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Guatemala Trip for Vet and Shelter Director Date published: 1/18/2009
by Robin Knepper
Two area women left their local animal-care jobs and headed to Central America in December to join a coordinated program serving native people in and around a small town in Guatemala. Dr. Meredith Vargas, owner of Culpeper Animal Hospital, and Beth Hamilton, director of the Orange County Animal Shelter, were part of a volunteer effort to bring services to the people and animals of Panajachal, a small town on Lake Atitlan. Dr. Vargas headed a four-day veterinary clinic that spayed and neutered 88 animals, gave 45 rabies vaccinations and provided varied vet services as needed by the street and domestic animals. In addition, $6,000 in donated supplies was left with the local Mayan Families Healthy Pets program. Spaying and neutering cats and dogs is not a common practice in small Central American towns and the population of homeless animals is often controlled by placing strychnine where the abandoned dogs and cats will eat it. Children have often eaten the deadly poison, as well. Vargas and her husband, Juan, a native of Mexico, have owned the veterinary hospital since 2003. They spent five months in Panajachal as foster parents to Nicolas and Rudi before adopting them in 2007. Both children are now 2 years old, but they were not related before they were adopted. During the process of fostering and adoption, Meredith and Juan became close friends with other adoptive families and have since supported the efforts of the local helping organization, Mayan Families. Helping Mayan Families was formed as an offshoot of Mayan Families and is supported by the adoptive families who wish to stay connected to each other and the native people of the area. "Being a part of Helping Mayan Families shows that we're still connected with the country," said Vargas. "We don't think of it as giving back. We are part of a group of adoptive families staying in touch and helping." Beyond pets
Date published: 1/18/2009
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