No Carrier? No Problem! See How These People in Mexico Got Their Dogs to the Clinic

Just after sunrise in Cancún, the sound of squeaking wheels echoed toward us. A guardian was pushing her dog toward PETA’s free clinic. She didn’t have a car, but she did have determination. And she wasn’t the only one: Wagons and arms full of cats and dogs began lining up outside the clinic. Every animal was there for one reason: to finally get the help they’ve desperately needed.

On the streets of Cancun, thousands of homeless animals struggle to survive without shelter, medical care, or reliable food. Other animals are left chained without protection from the elements, fighting mange, infections, or the slow suffering that comes with neglect and overpopulation. Every animal spayed or neutered helps limit the number of animals born into a community without the resources to care for them. This is where PETA’s fieldwork in Mexico comes in—bringing free spay/neuter surgeries, medical care, and other help directly to the animals who need it most.

Another Successful Weekend! PETA’s Free Medical Clinic Treats 238 Animals

PETA Latino teamed up with Cancun’s municipal shelter, Dirección de Protección y Bienestar Animal, to host a free spay and neuter clinic. We sterilized 238 dogs and cats, including several street dogs brought in by local rescuers. Because many people in the community do not have access to vehicles, guardians arrived carrying dogs in wheelbarrows and wagons, determined to get them spayed or neutered.

At the clinic, PETA staff and volunteers vaccinated dogs and cats, treated them for fleas and ticks, removed painful mats, cleaned their ears, and clipped their nails, in addition to spaying or neutering them.

Some patients needed urgent attention the moment they arrived. Several dogs were suffering from mange—a painful, exhausting condition that’s especially common among animals forced to live outdoors. Veterinarians also brought two female dogs into emergency surgery for pyometra, a deadly uterine infection. Both dogs survived thanks to the quick, compassionate work at the clinic—and received the lifesaving treatment completely free of charge.

The Most Heartbreaking Discovery: A Puppy Left in a Box

Inside a box, left all alone, was a tiny abandoned puppy. She looked up with worried eyes—but within minutes, she was warm, fed, and wrapped in gentle arms. Now, the tiny dog is receiving lots of TLC with a foster family.

With this latest successful clinic, PETA has helped sterilize 1,287 dogs and cats in Mexico in 2025 alone.

PETA’s Nonstop Work for Dogs in Mexico

Despite the free clinic wrapping up on Sunday, PETA fieldworkers returned to the same neighborhood Monday morning to reach animals and guardians who couldn’t attend.

As they looked for animals to help, the team reunited with a kind woman they’d met during a previous visit who feeds dogs in need in her neighborhood. She led the fieldworkers to Bruno, a dog chained without shelter, whom she’d been checking on regularly.

We quickly provided Bruno with a brand-new doghouse, removed the chain wrapped around his body, and fitted him with a proper collar, making his living conditions much more comfortable.

The woman had also just saved a severely underweight puppy from a home where three other dogs had already died from neglect. PETA fieldworkers provided food and dewormed the puppy to help him start recovering.

PETA’s Clinics and Fieldwork Help Thousands of Animals

Since 2021, PETA has spayed or neutered 4,703 cats and dogs at clinics in Cancun and Chichimila and helped hundreds more through fieldwork. PETA’s vital spay/neuter clinics wouldn’t be possible without compassionate supporters like you.

You can help fuel this life-changing work in Mexico and beyond by giving to PETA’s Global Compassion Fund today.