By Gabriela Valle

On June 4, 2016 Terra Peninsular organized the second Spay and Neuter Campaign at La Chorera with the support of veterinarians from Ensenada, Refugio de Mascotas Good Boy A.C. and other organizations that promote spaying and neutering.

The objective that Terra Peninsular seeks by supporting this type of activities is to prevent uncontrolled breeding of pets and to also reduce disturbance of wildlife in the area, mainly shorebirds and migratory birds.

The campaign resulted in the spaying and neutering of 17 pets: 14 dogs and 3 cats. The residents of La Chorera commented that, thanks to the campaign, they expect a decrease in the number of stray dogs, as some have come to cause disturbances in the community like knocking down trash containers looking for food.

The campaign is part of the actions to reduce disturbances in the resting and feeding sites of migratory shorebirds that arrive at San Quintín Bay, as well as all the beaches along their migratory route.

This is closely related to the control of the number of pets (dogs and cats) wandering free on the beaches, as they are one of the main threats to birds by frightening them, hunting them and making them waste energy trying to flee.

By continuing the series of spay and neuter campaigns, it’s intended that the residents of La Chorera and other surrounding communities realize the importance and benefits of sterilization; also, besides being a control strategy of the populations of both dogs and cats, the campaign helps to promote the ethical treatment of animals.