2025 End of Year Report

As we close out 2025, we want to take a moment to share a clear and honest look at what this year looked like for Lucky Dog Lake Chapala. This report reflects not just numbers, but the collective effort, care, and commitment that kept Lucky Dog going during a challenging year.

Dogs Served in 2025

• 23 dogs taken in

• 23 placements through adoption or transfer

• 1 dog transferred to the U.S.

• 4 adoption returns occurred; 2 of those dogs were later successfully re-adopted

• 15 spay/neuter surgeries completed

• 13 puppies cared for

• Average monthly census: 28.8 dogs

• (Our intended capacity is 22, meaning we operated above capacity most of the year.)

• Fostering

• Outside (non-LD) fosters: 1

• Lucky Dog fosters: 3

• Post-surgery / recovery fosters: 10

  
  

Volunteers

• Approximately 35 new volunteers joined us

• Around 30 volunteers committed to weekly shifts

• 2 new shift leaders stepped up

• Our volunteers continue to be the backbone of Lucky Dog, supporting daily shelter operations, vet transport, fundraising, outreach, dog care, and behind-the-scenes work that often goes unseen.

  
  

Fundraising & Donations

• Open House: 50,000 pesos

• Garage Sale: 60,000 pesos

• T-shirt sales: 15,000 pesos

• PayPal donations averaged 22,000 pesos per month

  
  

Veterinary Care

• Expenses vary by year depending on intake and medical needs.

• 2025 veterinary costs averaged approximately +/-7,000 pesos per month, lower than prior years due to fewer intakes and surgeries.

• This includes spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and routine medications. Emergency or crisis care is not included and can significantly increase costs when it occurs.

Dog Food Costs (Mainstay)

• Food remains our largest expense after rent and salaries.

• Adult dogs: 4 bags per week (20-kg bags at ~650 pesos each)

• Puppies: puppy chow until 3 months of age, averaging 2 bags per week during puppy periods

• Estimated Mainstay cost:

~10,400 pesos per month

~125,000 pesos per year

Baseline Cost of Care

• Approximate cost per dog:

~600 pesos per dog per month

~7,200 pesos per dog per year

• This estimate reflects routine food and veterinary care only and does not include emergencies, infrastructure repairs, or crisis situations.

Infrastructure & Improvements in 2025

• Kennel F was expanded with a chain-link roof enclosure and increased space

Cost: ~13,000 pesos (fully donated by volunteers)

• New dog houses, transport crates, and food were purchased through wishlist donations

Community Reach

• Facebook followers: approximately 3,500 

• Website & Outreach Summary (2025)

In 2025, Lucky Dog experienced meaningful growth in online visibility and reach. Website sessions increased to 2,595 (+631) and unique visitors rose to 1,666 (+422), with traffic led by Mexico and continued growth from the United States and Canada. The homepage and dogs-for-adoption page remained the most visited sections, highlighting sustained interest in our mission and adoptable dogs, while the newly launched volunteer page saw strong early engagement. Although engagement depth declined slightly—likely due to an influx of new visitors—overall reach expanded significantly. Additionally, email outreach increased by 84% year over year, reflecting increased communication and supporter engagement

Previous Years

• 2023 was a high-intake year with major infrastructure expansion and higher veterinary costs.

• In 2024, Lucky Dog took in 4 dogs from two closing local rescues (Bone Voyage and Scruffy Doggie Oasis), ensuring continuity of care during shelter closures.

• 2025 focused on stability, responsible intake, and operating above capacity with limited resources.

• Closing 2025 was not an easy year, but dogs were fed, treated, sheltered, and placed because people showed up — consistently and with heart.

Thank you to every volunteer, donor, foster, and supporter who made that possible.