OTTAWA -- Beyond the shores of Mexican beaches are communities filled with stray dogs struggling to survive. “The first initial litter that I found was when was walking my own dogs; and they were in a pile of garbage just covered in fleas and ticks,” says Ottawa’s Andrea Renaud. Renaud has been living in Tulum, Mexico with her fiancée for the last several months. She says the coverage of parasites were so bad she had once mistaken them for patches of dark fur. “I actually thought one of them had spots – like polka dots,” says Renaud. Faced with the heartbreak of seeing so many young puppies battling diseases while roaming the streets, the Canadian couple took it upon themselves to start working with veterinarians and rescue organizations in the area. Together they are paying to get the dogs the necessary vaccinations and documents so they can be adopted abroad.