Unidos Para los Animales is dedicated to helping animals in need and to the prevention of animal cruelty.
Our Mission
- Connect individuals and animal welfare groups to support and promote animal welfare education and care of all animals.
- Promote public health and safety by working with municipal governments to vaccinate, spay and neuter ownerless dogs and cats.
- Educate the community about animal care, responsible pet ownership and the importance of vaccinating, spaying and neutering pets.
- Work with other animal groups to provide accessible low-or no-cost spay/neuter clinics, as well as hosting visiting veterinarians and assisting them with their volunteer work.
- Provide shelter for dogs or cats awaiting permanent adoption and a temporary home for puppies and dogs in training/transit for adoption in the US and other countries.
Our Vision
- No unwanted or unaltered domestic animals roaming the streets of Guatemala.
- All family pets shall be spayed/neutered and vaccinated.
- Through education, we hope to change the prevailing attitudes of Guatemalans toward mixed breed and street dogs.
Our Values
- We believe that every animal has value and should be treated with dignity.
- We believe that domestic animals must be fed, sheltered and cared for in a manner appropriate to their needs.
- We believe that each pet owner has the responsibility to ensure their pet receives a lifetime of medical care, food, exercise and love.
- We will draw on all available resources to provide compassionate loving care to homeless animals in our rescue.
- UPA shall provide necessary medical services to the animals in our care including vaccination and spay/neuter to decrease the number of homeless animals.
- No animal in our care is ever “put to sleep” unless it is incurably ill or suffering. We will not euthanize dogs or cats that are adoptable or treatable. We consider adoptable dogs to be those that show no sign of behavioral or temperamental defects that could pose a health or safety risk to the public. Adoptable does not mean perfect. Adoptable dogs and cats may be old, deaf, blind, disfigured or disabled. They may have heart conditions, arthritis, or suffer from diabetes. Adoptable animals may have survived disease, injury, or have congenital or hereditary conditions that affect the animal’s mobility, need ongoing medicine, or require adaptations in the home.
- Treatable animals are those that could become adoptable with reasonable efforts. Treatable animals include sick, injured, traumatized, infant or under socialized animals that with appropriate medical treatment, behavioral modification and/or foster care could be transformed into healthy companion animals.