For more than two decades, Jesús and his wife, Martha, have opened their home to dogs and cats nobody else wanted. Grandes Amores, as they now call it, started small, with five dogs and four cats. Then the highway bypass went in, and the empty lots below their house became a dumping ground for unwanted animals: dogs left injured in the road, cats abandoned in garbage bags. Jesús couldn’t walk past them.

At its peak, Grandes Amores cared for 42 dogs. Today they host 23 dogs  and seven cats, all seniors.

Jesús and Martha transformed their home and property into an independent rescue operation. Soon they reached full capacity, and still more animals showed up needing shelter and care. Jesús said that one night he and Martha appeared at his mother’s door with the overflow. I knew Jesús was the youngest of eleven siblings, and that he and his mother (now passed) were very close, but this seemed like a lot to ask of her. Jesús shrugged it off. “What could she say? I was her favorite.”

To help cover rescue-related expenses, Jesús has become Guanajuato’s exclusive distributor of Los Dos Carnales tequila. Feeling philanthropic and thirsty? To support what Jesús and Martha are doing, you can drink—or gift—tequila. I keep the blanco on hand, and gift the añejo, or even the extra añejo in the matte black bottle. The proceeds are for the animals. Visit Jesús at Amorcito Corazón Grill & Bar in Zona Sur, where he is headwaiter, or contact Jesús directly on WhatsApp at +52 473 153 0191. He’ll deliver your order free of charge within the city of Guanajuato.

I thanked Jesús for his dedication to animals, and he asked me to extend his own thanks to Amigos de los Animales. He said to me, “Thanks to Amigos de los Animales for the great work they’ve done, for truly paying attention to a great need, for investing so much of their time to carry out their great work. My own efforts aren’t much, but I do them always with heartfelt dedication for those who have no voice.”

Here’s more information about Los Dos Carnales for those interested. It is produced at NOM 1619, where the agave is slowly cooked in traditional ovens without the use of additives. The result is an authentic spicy and sweet flavor of cooked agave, free from chemicals or glycerin. Prices (in Mexican pesos) are as follows:

You can WhatsApp Jesús at +52 473 153 0191 to place your order and receive free delivery within the city of Guanajuato.

The manager wondered why they wanted a dog despite already having two cats and a small dog. They told her about the death of their dog Missa Him and how a hole in their hearts was spreading across their bed. They fell into it every night and sleep did not follow. Simply put, they were sad and wanted another large dog to love in these days of seemingly uncaring people.

They didn’t say so, but inside they felt very close to animals. The man determined, in his contemplations, that he might have significant canine genetically coded cells in his body. His wife seemed to be more attracted to cats as if in a sleepwalking trance. All of which raised the question: Could imperceptibly tiny pieces of dog and cat DNA be intertwined somewhere in the memory and flesh of their prehistoric past? 

Was this the cause of how they felt in this place and time?

They went into the facility where the thirty or so dogs and cats were kept. Upon entering, all the dogs immediately began to bark, howl, whimper, and scratch on the chain-link fence of each small holding cell. They wanted out. They wanted someone to save them. That is what the man heard.
 
As he walked along the line, he decided that this was a dog refugee camp. Like human refugees, they had been spurned and mistreated, and they had made their way through poison, starvation, disease, and men with guns. They had run from packs of dogs and dodged cars and rocks only to find a few square meters of concrete and fence. Confused about where they were, they howled and moaned for something else. Perhaps not exactly a lost home, since sometimes homes were difficult, but certainly something better than this. That was the immediate problem at hand.

Of course, they had it better than being on the street, but still, some of the dogs would never leave the shelter and would slowly die. In other pounds or shelters they might be euthanized if no one took them. 

The man and woman were both happy this was not a kill pound.
 
They asked to see María. She was a black and white collie of some sort. Her hair was long and silky, and when she came into the small outdoor enclosure where they sat, she immediately jumped into the arms of the woman.

María was evidently overjoyed to make contact with a human. She was an exuberant, playful dog which normally was a very good thing, but there was the worry that Maria might jump and knock the man with the bad spine to the ground. It wouldn’t be her fault, but it could happen and so they said they would pass on María. The man held María’s face in his hands and stroked her chin and said he was so sorry, but they could not take her home. 

They were leaving when the man noticed a separate small group of cages far away from the main group of dogs. Hidden in the shadows was a dog named Snickers.  She was smaller than María and terribly thin. A classic Mexican street dog. Her facial features were a little like Missa Him’s and she was exceedingly traumatized. Without thinking too much about it, they agreed to take her. The manager was very happy, since Snickers was unlikely to ever be adopted. 

And so, the love story began with Snickers, who took the aspirational name of Happy. The man and the woman had to adapt to her ways of paralysis and unreasonable requests and impenetrable, fearful moods: the bedroom night visits to wake them for no apparent reason, clawing her way up to take a place at their feet. Her personality was like small, interior lightning strikes which could hit at any moment, in any place. 
 
She was a house of emotional mirrors. 

Over two years their family of cats and dogs grew closer, but sometimes they would discuss María. They wondered what had happened to the dog with overflowing life but were afraid to contact the shelter to find out. They couldn’t bear the idea of bad news about María. Yet, the man would sometimes recall holding her head in his hands and how he had looked deeply into her pupils, searching for himself hidden at the bottom of her eyes, there, where her soul swirled. 

Our teachers, Tony López and Julia Salido, led entertaining activities for children to raise their awareness of pets’ needs at programs organized by various groups for youngsters during the summer recess from school. The events took place at Moo Duk Kwan Abejas gymnasium in Villas de Guanajuato on August 5, Academia Mentores on August 4, Puntas del Sur on August 10, the Iconográfico Museum’s La Manchita annex for children on August 11; and the subdivision El Manantial on August 12.

During the events, Tony and Julia read stories to the children, played educational games, had the children make their own dog and cat masks using paper and crayons, and at one event introduced them to a live kitten Tony had found abandoned in a dumpster. Each child received an Amigos coloring book to take home.

Our Fundraising Committee was busy planning for our Christmas Market, to be held in late November, the exact date and location to be determined by the municipal government. Our board also began planning for our 25^th anniversary celebration next year.

We responded to several requests from the public for advice on responding to neighbors’ mistreatment of pets. Our media specialist, Joslyn Lewis, posted 8 messages about pets as companions and their needs on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

We are grateful to all our members for their dedicated work on behalf of the community. They include our teachers Tony López and Julia Salido, our campaign manager, Julia Salido; our veterinarians, Verónica Almaguer, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Abril Herrera, Arturo Rocha, and Juan Pablo Rodríguez; and our volunteers, most of whom (but probably not all) are listed here: Karla Ahumada, Julie Boyles, Mary Beth Canavan, Liz Carranza, Rosemarie Conde, Fran Fonseca, Joel Gaytán Pacheco,Jann Lee, Joslyn Lewis, Beth Lozano, Andrea Martín Muñoz de Cote, Adhán Mata López, Frany Méndez Móntiel, Gisele Phillips, Gabriel Ramírez, Terri Rasmussen, Tom Reavley, Pamela Rodríguez Vega, Blaine Southward, Cecilia Spero, Jim Sullivan, Vicki Wagner, and Sandra Ward. We also thank the community members who recognize the value of sterilizing their pets by bringing them to our campaigns.

Dr. Rodríquez received his MVZ degree at La Salle University Bajía in 2001. He also has diplomas in Canine and Feline Dermatology, Equine Anesthesiology, and Veterinary Anesthesia.  He works in private practice at clinics and veterinary hospitals in the area of Guanajuato, performing surgeries whenever other veterinarians request his assistance. 

He decided to study Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science because he has loved animals since he was very young and wanted to understand the diseases that affect various companion and livestock species. He enjoys developing strategies for disease prevention, control, and eradication, as well as devising innovative solutions that prioritize animal welfare.

Juan Pablo and his wife, Rosalba, live in the village of Paso de Perules with their daughter, Pamela, and son, Pablo Mateo. All of them are passionate about horses, and they have four of them, as well as four dogs. Besides his professional activities and involvement with his family and animals, Juan Pablo enjoys playing an active role in his community. 

He and Rosalba have reason to be proud of their children. Pamela competes in barrel racing with her mare and has achieved high rankings at both the state and national levels. Pablo Mateo is in his fifth semester of high school at the University of Guanajuato and plans to study veterinary medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He is demonstrating his interest in the field and gaining practical skills by volunteering at our sterilization campaigns. When Pablo Mateo cannot attend our campaigns, Pamela volunteers in his place.

On July 12 we sterilized 27 dogs and 36 cats, including 14 male dogs, at Salón Ramírez in the village of Yerbabuena. On July 26, at Sportmind Gym in the village of Santa Teresa, we sterilized 101 animals—41 female dogs, 10 male dogs, 36 female cats, and 14 male cats.  Dr. Ricardo Montes de Oca also gave a tutorial on our rapid spay technique to Dr. Juan Pablo Rodríguez Fonseca, who has joined our surgical team. The two campaigns and the tutorial brought our total number of sterilizations for July to 164 and the total number for the year to 909. We also distributed copies of our educational coloring books to children and their parents who attended the campaigns. 

The following  photos are from the July 26 campaign. 

At the beginning of the month we began displaying new messages on the backs of two city buses. One shows an elderly dog and the caption (in Spanish), “Please don’t abandon me when I grow old.”

The other shows an obviously homeless dog sleeping on a piece of cardboard. The message is “Make me part of your family.”

Our Facebook and Instagram accounts displayed two educational messages each week. Here are several of them.

Finally, we are publishing this, our monthly online newsletter, on July 31.

We are grateful to our two teachers, Tony López and Julia Salido; our veterinarians, Drs. Verónica Almaguer, Abril Herrández, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Juan Pablo Rodríguez, and Arturo Rocha; our campaign manager, Julia Salido; and our many volunteers during the month, most (but probably not all) of whom are listed here: Karla Ahumada, Julie Boyles, Valentina Breslauer, Yiye Breslauer, Mary Beth Canavan, Fran Fonseca, Joslyn Lewis, Beth Lozano, Andrea Martín Muñoz de Cote, Adhán Mata López, Frany Mández Móntiel, Victor Milán, Blaine Southward, Jim Sullivan, and Sandra Ward.

As this reporter approached Santa Rosa just before noon, Mother Nature unleashed a ferocious thunderstorm, driving rain mixed with hail that turned the main street of into a raging river. Two of our team members got stuck in the mud on their way to the campaign site, but a 4X4 got them out. And inside the clinic there was no electricity, which meant that the animals could not be shaved for their surgeries and the surgeons were having to rely on battery-powered flashlights to illuminate the patients that had already been anesthetized. 

People and their pets normally wait outdoors for their turn, but Julia Salido, our campaign manager, invited them into the registration area to avoid the pelting rain. She assured everyone who wanted to leave because of the rain that we would return in two weeks to sterilize their pets, but most people decided to wait out the storm. Within half an hour, the power came back on and the campaign resumed.  

As is always the case when we face a new challenge at a campaign, everyone took the storm in stride. People remained cheerful and courteous, quietly forming a queue for the weighing station. By the end of the campaign, we had sterilized 67 animals—27 female dogs, 6 male dogs, 31 female cats, and 3 male cats. 

A new veterinarian and new vet assistant participated in this campaign, Dr. Juan Pablo Rodríguez Fonseca and his son, Pablo Mateo Rodríguez Vega. Dra. Sandy Hernández was on a well-earned vacation.

We had an unexpected patient at the campaign, a female puppy with a broken hip that several of our volunteers saw hit by a car as they approached the clinic. They brought her inside, covered her with blankets to treat her for shock, and made her as comfortable as possible while the campaign took place. 

Our team asked our lead surgeon, Ricardo Montes de Oca to operate on her hip at his clinic afterward and to vaccinate and sterilize her once she recovered from the hip surgery. Several volunteers contributed to the cost of the puppy’s surgery and postoperative care. Julie Boyles,  another Amigos volunteer, fostered her during her recovery and took the fateful step of giving her a name, Lola. Lola and  Julie’s other dog, Kobe, quickly bonded, and now lucky Lola has a new home.

We are grateful to our team members for their hard work: Julia Salido, our campaign manager; surgeons Dr. Ricardo Montes de Oca, Dra. Abril Herrera, and Dr. Juan Pablo Rodríguez; and our dedicated volunteers Karla Ahumada, Julie Boyles, Mary Beth Canavan, Rosemarie Conde, Mia del Ángel Gutiérrez Rangel, Tony López, Beth Lozano, Vero Mares, Adhán Mata López, Lupita Palacios, María Antonia Paz Martínez, Pablo Mateo Rodríguez Vega, and Dulce Sandoval. We are also grateful to the people who braved the storm to attend the campaign.

Case no. 21 of the day was also case no. 28,000 for Amigos. This new celebrity is a mixed-breed female dog with huge ears named Bingo, about two years old, who was rescued in the village of Cienega a couple of months ago. She had been tied up and was nearly dead from starvation and injuries that were probably caused by being a bait dog used in dog flights. Today she’s a playful and friendly addition to her human family. We celebrated her new status with a certificate of recognition, some guitar music, and a round of applause. The dog treats she received will be shared with other dogs.

Beth Kaiser, one of our clients on the 31st, who pitched in to help our team, made the following comments afterward: “I cannot get over what pros all the vets and techs were and how organized the entire group is. I have to say I’m really impressed. One standout aspect was the zero judgement atmosphere: Here to help anybody willing to take the help. I loved that there wasn’t so much as a sideways glance at the cats who arrived in plastic potato sacks.”

Our hosts, Marion Pritchard and Mick Connelly, donated used but freshly washed collars, halters, and leashes for pets who did not have them. We welcome such pet supplies, especially now that tariffs have made new ones more expensive or just unavailable at less expensive stores.

Our thanks to the sterilization team for their hard work on the 31st. Team members were Julia Salido, campaign manager; veterinarians Sandy Hernández, Abril Herrera, and Ricardo Montes de Oca; and volunteers Karla Ahumada, Julie Boyles, Mary Beth Canavan, Rosemarie Conde, Paulina García, Mia del Ángel Gutiérrez Rangel, Beth Kaiser, Tony López, Beth Lozano, Vero Mares, Adhán Mata López, Dulce Sandoval, and Sandra Ward. Our thanks too to Marion Pritchard and Mick Connelly for providing not only a perfect space for the campaign but also snacks and lunch for the volunteers.

During her successful career in sales, sales management, and marketing in the U.S., Terri was vice president of sales and marketing with Giftware Holdings. Previously she had been director of sales for the Dakin Company and director of marketing for Applause Inc. 

In Guanajuato, after spending several years helping in the recovery area at our sterilization campaigns, Terri created an annual bazaar that became a successful source of funding.  During Covid, she turned her attention to creating Terri’s Tiny Tiendita.  Her shop, whether set up in her home or as a pop-up at one of our events, is packed with a colorful array of gifts, crafts and decorative accessories. Best of all, the profits go to support our sterilization and education efforts.

Terri loves all animals, but she’s especially partial to cats and currently has two feline rescues. She also has a cute rescued Chihuahua mix named Millie.

As a board member and a member of our Fundraising Committee, Terri will continue supporting our fundraising efforts with her Tiny Tiendita and by sharing her management and marketing expertise.

If you are interested in volunteering at, or just observing, a campaign, you are welcome to attend. We can put you to work doing something useful but not too challenging. If you just want to observe, we think you’ll find the work we do fascinating and inspiring.

Today, May 31, we are having another sterilization campaign, this one at a private home in the village of Molineros. We expect to have something to celebrate at the campaign and will report it in our June newsletter. Stay tuned!

Our thanks to the sterilization team for all their hard work on the 17th. Team members were Julia Salido, campaign manager; veterinarians Verónica Almaguer, Sandy Hernández, Abril Herrera, Ricardo Montes de Oca, and Arturo Rocha; and volunteers Karla Ahumada, Julie Boyles, Mary Beth Canavan, Fran Espinosa, Adhán Mata López, Tony López, Juana Mondragón, Fran Méndez Montiel, Mia del Ángel Gutiérrez Range, Bianca Lizbeth Rico Vásquez, Estefan Lira Rodríguez, and Dulce Sandoval.