Marietta, GA (May 7th, 2021) — The non-profit arm of the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team has focused on raising money and awareness for spay and neuter clinics in Mexico through our non-profit, JO Gives, Inc., since April 2019. When I traveled there with my husband and children in hopes of creating the first Homeless Pets Club internationally, instead of finding pet homelessness and overcrowding in animal shelters like we see in the United States, I found an overpopulation issue in the impoverished areas of Ensenada and Tijuana, Mexico where residents do not have the income to spay or neuter their pets. I then became connected with locals and other Americans who work tirelessly to alleviate the population issue of pets and street dogs and cats by offering free spay and neuter clinics to the town locals. After I got home, I went back to my non-profit, JO Gives, Inc. in Atlanta and started fundraising and planning for a return trip that would make a big impact on raising awareness for this crisis that many knew nothing about. I eventually made this idea into a special project initiative called “Project Mexico”. JO Give’s made it their mission to spay and neuter 2,000 dogs and cats through “Project Mexico”.
JO Gives teamed up with other organizations including Lucky Chi and Birdhouse/Doghouse Foundation, Kong, KVP, and Homeless Pets Foundation to complete almost 2,000 canine and feline sterilization surgeries since April 2019. These organizations and their contributions to the JO Gives clinics are instrumental in making this goal attainable. Kong Veterinary Products (KVP) who has donated e-collars, syringes, gauzes, gloves, and disposable drapes to multiple mass clinics donated those precious supplies again this year. Dr. Michael Good, The Georgia HSVMA representative and founder of the Homeless Pets Foundation supported this event as a partner and donor.
Over the past two years JO Gives has held over seven dozen spay and neuter clinics in order to achieve their ambitious goal. The final spay and neuter clinic took place on May 2nd, 2021 in The Cartolandia neighborhood in Tijuana, Mexico and put Project Mexico over its goal at 2,130 sterilizations! These spay and neuter clinics in Mexico are performed by a team of doctors who create a sterile environment in mobile operating rooms and tents for the working poor pet owners in the area. Many homeless street dogs and cats are also sterilized to help with the overpopulation issues in the community. A special thanks to Georgia Association of REALTORS® Good Neighbor Award Grant and National Association of REALTORS® Volunteer Works Grant for each donating $1,000 which sponsored 100 dogs and cats to help this project come to completion. To learn more about JO Gives, Inc. and Project Mexico, please visit our website at www.jogives.com
JO Gives and its programs focus on animal advocacy, facial trauma in children and those suffering from ALS. Our cumulative efforts strive to make our big community feel smaller by nurturing relationships and fostering hope in those who need a voice, an advocate, or a hand up.
306 dogs and cats were spayed and neutered at the clinic in Tijuana, Mexico this past Sunday.
Animals after their surgery that will be waking up soon.
One of The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team’s agents, Stephanie Cann, giving animals their vaccines.
An owner with their cat waiting in line at the clinic.
Three volunteers passing out recovery cones.
Janice Overbeck with the local veterinarian and a dog about to go under surgery.
Another dog waiting for surgery.
Janice Overbeck vaccinating cats that just had surgery.
Janice Overbeck with Johnny Ray, founder of Birdhouse/Doghouse Rescue Foundation.