - we will.