JEEP Refugio: Celebrating Mutt Day Year Round
Tara A. Spears
I’m coming out and I’m proud: mutts have rescued me. My life is happier and more complete because I love a former street dog fur baby. Although the annual celebration of Mutt Day is Thursday, July 31 this year, the local animal shelter, Jaltemba Equine Education Project (JEEP) operates 365 days a year to bring food, medical care, and safety to area mutts. The amazing animal activists, George and Loretta Leavitt, (327 274 3263) started the Hilltop Refugio by rescuing abandoned horses 14 years ago. From that humble outreach, a state of the art facility has grown to now protect about 100 animals. This facility is where area mutts of many species find heaven in coastal Nayarit.
My hope by showcasing the Hilltop Refuge in honor of International Mutt Day is to remind people that the wonderful causes they support when visiting in the winter need funding and help all year long. This group has a excellent social media presentation on FB: The Hilltop Refugio / JEEP Jaltemba Equine Education Project. Administrator Lesia Holmes gives frequent updates and will respond to questions. JEEP also has a website, https://www.hilltoprefugio.com/, that has lots of information about the group and the shelter animals available for adoption. “Come visit the animals, the dog or cat will choose who they are comfortable with,” explains Loretta. “For those wanting to adopt, it’s unbelievable sometimes how the dog or cat knows.”
International Mutt Day brings attention to the many great mixed breed dogs, cats, horses, in need of homes. Join us in celebrating all the mutts and mixed breed animals that can make our lives so great.
How to celebrate Mutt Day: You can adopt a mixed breed dog; make a donation, https://www.hilltoprefugio.com/ ; or volunteer at Hilltop Refuge. The facility has two mornings a week that provide oportunity for interaction with the mutts. Tuesdays and Saturdays are open visit days from 9 am to 12 pm., no need to pre register. “When you visit, we hope that you will fall in love with one of our babies and want to adopt.”
If donations aren’t your style, you can always volunteer. Shelters need volunteers to befriend the dogs, play with them and take them for walks. A few hours of your time can make a big difference in their happiness and happy dogs stand a better chance of getting adopted.
There are lots of great dogs out there who lack a home just because they don’t have the right pedigree. But you can do your part to change all that. Getting any dog is a big responsibility, but a mixed breed will likely be healthier, happier, better behaved — and live longer than a purebred of the same age.
Not in the position to adopt a mutt? You can still help out your local shelter with a donation. Your money goes to things like food, toys and medicine. Every peso counts, so you can really make a difference in the lives of all the dogs at the shelter. In an efford to be sustainable, The Hilltop Refuge has an on site gift shop that has beautiful logo items for sale. Dog (or cat) enthusiasts can become a sponsor for as little as $500 pesos a month. Check out the Sponsor Board photo. Plus, the Refuge has a terrific fundraiser that is held every 14th of January- therefore, the day of the week for the party varies. There will be social media announcements several weeks in advance regarding the ticket sales.
When asked for 2026 plans, Loretta repied, “We plan to focus more on working with the children, providing both an opportunity to interact with animals and to learn about the proper care of pets. JEEP believes it is important to educate children to foster respect towards animals and awareness of what they can do to protect animals.”
JEEP encourages the public to understand that mixed breed animals (mutts) have better health. These dogs have hit the genetic lottery. The blending of genes helps fight deficiencies by providing healthier gene sequences from other breeds. Think of it this way: the smaller the gene pool, the less healthy the genes. Your mutt, on the other hand, has a sampling from all over, adding to the dog’s overall lifespan and well-being. However, homeless street animals suffer from lack of proper nutrition, adequate medical attention, and often experience abuse or injuries.
All dogs love us for who we are. Whether your dog is from a famous breeder or your local shelter, he or she loves you in a way that can’t be expressed in words. Though mixed breed dogs aren’t usually as highly regarded as their purebred cousins, they’ve got lots of love in their hearts. And some people even argue that since most mutts weren’t born into a pampered life, they love us even more.
It’s a huge undertaking to operate an animal schelter. Not only do George and Loretta care deeply about animals, they are committed to providing shelter and vet service to needy animals. “It (Hilltop Refugio) is our life now and we have no regrets. We love it and are happy that we can do it.” This altruistic couple is devoted to rescuing animals.”It comes from our heart!”
Mutts need people, too. Often passed over for their pedigreed cousins, mixed breed dogs/cats/horses end up at a pet shelter more frequently and they tend to wait longer before getting adopted. But mutts have all the characteristics that we love about animals. National Mutt Day is about getting them the love and attention they deserve. Thank you to George and Loretta Leavitt for being the role models and guardian angels for mutts!
