Not long ago, the fate of animals in Central American was grim. Dogs and cats were not seen as companion animals, but as working animals; dogs were for guarding the home, cats for chasing mice. Some people actually believed that if a canine were left chained, he would be a better watchdog. Dogs were only fed leftovers, and if there was no food left over, they went hungry. Often cats were not fed at all—under the notion that deprivation would make them better mousers.

"People used to see animals as their property, like a chair, car, closet. They did not have much feelings for them, thinking that the animals also had no feelings," says Lilian Schnog, AHPPA President.

When animals were no longer wanted by their owners, the creatures were simply thrown out on the street. Because most of the castaways tended to be females (tossed out because they were in heat), the stray population grew to an overwhelming level.

The Times Are Changing: 

2002:
Congratulations to ZAPPA: This past year has been a banner year for McKee's Southern Zone program founded in Playa Zancudo: ZAPPA was founded and is driven by Katherine Bolland. 

Besides regular clinics in her small beach community, Katherine and ZAPPA extended their reach in May, to the large and non veterinary served, port town of Golfito (25,000 residents with an estimated 7850 dogs - with no on site veterinarian), with a two weekend spay neuter events, named the Shane Acton Memorial clinic. Policemen and children watched in fascination through the plate glassed walls at the surgery area, where four non stop stations were set up with anesthetic machines and all the surgery trimmings. Local restaurants, community stores, and hotels participated by donating to the event. Some people and pets arrived by panga ( small boat ) from communities in the gulf, and vets came from as far away as San Jose to volunteer. ZAPPA and Katherine are going strong with clinics all over the southern zone - most recently in Pavones, Punto Banco, and surrounding farming communities are now requesting clinics.  

Special thanks to Drs Andres Tello & Francisco Quesada who are the main vets in ZAPPA; also to Drs Eduardo Bitter, Francisco Arroyo, Blas Rivas, Yency Mata, Yayo Vicente, (all from san josé, Costa Rica), Sergio Barrantes (who tries to attend most clinics at the great distance from San Isidro) and to Alan Ledis ( Boston, Mass ) and Dr Sweat (Georgia) who flew in from the US for this May event, bringing supplies and their important surgery time.  

Dr Alan Ledis ( McKee's first volunteer US vet ) participated in three clinics for Zappa in 2002, traveling from Boston, and who regularly works with this community volunteering time, supplies, and medicines. Katherine and ZAPPA have also been aggressively vaccinating for rabies since the rabies deaths in the Southern Zone in 2001. 

ZAPPA has proved to us all, that one can enlist the community and make everyone a participant. Education in the classroom is not always available. Community participation is the true way to raise animal awareness, ensure better long term treatment of them, while providing spay neuter. Everyone is proud to participate and be a part of the solution. Thus begins the evolution of companion animal care, especially when the culture is undereducated.

**Content from Katherine Bolland, ZAPPA & McKee Foundation.

http://www.programamckee.or.cr/pro_zappa/informes.html

Click the following link for a McKee Vet in your area

http://www.mckeeproject.org/veterina.htm

 A Day in Golfito - Pet Clinic

We arrive at a delightful, colorful and cheery building with a simple sign that reads Tierra Mar and Land Sea Services.  Katie quickly explains to me that we will be stopping to assist in the organization of a spay and neuter clinic she has set up long ago.  There are no vets in Golfito, and through her kind and gentle prodding, not one, but two vets will arrive shortly to render their services to a cause Kahtee holds close to her heart. ..More