When Angela Cherry, a veterinary technician by training, visited the Yucatan Peninsula, she was appalled by the horrific state of the animals she saw. Angela couldn't ignore their plight, so she founded Helping Paws Across Borders to provide much needed medical attention, including spay and neuter services, for animals in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The model is simple but impactful. US-based veterinarians and vet techs collect supplies and volunteer their time to provide quality medical care to animals in impoverished areas at no cost. By providing routine care, major surgeries, spay and neuter services, and education, Helping Paws Across Borders is making life less painful for suffering animals, reducing animal overpopulation, and helping people learn how to provide a healthy life for their pets. Their ultimate goal: stop animal neglect and abuse.
Helping Paws Across Borders has held events in Mexico, the Bahamas, Belize, Honduras, and New Mexico. This year, they are partnering with over 20 other organizations on a Spayathon for Puerto Rico. The goal is to spay and neuter 20,000 animals by 2019.
*In addition to all this amazing work, Helping Paws Across Borders is also partnering with SPCAI and CFF this month on the Dogs of Chernobyl project in Ukraine.