Every single day, from sun-up to the wee hours in the morning, Hilda Torres does everything she can to help animals in need on the streets of the Tijuana and the surrounding areas of Mexico.

A graduate in industrial electrical engineering from the University of Mexico, after 13 years of successful work as an electrical engineer, Torres decided to return to Tijuana to take a break. During this time, she decided to rent a car and become an Uber driver.

An avid animal-lover, it was predictable that her stint as an Uber driver would soon morph into rescuing animals; and that’s what Torres has been doing since that time. She is now a transporter of animals in need.

Often times, the person asking for help cannot pay. Even though Torres has bills to pay, including $600 a month to rent the car she uses to rescue animals, she will do the job to save a life, and she doesn’t complain about it.

The stray population in these areas is mind-boggling. No matter how many rescues have tried to help, the situation remains dire for the homeless animals. The injuries they sustain and the illnesses they suffer from the harsh life of homelessness is unimaginable. Given no choice to be born—and certainly born into a life of abject misery—euthanizing them would be preferable than the alternative of the painful and prolonged suffering and loneliness that often precedes death.

Still, Torres tries to relieve their pain. Her rescue work doesn’t end with answering the calls from rescue organizations, such as Crossing Guardians, or other independent rescuers who need help retrieving animals from dreadful situations. Torres will walk the streets and provide nourishment and hydration to ease the suffering of animals who are hungry, thirsty, tired and weary, such as the ones pictured below. These things, she does, on her own time and using her own scant resources.

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Torres feeds homeless dogs.

 

Torres also rescues animals that she comes across while doing transports, or just simply driving on the streets. When she sees animals in immediate need of vet care, she will rush them to the vet hospital. Like most animal rescue advocates, her heart compels her to act first and worry about how she will take care of expenses later. This often leaves Torres with outstanding balances at the vets where she takes them. She has received help from Crossing Guardians, as well as other wonderful rescue organizations that work in this area. Still, she has a running tab with various vets around town.

One of the lucky babies spotted by Torres is depicted in the featured photo, also shown below. Named Birdie because of how frail she was when she was rescued by Torres, she was literally minutes from death. Torres rushed her to emergency vet care. After Birdie was released to come home, she recovered with all the TLC Torres could give her. She is thriving today in North Carolina. (Video underneath the photo)

 

And, as explained in the Animal Rescue Vehicle fundraiser, the lengths to which Torres has gone to save an animal in need cannot be overstated. Here’s an example of a dog who was running away from Torres in a water canal. His fight or flight response kicked in. Of course, the poor creature was completely unaware that Torres wanted to help him, so he chose the flight response. That didn’t deter Torres. She went in after him. The video below shows him running away from Torres. Torres was able to catch him and take him to the vet. She named him Scar.

Torres currently pays $600 a month to rent a vehicle. She also bears the costs for gas and repairs. It is becoming cost-prohibitive for her to continue her wonderful rescue work.

To help Torres continue her life-saving efforts, Crossing Guardians set up a a GoFundMe page to help her get a vehicle of her own. Your donation is tax-deductible. Torres’ ability to get her own vehicle will also help rescue organizations and indy rescuers save more homeless furry critters suffering along the U.S.-Mexico border areas.

Torres’ role in the rescue community in these areas is more than a mere cog in the wheel. Her role is vital to our overall goal to save as many animals as we can. Torres is part of all of our rescue teams.

No amount is too small. Go to the fundraiser, entitled “Animal Rescue Transport Vehicle,” and donate today. If you can’t give at this time, please pass this story along to the animal-loving community.

Here is an update on Bonzai. He is another dog that Hilda rescued on her own. Crossing Guardians reached out to help her with Bonzai’s vet care. Torres was able to meet those vet expenses and Bonzai recovered, in spite of the myriad of illnesses he had to overcome.

 

Make a tax-deductible donation to Animal Rescue Transport Vehicle.