Born Again Pit Bull Rescue's mission is to save lives by keeping dogs out of local shelters through spay and neuter assistance, owner and shelter support programs, and community education. While we have always worked with dogs and partners in the Northwest and Northern California area, we were recently introduced by a long time supporter to ButterBean, a dog from Jalisco. After finding ButterBean a home and learning more about the plight of dogs in that area, I wanted to do more.
Volunteering in the recovery area
One of our wonderful vet partners in Salem, Oregon, Evergreen Veterinary Hospital, generously sponsored all travel costs for me to fly down to Guadalajara and volunteer at a local free spay and neuter clinic. This was a life-changing trip where I had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful and hardworking animal advocates.
There are literally millions of street dogs in Mexico. The thought of trying to help them can feel overwhelming. There is so much work to be done, but the dogs I met in Jalisco are wonderful and deserving companions seeking love and shelter. While I was there, I was able to see what some of the greatest needs were for that community.
Dr. Marcos treating a new street dog, Pepeita
A local street dog seeking affection
Most important is free spay and neuter clinics. We will never make a difference until we help spay and neuter the animals—and the locals are desperate to do so! They will wait 8 hours in long lines just to get their dogs fixed. It’s truly touching. It takes over 40 volunteers to run these clinics. We fixed 101 animals in one day but had to turn away over 100 people at the door who have MULTIPLE animals in the home.
The second most crucial need is controlling the street dog population by spaying FEMALES on the streets who are more “feral” and unable to come to free clinics since they are not owned dogs.
A street dog with mange
Third, feral street dogs need food and medication. The amazing local volunteers go out daily and feed about 40 dogs each time! While they are feeding the dogs, they will also administer the flea meds by hiding it in hotdogs that are given along with regular food. Life is already rough on the streets and without medication, the dogs are covered in fleas and will chew on themselves until their hair falls out (flea dermatitis).
Last, adoptable dogs need support to find their forever homes. Sick or injured rescued street dogs who are being treated before they can go up for adoption need an isolation/quarantine area, as well as vaccinations and spay or neutering. Without support, hurt or injured dogs who are otherwise adoptable end up left on the streets to die.
With the memory of these amazing people and dogs still fresh in my mind, we got to work on the MexiMutt Project, with a goal of fundraising and advocating on behalf of the street dogs in Jalisco. Through MexiMutt, BAPBR plans to fund 4 spay and neuter clinics per year for the local family dogs, provide food, medication, and sterilization for the feral dog population, and cover medical and transportation needs for street dogs that can be adopted locally or in the United States. Learn more about our program here.
We have been helping more dogs than we ever have before since we opened our doors in 2007. This year alone, we have helped over 75 dogs in Oregon find placement through adoptions or transfers through our partner shelters. And with the support of generous donations, in just the past 2 months alone, we have directly helped 56 dogs in Mexico.
How you can support MexiMutt:
Become a monthly recurring donor, no donation is too small.
Have a birthday coming up? Use Facebook to start a birthday fundraiser on behalf of BAPBR!
Share and tell others about The MexiMutt Project.
Your generosity will make a huge impact on the people and dogs of this rural community. Every penny counts. No donation is too small. We're grateful to you and appreciate your support in achieving our mission of making the world a kinder place for the animals.