To Find & Fix

One of the first things most of us notice upon spending any time in Mazatlán are the many street animals: dogs and cats surviving, barely, with no home or visible means of care. Bone-thin dogs roaming the streets and colonies of wild cats living in abandoned lots abound.

Touched by this situation, Centro residents and neighbors Jan Macdonald and Susan Reynada formed Projecto Animales de la Calle (PAC) to try and help these innocent animals. Their idea was simple: using a program known as TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), they hoped to stabilize the many cat colonies and, over time, reduce the population.

Life on the streets of Mazatlán can be arduous and austere, especially if you have four legs, or more specifically if you were born with four legs. (I’ve seen street dogs with less than four legs.) Street animals are common throughout the city; unwanted dogs and cats eking out varying degrees of a minimal living. Yet as bad as things are for these creatures, some manage to pull through well enough to breed, creating the next generation of feral scavengers, a little more cunning and a bit more adapted to the urban environment than their predecessors.

Endangered sea turtle babies get a head start at Estrella del Mar

Environmental groups around the world are working hard to educate the public about the plight of the sea turtles, and the good news is that things are changing for the better.

Many factors contribute to their diminishing numbers, including tourist-laden beaches reducing nesting areas, fishing trawlers inadvertently catching them in their nets and even the demand for turtle soup. Turtle eggs have long been a Mexican delicacy and poaching has also contributed to the problem. Seven of the eight endangered sea turtle species can be found in Mexico, and in the waters around Mazatlán, the Olive Ridley Turtle and the Leatherback are the most common.

Thinking about buying your dream home in Mazatlán? Trying to figure out the mortgage maze? Canadians (or Americans owning properties in Canada), listen up: Mortgages can now be arranged with interest as low as 2.15% and no fees through most major Canadian banks.