Mundo Patitas gives Max, a half-breed Labrador, a chance at a new life

Max, a half-breed Labrador dog, one and a half years old, was the victim of the lack of affection of his “owner”, a man who, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, physically and verbally abused Max.

The man recorded his abuse proudly and spread it on his social networks; that video came to the attention of Mundo Patitas Association, who began the fight to rescue Max and made sure that no dog gets into the hands of this man again.

Now, Max has fun with more than 50 dogs that live in a shelter of the association, which to get there you have to travel a long way from Mexico City to Santiago Tlaltepoxco colony, in the municipality of Huehuetoca, State of Mexico.

The smell of clean, freshly bathed dog and greeted by Soledad Bautista, one of the women in charge of the shelter, people visit the shelter full of sad faces, many others of anger, despair, fear, but also joy of the dogs who are full of playful barking, knowing they have a second chance thanks to the shelter.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 57 of every 100 people in Mexico have pets at home, and of these, 89 percent have a dog, and it is the millennials who spend more time and money on one of them. These animals are treated like family.

Some dogs have the fortune to grow up surrounded by the love of a family, however, others are injured, tortured, poorly fed, and even in a state of neglect.

This is how the stories of abuse that marked the lives of the more than 50 dogs rescued by the association Mundo Patitas, left behind their past and found a home of refuge waiting to bring joy and love to a new home.

“PEOPLE THINK THAT ANIMALS DO NOT FEEL, BUT THEY LIKE US ARE AFRAID, HUNGRY, COLD, NEED FOR AFFECTION, SHELTER AND PROTECTION,” SAID NORMA HUERTA, FOUNDER OF THIS ASSOCIATION, WHO SAID THEY SPECIALIZE IN RESCUING ANIMALS IN EXTREME SITUATION OF ABUSE, ABANDONMENT AND RISK.

Currently, they shelter around 50 dogs, however, there are hundreds of stories that Norma has found throughout the 12 years of existence of Mundo Patitas.

Although Max is one of the most prominent cases of violence inside the shelter, there are even more serious cases that end the lives of the furry ones, either because they could not be rescued on time or because they reach the hands of the members of the association in critical situations.

“All the animals have unfortunate stories, but also a great opportunity to find a family that values them, gives them back their confidence in themselves and in humans, as well as having a decent family,” Huerta said.

In Mundo Patitas, a team of 12 people and between 250 and 300 itinerant volunteers receive reports of abuse through social networks or via WhatsApp; rescue those most in danger; they rehabilitate them physically and emotionally, to later transfer them to the refuge of Huehueteca.

“The dogs are taken to the veterinarian, they are cured, vaccinated, sterilized, they are helped if they have behavioral problems, and when they are ready, we take them every Sunday to Parque México to be adopted.”

Each rescue is made known through social networks, in this way people who are in solidarity with the cause can contribute with donations in cash, deposit or in kind, for the recovery of each dog, their surgeries, if required, and rehabilitation.

The founder of the animal protection association added that her work is important, however, it is the consequence of a problem that should be prevented.

“We have to encourage non-abandonment, sterilization and denounce abuse so that there are tangible figures and more attention from the authorities,” she said.

“I invite you to come to the foundations and associations to give them advice on how to prevent abuse, or to volunteer and join us in the Sunday sessions to collect donations,” she concluded.

You can find the organization on Facebook