Saving one at a time
City with 7,000 strays depends on its special Friends of Humane Society de Tijuana committed to border area animal rescue
The retired San Diego City College dean is president of the Friends of Humane Society de Tijuana, a nonprofit group that has been working since 2007 to help both animals and people in the communities that border San Diego.
The group educates the public and offers spay and neutering surgeries, parasite control programs and street rescues. It also works toward the prevention of international smuggling of animals.
The group has no shelter but is armed with eight dedicated Mexican veterinarians and four American vets, nearly 80 volunteers and a mobile clinic. Massa says the Friends of HSTJ is making strides to bring important change to Mexico for the sake of animals.
“ ‘Why do you do it?’ We hear that all the time,” says Massa, an upbeat and dedicated 74-year-old and Ohio native who moved from Jamul to Playas de Tijuana to start the group seven years ago. “We cannot help all of the animals, but we can help one at a time. And that’s how we’re going to solve the problem.”
The statistics are grim: On any given day, Massa says 7,000 animals are loose on the streets of Tijuana, a city with 1.4 million people. Many of these roaming dogs and cats are starving, ill and frightened.
While Mexico’s government does not keep statistics on the country’s animal population, the Humane Society de Tijuana estimates there is an average of one companion animal for each household.
How ever many there are, Massa says it is rare that these animals are spayed or neutered. He estimates that fewer than 1 percent receive professional veterinary care.
In 2012, the group’s veterinarians performed 557 low-cost and free spay/neuter surgeries, and provided free services for 3,626 pets of the poor and street animals, treating them for parasites, infections, mange and malnutrition. Volunteers also were able to dole out 100,000 pounds of donated pet food to animals in need.
They also supported individual rescuers helping 245 animals with free food, basic medication and spay/neuter surgeries, which resulted in 157 pet adoptions in Mexico. The group was able to place 43 rescued pets in permanent homes in the San Diego area.
“By rescuing one animal, you will not change the whole world, but for that animal you have changed his whole world,” Massa said.
The group is a major participant in city, state and federal meetings to reform dog pound conditions and work on humane legislation.
“The most important thing for us right now is to bring about a change,” Massa said. “The attitude toward spay and neuter is more positive than it’s ever been.”
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