Getting off the ferry in Mazatlan we headed straight for the bus station in a open air taxi, we had a date to keep with 25 dogs in Puerto Vallarta. The buses in Mexico are really good and comfortable with wifi, movies, toilet and snacks. So we both settled into a movie in spanish and enjoyed watching the scenery go past for the next 9 hours.
Puerto Vallarta
We had volunteered to help out at Las Animas Dog Rescue in Puerto Vallarta for the next 4 weeks. Brisha (one of the owners of the dog rescue) picked us up from the bus station in torrential rain. Las Animas take in mistreated dogs from around Puerto Vallarta and nurse them back to good health before re-homing them. The dogs mainly get adopted in Canada and the USA, but sometimes they can go anywhere in the world.
Las Animas takes in all types of dogs, from pit bull crosses to the smallest chihuahua you have ever seen. Some dogs are blind, some have injuries, some are so skinny they were hours away from dying when they were picked up. They are all really nice dogs in their own way, and have just had the misfortune of inheriting bad humans that have mistreated them.
We stayed in the hacienda with 25 dogs and 9 people, the top dog in the whole place is Yoda. He’s a chihuahua cross and is about the size of a small cat, but he dominates all the other dogs with the authority of a master Jedi. It was a balancing act to keep all the animals happy as some could not be mixed with others, but they were split up into different areas and moved around to avoid problems. Every day we would clean up the dog poo and pee, then walk all the dogs, feed them and give medication as needed.
Depending on what was happening the rest of the day could consist of; vet visits, dog pickups or drop offs, grocery shopping, taking a dog for a walk to the beach, or relaxing by the pool. Then at 6pm the evening walking would start and feeding at around 7:30pm. During the day we got to have a look around Puerto Vallarta, go to the beach, drive up to rivers to swim in, or hang out by the pool. Usually we would take a dog or five with us on these activities. It was a fun and challenging 4 weeks but also really rewarding to be making a difference in these dogs lives.
After four weeks we left as we had a house sitting job in Chapala, but we would return to do another 3 weeks after finishing the house sitting.
Guadalajara
We said goodbye to the dogs, some we wouldn’t see again as they were going to homes, and bused our way to Guadalajara where we had two days to have a quick look around the city. It was also a chance to catch up with the super guide Eli in her home town.
Wandering around looking for a place to eat for dinner we checked out Santo Coyote. The restaurant is super funky but a little bit too american for our taste, so we didn’t eat there. Upstairs from the restaurant we got shown the tequila room which has more tequila than you can shake a palo at. There was over 1000 bottles to taste for free! We stumbled out of there with a big glow on from the excellent tequila and mescal tasting we had sampled. We did manage to find a lovely wee Mexican restaurant on the way home, that had a lovely owner, and delicious food.
The next day we caught up with Eli who showed us around a few of the funky neighbourhoods of Guadalajara. She also took us to met her friend who is a artist and makes pottery, her label is Alache ceramica.
Chapala – Petsitting
Janis and Ron picked us up from the airport carpark and took us to their place in San Nicolas de Ibarra, near Chapala. They have built a lovely compound where they live with 7 dogs, two horses, and a donkey. We were to look after the horses and donkey while their Mexican groundsman (Martine) was away on holiday. The horses and donkey were really nice and fun to handle, Glen cleaned up all the horse gear and rode Picalo, but he came up lame from some arthritis in his leg, it was a shame because Glen was enjoying being back in the saddle again. After doing our morning chores we were free to explore around the Chapala area. Ajijic is a very colourful town and we enjoyed walking around and checking out the shops and cafe’s. Another day trip we did was to Mescala island which has a really interesting history and well worth a visit. After 3 weeks of amazing hospitality from Ron and Janice we left to make our way back to Puerto Vallarta via 5 days on the coast.
Dream Home Minders 
I bet you made an impact at the dog rescue place, those dogs you looked after would have been model students!. Thanks very much.xx
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