Ramblings From The Ranch – March 2023

In 2022, The Ranch placed 275 dogs in new homes. While that number is exciting, our 2021 total was over 500. What’s going on, you may ask?

It seems that demand for Mexican dogs has declined in the United States and Canada. Many people were excited to adopt dogs during the height of the pandemic but their ardor has now cooled. Inflation and the economic downturn “up North” are also contributing. And it doesn’t help matters that AeroMexico halted dog flights during the winter, and as of this writing, has not yet opened up again.

What does all this mean for The Ranch? It means we are overcrowded! The supply of dogs does not end. The Ranch has a long waiting list and also often finds “surprise” abandoned dogs tied up outside our facility. As of early February, we have 108 dogs at The Ranch and more in foster homes.

We are here to appeal to our local community to help with this overabundance of dogs and puppies. 

We need fosters. Many dogs get stressed in the shelter and need a quiet place to await their forever homes. Even short-term respite care is a big help and makes a dog more socialized and adoptable. Foster mom Cindylee Rimmer says, “There is no downside to fostering. The Ranch gives you everything you need and you get lots of help picking a dog that works for you: small, large, active or not.” Cindylee and her husband are snowbirds and love to foster a Ranch dog while they are here at Lakeside. This year they have had Jasmine, a dog recovering from a serious leg injury and surgery. “The Ranch made the vet arrangements and gave us a crate, food, etc. And when I had to fly north for an emergency, we were able to bring Jasmine back to The Ranch for a while. It’s very flexible.”

“The best part, for me, about fostering is filling up my heart because I am a dog lover,” Cindylee added. “I want to encourage anyone who loves dogs to give it a try. The rewards are awesome. Fostering has been wonderful for us, so why don’t you join the fostering family?”

We need sponsors. You can sponsor a Ranch dog by making a monthly donation of at least 600 pesos. There is a handy link on The Ranch’s website for this purpose.  Recurring monthly donations are such a help.

We need walkers. With over 100 dogs, it’s more important than ever that each dog receives exercise and personal attention from volunteers. We welcome walkers every day from 9:00 to noon. Contact The Ranch through Facebook or email for more information. If you like dogs and like to walk, this is the volunteer job for you.

And of course, we need adopters. If you are looking for a dog, please come and see us. If you have a contact with any rescue organizations in the United States who are interested in importing our dogs, please let us know that as well. We are always in need of more partners “up North.”

If you can help, please contact The Ranch through our Facebook page, our website https://www.theranchchapala.com, or by email at adoptaranchdog@outlook.com.