About Us
The Federal Government of Mexico recognized Amigos de los Animales de Guanajuato, AC (asociación civil) as a non-profit, non-governmental organization in February of 2002. It is managed by a board of directors who oversee our activities in Mexico. Our sister organization, Amigos de los Animales de Guanajuato, Inc., was formed as a non-profit corporation in New York State in May of 2006 and recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code in June of that year. The corporation, which is managed by two directors, channels its support to Amigos AC.
Our combined mission is to reduce the abandonment, mistreatment, and suffering of dogs and cats in the Guanajuato municipality by focusing on sterilization and education. We envision a community that respects all animals, in which every companion animal is well cared for, and where even stray animals are treated humanely. To date, Amigos de los Animales has sterilized over 27,000 animals and helped to improve the treatment of untold numbers of animals in the municipality.
We are non-partisan and receive no support from the municipal, state, or federal government of Mexico. We depend entirely on private donations, gifts, and bequests. Our board members serve without compensation.
Our veterinarians
Verónica Almaguer, MVZ
Anesthesiologist
At our campaigns, Verónica checks the health status of the animals and anesthetizes them before they go into surgery. Her regular job is at SENASICA (National Service for Agricultural Food Health, Safety, and Quality), located at the Bajío International Airport. There, she issues health certificates for products and by-products of animal origin for export, including pets that travel to other countries. She studied veterinary medicine at La Salle Bajío, receiving her degree in 2005.
Ricardo Montes de Oca, MVZ
Surgeon
Ricardo performs surgeries at our campaigns. In addition, he mentors veterinary students in sterilization techniques, offering them one-on-one training in rapid sterilization techniques at his private clinic, and handles the few campaign cases that require follow-up care. He received his degree in veterinary medicine at the University of La Salle Bajío in 2012. He has also earned a diploma in infectious diseases of dogs and cats from UNAM (the National School of Higher Education) in León and a master’s degree in administration of institutions of health from La Salle. In 2022 he was certified in the sterilization protocols developed by the organization Spay Mexico at the University of Mexicali’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
Arturo Rocha, MVZ
Surgeon
Arturo is another senior surgeon at our sterilization campaigns. Prior to joining our team, he had extensive experience sterilizing dogs and cats. During weekdays he is a veterinarian at the Centro de Control y Bienestar Animal (Animal Control and Wellbeing Center) in the city of León. He attended the University of La Salle, Bajío Campus, in León, graduating with a degree in veterinary medicine in 1999.
Sandra Hernández Gutiérrez, MVZ
Surgeon
Sandy, as she is affectionately known to us, joined our sterilization team in May of 2024. She received her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine and zootechnics and her professional license from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City in 2022. Currently she is a veterinarian and surgeon at PetSet, a private clinic in the city of Irapuato, where she performs medical consultations, attends hospitalizations, and performs soft-tissue surgeries on dogs and cats. Prior to accepting her current position, she was a staff member of Guanajuato’s Animal Control and Assistance Center(CECAA). She is the co-creator of Los Relatos de la Juala(Stories from the Cage), a documentary film about CECAA staff members’ struggle with the indifference and cruelty toward dogs shown by some owners. The film won recognition as the Best Documentary Feature Film and Best Activist Message at he 2024 International Animal and Environmental Film Festival in Mexico City.
Abril Herrera Galván, MVZ
Surgeon
While studying veterinary medicine, Abril became a regular volunteer at our sterilization campaigns in 2020, first monitoring animals in the recovery unit and later anesthetizing them. With mentoring in surgical sterilization techniques from Dr. Ricardo Montes de Oca, she began operating on dogs and cats, first males and then females. In November of 2024 she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (MVZ) degree from the University of Guanajuato, Irapuato-Salamanca campus. She now regularly performs surgeries at our campaigns.
Our two program leaders
Antonia López
Education Specialist
A retired preschool teacher, Tony taught for 34 years at rural, suburban, and urban preschools in the Guanajuato municipality. Throughout her career and as a volunteer in several animal-protection groups, she has encouraged children to respect all living beings. She works with our Education & Communication Committee to plan and conduct our educational activities for children. Tony, along with Julia Salido, regularly visits neighborhoods and villages in the municipality to teach children of various ages compassion toward animals. Their methods include describing pets’ needs, questions and answers, reading stories, games, and role-playing.
Julia Salido
Sterilization campaign manager
Julia has been a member of our association since its founding and has been instrumental in developing our sterilization program. In 2024 she officially became our sterilization campaign manager. In that role she is responsible for selecting the sites for our campaigns, scheduling the campaigns in coordination with the veterinarians, purchasing the inventory, and recruiting, training, and supervising our volunteers. Julia is also active in our education program. At our sterilization campaigns, she explains to pet owners the importance of sterilizing both females and males. She has visited scores of schools and community centers to talk with children about pets’ needs. She and Tony López conduct our program to teach children compassion toward animals. They have appeared frequently on a local TV channel to discuss responsible pet care.
Key volunteers
Susan Pataky
Caterer
A professional chef, Susan organizes and supervises the preparation of delicious foods for our fundraising events, such as our anniversary party in February and our Christmas market in December. She raises funds to buy the ingredients needed for these culinary delights by preparing and selling delicious take-out foods to an eager clientele throughout the year.
Jim Sullivan
Technical advisor
Jim is our go-to guy for computer help. He enjoys using his skillset to improve systems and processes and to enhance the capabilities of individuals and teams working toward a common goal. He has certainly improved our systems and processes. He redesigned our website, modernized our communications, and expanded our online services to the public. He formats and sends out our monthly newsletter to our mailing list, and he routinely and cheerfully offers his support to our board and other volunteers.
Our board of directors
Tom Reavley
President, U.S. 501(c)3 & México A.C.
Fundraising Committee
U.S. attorney at law and Guanajuato resident who has been an officer of Amigos, AC, since 2002 and president and secretary since 2020. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, he clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark early in his career. His law practice has specialized in mediation and commercial arbitration. Now semi-retired, Tom teaches tai chi in person and meditation online. He is the author of Mario’s Folly: Living a Path with Heart, a book reflecting Carlos Castaneda’s influence on his own philosophy. As president of Amigos, he has provided valuable advice to the organization on policy and legal issues.
Gabriel Antonio Ramírez Ramírez
Vice President, México A.C.
Fundraising Committee
Legal Affairs Committee
Gabriel is a Mexican attorney at law, a graduate of the Universidad de Guanajuato, and a resident of the city of Guanajuato. He is a member of the Federal Judiciary of Mexico and of the legal department of the Federal Electric Commission (CFE). He has been active in Amigos de los Animales since November of 2023, volunteering at many of our sterilization campaigns. His other interests are ballet and muay Thai martial arts. He’s a member of the University of Guanajuato’s ballet group.
Nancy Hager
Secretary, U.S. 501(c)3
A resident of New York City and our corporate secretary since 2006, Nancy was a faculty member of Brooklyn College of the City University of New York for over 40 years, 16 of them as director of the College’s Conservatory of Music. She held other administrative positions, including interim provost. Since retiring she has continued to advocate for music education and animals. A cat rescuer, bird watcher, and photographer, she supports numerous animal rights and animal protection organizations.
Liz Carranza Arrellano
Secretary, México A.C.
Fundraising Committee chair
Liz provides bilingual concierge assistance to many expats living in Guanajuato. Previously she taught nutrition at the Iberoamericana University in León and directed international programs for various foreign universities. She has been active in Guanajuato social organizations that support children and women and founded the Shelter for families of patients at the General Hospital. Since joining our board in 2023, she has enthusiastically assumed a major role in our fundraising activities.
Joslyn Lewis
Treasurer, U.S. 501(c)3 & México A.C.
Education & Communication Committee
Before moving to Guanajuato in 2020, Joslyn had a career in healthcare as a registered respiratory therapist at several U.S. hospitals. Besides overseeing our finances, she is a talented artist and produces twice weekly posts for our Facebook and Instagram pages, creates signage for our events, and designs our messages that appear four times a year on the backs of two city buses.
Mexico board members at large
Rosemarie Conde
Sterilization Committee chair
Fundraising Committee
Rosemarie is a retired clinical social worker in the U.S. Air Force, teacher of English as a Second Language in the DC area, teacher of English to adults, and former Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania, where she taught middle schoolers. She also volunteered for seven years at a U.S. dog shelter, serving on its board, before moving to Guanajuato in 2020.
Julia Salido
Sterilization campaign manager
Education & Communication Committee
Julia keeps the board informed of our sterilization and educational activities. As a member of the city’s Animal Welfare Commission, she reports to the board on municipal actions affecting animals and communicates our concerns to the mayor’s representative. She also volunteers for two other non-profit organizations, arranging to send rescued dogs to British Columbia and North Carolina for adoption, and she has found homes for many dogs and cats in Guanajuato.
Jann Lee
Fundraising Committee
Jann is a life-long defender of animal rights. She has served as a volunteer on the boards of two other animal-welfare organizations, Mauritius Primate Rescue and Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals. She moved to Guanajuato in 2019 from Vermont, where she had been a librarian. Her focus as our board member is helping with fundraising. She also volunteers at Guanajuato’s English Language Library.
Victoria Wagner
Fundraising Committee
Legal Affairs Committee
Vicki is a life-long animal lover and has had various pets since childhood. An American, she was an executive director/CEO for three U.S. nonprofits for homeless and at-risk children and youth in Seattle and at the national level. She retired after 35 years but since retirement has volunteered and acted as a consultant and coach for executive leadership. She is a co-author of several publications on mental health and HIV with homeless youth. She has been a permanent resident of Guanajuato since 2025.
Sandra Ward
Founder
Education & Communication Committee chair
Sandra has served on the Board since 2002 as president, secretary, and treasurer. She continues to write most of our news articles, provide advice to the Board based on her extensive knowledge of the organization, and recently has planned our children’s education program. Before moving to Guanajuato in 1998, she was a writer and editor in the population field and for 26 years managed a publication office at a federally funded multinational research center in Honolulu.
Did you know?
Our monthly board meetings are open to the public and conducted both in-person and on Zoom. If you are interested in attending a meeting, send us an email.