Nancy Phelan goes above and beyond to help Rocky Point animals
Nancy Phelan goes above and beyond to help Rocky Point animals
By Lannette Phipps
I don’t think I have ever met a more dedicated person than Nancy Phelan who runs AACORP here in Rocky Point, Mexico. She has been helping stray cats and dogs ever since I can remember. Not just strays, but dogs with homes too whose owners can’t afford to feed them and then there are the ones chucked over her fence who are sick or newborn or an animal someone simply didn’t want. She is the true pioneer of animal “rights” here in Rocky Point and has fought tooth and nail to help the animals and urge the city to build a legitimate pound, which they have. She has organized spay and neuter clinics that offer free services and has enlisted volunteer veterinarians from the U.S. and Mexico. Not only does she care for the animals on her property, but she fosters some out who are waiting for forever homes and she supplies dog food throughout the city to needy families. If you knew how hard she has fought for the animals in Rocky Point, you would definitely be in awe.
How she continues year after year I will never know. I’m not talking about donations, which are sometimes hard to get and are never enough. But the daily work she does to get sick animals healthy, to give them a home until they can be adopted out, cleaning their cages, feeding and watering them, and medicating and bathing them. I helped her one day and it about broke my back. It’s nothing for her to lift a 55 lb. bag of dog food and huff it to the patio.
Seventeen years ago when I moved here there were so many stray animals it made you cry. Mangy, scraggly, pregnant, sick and dying dogs everywhere. It was truly horrible. I carried dog bones in my truck so when I went shopping or stopped somewhere I could give a few dogs at least a little sustenance. I am trying to think how long ago it was when I drove to work down Pino Suarez and counted 97 dogs – some stray, some in the street by a home and some in yards (not many). I’m going to hazard a guess and say it was maybe 4 years after I moved here. And that was just one street I counted – imagine how many were all over town. There are still some strays, but nothing compared to what it was like in the past.
I think very few people know and appreciate all of the hard work Nancy Phelan has put in helping the animals and how much of her own money has been spent on this kindness. AACORP, Animal Adoption Center of Rocky Point is a non-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. Now that we have Sam’s Club, Weldon, and Bodega, it’s much easier to get your hands on a bag of dog food, cat food and other items animals need. Nancy would be grateful for any donations you can send her way. And she doesn’t stockpile donations such as dog food – she spreads it around the city. There are a number of families that have dogs that cannot afford to feed them. It isn’t always the case that a family brings home a dog – a lot of the time he dog adopts the family.
Nancy and her alliances also participate in the city spay and neuter clinic which is held once or twice a year. If you would like more information about getting your pet spayed or neutered (or a local friend’s) or to volunteer or donate cash for medicine or food you can call Nancy at 383-1012 locally or (602) 412-3932 or email her at nancy_phelan@yahoo.com. Drop hera line if you would like to know more about what you can do to help the animals in Rocky Point, Mexico.
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