Flying Dogs Canada

About Us
Our Mission:
To limit suffering by reducing the number of stray dogs in areas where we operate.
How we are accomplishing this:
– Spaying stray dogs and providing post-operative care (rehoming only when a dog is not under the care of someone).
⁃ Paying for vets to spay (and sometimes vaccinate) the dogs of low income owners or those who have not spayed their dog.
⁃ Assisting injured/sick stray dogs by providing veterinary care, and a place to recover.
– Rescue dogs from neglectful ownership, dire circumstances and females in heat/early stages of pregnancy and provide veterinary care.
⁃ Finding responsible owners able to give good homes to adoptable dogs.
⁃ Facilitating the humane euthanasia of animals which are suffering.
⁃ Monitoring the health/welfare of long term street dogs and providing vaccinations/deworming/spay/neuter and other care where possible.


Meet The Team!

Sara (Current Director/Founder) went to Mexico to volunteer as a primatology field research assistant for Universidad Veracruzana in early 2017. The plan was to jumpstart faster pain recovery after a 2015 car crash . The howler monkeys were studied at a palm tree farm near Catemaco, Veracruz. The study location was full of stray dogs. One stray, known as “Paloma” to the farm hands and scientists, came limping up to the research assistants in January 2017. Paloma appeared to have been hit by a car. So the research assistants and masters students took her to the vet and initially cared for her. Dogs were strictly not permitted. So Sara took responsibility for Paloma and rented a house for Paloma and the animals which followed. Shelters #1 and #2 have since been established and there is a Mexican staff. A lot of dogs have been placed in Canadian homes since March 2017 and we are really just getting started. Overall between 250-300 dogs have been spayed/neutered thanks to the donations made by Flying Dogs Canada supporters. Sara is the person who tries to bring all the different facets of FDC together. She lives in Alberta with her own dogs and wears many “hats” for Flying Dogs Canada despite the fact that her Spanish is deplorable 😉 Flying Dogs Canada is Canada based and has a Canadian foster program which comprises dogs and cats from Canada, Mexico and the USA (Texas)
Flying Dogs Canada: Mexico Program


About Catemaco
Catemaco is in Veracruz State in the South East of Mexico. It is a sub tropical area. It is known for its famous ”Brujos” (witches) and the yearly Brujo festival. People can quite often be seen in the local facebook “Buy and Sell” (Si Eres Catemaco) looking for black cats and touting their witchy services. This area is very lush, though jungle has been fragmented and has given way to farms. There is a strong Jarocho cowboy culture here and cowboys can be frequently seen riding into town from nearby farms. They have a very strong musical culture associated with the Jarocho lifestyle. Once a year there is a big Mojarra festival, a fish festival celebrating the “mojarra” fish.
Owing to its location, just off the highway between Coatzcoalcos (Salma Hayek’s hometown) and San Andres Tuxtla many immigrants from countries south of Mexico make their way towards the USA- via Veracruz- and may be seen hitchhiking and begging or selling things along the highway. The Catholic church in the main zocalo has many interesting events happening throughout the year and they run a very good social program to help people in need, which often includes central American “ dreamers” en route to the US.
This area is famous for wildlife watching and the Temascal experience (a sort of spa/ sauna). It is a bumpy 39km Pirata truck ride to get to the lovely Montepio beach on the Gulf.
We have animals at three locations in Catemaco. These are three rented houses with gardens. One is in the centre (Cauhtemoc), one is up the hill (Degollado) and one is near the lake (Matamoros). We have three houses so as to spread out the dogs in order not to have problems over excessive barking by grouping too many dogs together. We keep the upcoming fliers in one house, the longer term ones in another house and new arrivals in another house. We are looking for one main location which will be distant from residences.

