The Isla Holbox Spay Neuter Project, founded in 2008, is an all-volunteer group of veterinary professionals who perform free spays and neuters for dogs and cats in the Yucatan Peninsula. Clinics occur every May, and include veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and non-veterinary volunteers from the United States, Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Isla Holbox is a small island at the northern tip of the Yucatan, surrounded by blue water and white sand beaches. Volunteers stay at hotels on the island. Most of the clinics are performed on the mainland, with one surgery day on the island itself.

Clinics are set up from scratch each day in a new location, including intake, prep, surgery and recovery. The clinics are field medicine conditions; anesthesia is all injectable and monitoring is done by hand, and the locations vary depending on what space is available in town. In addition to spay/neuter, emphasis is put on education regarding care of pets and the importance of population control. We have altered over 1000 animals since 2008.

Volunteering with the project is hard work, but very rewarding with a beautiful location and friendly people. As of now, volunteers are responsible for their own airfare, accommodations, and meals. We are always seeking dedicated people for this fun and fulfilling experience. Visit our blog at spayneuterholbox.blogspot.com, or email edsonm@centurytel.net for more information. We are a nonprofit organization so all donations are tax deductible.