A retired Vancouver police officer slain in Mexico is being remembered as a generous and loving woman who volunteered to help animals.

News reports in Mexico say Lynn Earle, who was 60, was found stabbed to death in her home in Playa del Carmen earlier this week.

Friend Lisa Edwards says Earle had a gigantic heart for humans and animals, and spent several years working with animal rescue agencies in Mexico.

Edwards says Earle, divorced with one child, loved living in the country and felt at peace in Mexico.

The West Vancouver Police Department issued a news release expressing condolences to Earle's family.

It says she worked her way through the ranks, first serving as a civilian employee, then a bylaw officer before spending three years as a patrol constable.

She retired in 1996.