Our Mission

Our Mission

We are working tirelessly to lower the suffering of dogs on the peninsula of Baja, Mexico by funding safe and free spaying and neutering surgeries. We also support educational programs to ensure that our efforts create long-lasting change. We call this initiative spaying4change.

spaying4change

A NEW DIRECTION IN OUR MISSION​

The street dog and cat crisis is overwhelming in Baja, Mexico. Abandonment, abuse, health issues, suffering, and death are challenges that the majority of these roaming animals endure. The only way to radically improve this current state of affairs is through spay and neuter campaigns, as we will never rescue our way out of this emergency. Though Mexican culture overwhelmingly loves its dogs and cats, people simply cannot afford the high cost of veterinary care, let alone spaying and neutering surgeries. Many workers make a paltry $15 US per day for 12 hours of work while, in a private veterinary practice, each operation costs $50-250; an amount that is truly out of reach. This is the reason Chiquita’s Friends is now focused exclusively on supporting free spay and neuter surgeries; by creating safe opportunities for sterilization in communities in need, we can maximize our impact in reducing the suffering of so many. 

Chiquita’s Friends has been supporting free and safe spay and neuter campaigns in slums, barrios, colonias and villages; areas with the highest levels of need.  Since 2018, we have sponsored clinics in various places including Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, La Mision, San Jose Del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, Santa Rosalia, Guerrero Negro, and more. We are beginning to witness a massive shift in the enthusiasm with which people are bringing in pets, some arriving well before dawn and standing in line for hours, waiting patiently, and leaving with profound gratitude, knowing that animals’ lives have changed for the better. At a recent clinic, 550 animals awaited to be operated. We feel very proud of how much we’ve been able to accomplish in this time. 

OUR DECISION TO SHIFT FOCUS​

For the reasons stated above, Chiquita’s Friends has decided to shift its focus from rescue to sterilization. This was profoundly difficult as we have been rescuing dogs for over 35 years. Sadly, there is an overwhelming number of animals in need and we simply don’t have the resources to meet the demand. While rescue is crucial, it is not a sustainable long-term solution as it doesn’t target the root of the problem. It was truly bittersweet seeing our last pets adopted out; we will miss them all terribly but are so heartened knowing that each one ended up in its perfect home.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STERILIZATION

Transitioning our focus to sterilization is a crucial step towards making a massive dent on the pet overpopulation crisis. All research by professionals dedicated to the field of Dog Population Management (DPM) points to sterilization being the best way to ensure healthier lives for so many.

OUR NEW APPROACH

STERILIZATION: We will never rescue our way out of this dog overpopulation crisis so we are all hands on deck now with total focus on attacking the root problem. 

PARTNERSHIPS: Collaborating with local veterinarians and other organizations while funding free sterilization services for those communities most in need. 

OUTREACH PROGRAMS: Organizing educational opportunities to continue educating people of all ages on the merits of spaying and neutering surgeries. 

 

ABOUT CHIQUITA’S FRIENDS AND SPAYING4CHANGE’S FOUNDER

Geraldine and Nicolas

Geraldine Gilliland is the founder and guiding force behind Chiquita’s Friends, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting abandoned, senior, and special-needs dogs.Yet her true purpose revealed itself not just in saving animals, but in confronting the crisis at its root. Over time, Geraldine shifted her focus toward large-scale sterilization programs, especially in underserved areas of Baja, Mexico, where overpopulation brings daily suffering. 
 
Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Geraldine immigrated to the United States in 1975 and built a celebrated career as a chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. In Santa Monica she became widely known for her beloved establishments, including Gilliland’s Cafe, Lula Cocina Mexicana, Jake and Annie’s and Finn McCool’s Irish Pub. Yet throughout her culinary success, Geraldine’s deepest calling has always been animal rescue.
 
Chiquita’s Friends was founded in 2011, inspired by “Chiquita,” a small beagle mix Geraldine rescued after the dog was found injured and neglected. Chiquita’s resilience, determination, and gentle spirit became the heart of the organization’s mission: to give vulnerable dogs a second chance at life.
 
Geraldine initially operated the rescue from her 250-acre Malibu ranch, Rancho Chiquita, transforming her home into a sanctuary for animals requiring care, safety, and healing.
 
In 2017, Geraldine built Chiquita’s Friends – Cornell, a Sanctuary in the Santa Monica Mountains in the village of Cornell.  
 
The Cornell ranch evolved into a haven where rescued Mexican dogs were welcomed across the border, isolated in specially built cabins, and treated for the many diseases they carried, and lovingly brought back to health before finding their forever homes.  
 
Geraldine became known for rescuing pregnant dogs and mothers with large litters — huskies, chihuahuas, terriers, and countless street dogs — giving each of them and their babies the care they needed to survive.
 
In November 2018, the devastating Woolsey Fire destroyed the Cornell Sanctuary. Thanks to swift action and careful planning, Geraldine and her team successfully evacuated every animal—dogs, cats, and others—to safety. Following the loss, Geraldine dedicated herself to rebuilding, ultimately choosing to sell Finn McCool’s Irish Pub to ensure that rescue work could continue. 
 
Geraldine has become a leading advocate for dogs in Mexico, where overpopulation and limited access to affordable veterinary care leave countless animals suffering on the streets. Since 2019, she has conducted rescue missions and supported veterinary care in Los Cabos, Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, Tecate, and surrounding communities.
 
Her work in Mexico includes:
• Sponsoring large-scale free spay/neuter clinics in underserved neighborhoods
• Providing emergency medical care for critically injured dogs
• Transporting rehabilitated animals to sanctuary care in California
• Supporting local rescuers and building community-based solutions
 
One of her most recent impactful clinics in Los Cabos sterilized 570 animals in a single day, preventing thousands of future unwanted litters.
 
Despite her achievements as a chef and entrepreneur, Geraldine’s life is defined by her unwavering devotion to animals. She has spent decades rescuing the forgotten, advocating for compassion, building sanctuary spaces, and fighting against overpopulation through education and sterilization.
 
Geraldine believes every animal deserves dignity, safety, and love—and she has dedicated her life to making that belief a reality.
 

ABOUT CHIQUITA’S FRIENDS AND SPAYING4CHANGE’S FOUNDER

Geraldine and NicolasGeraldine Gilliand’s mother should have let her have a dog growing up. Instead, Geraldine has spent her adult life—since her arrival in the US from Ireland in 1975—rescuing and caring for dogs in need.

When Geraldine and her husband Theodore built their home on the property nestled high in the Malibu mountains, they named it “Rancho Chiquita” after their rescued beagle mix, Chiquita, who came to them neglected and abused, with a broken leg and a scarred heart. Geraldine lovingly nursed Chiquita back to health, watching and cheering as Chiquita grew into a confident and beloved companion—a feat Geraldine would accomplish again and again in the years to come as she continued to take in the old, the neglected, and the unwanted dogs from throughout Los Angeles. 

When Theodore passed away on Christmas Day in 2003, Geraldine was able to move on through her grief in large part because of her precious animals and their undying devotion. In 2007 tragedy struck again when her guest house burned to the ground in the Corral Canyon fire. All animals and humans survived, and Geraldine again pushed forward, rebuilding, determined to continue hosting fundraisers for animals and saving even more dogs. Geraldine also hosted many fundraisers for her close knit Corral Canyon community after the fire, including “ An Evening under the Corral Canyon Sky” featuring a concert by the band America.

Always generous with her time and talents, Geraldine continued hosting events for nonprofits such as Robert Cabral’s “Bound Angels,” California Wildlife Center, K9 Connection, Beagle Freedom Project, and Meade Canine Rescue. With the goal of doing even more for the animals, she launched “Chiquita’s Friends” as a 501c3 non-profit in 2011.

In 2017 another dream of Geraldine’s came true when she purchased a ranch in the hills of Cornell California where Chiquita’s Friends would have the opportunity to expand their rescue efforts, bringing more gorgeous animals to a safe and blissful sanctuary where they can experience the love and tender care they deserve. Geraldine, a frequent visitor to Mexico, also began rescuing Tijuana street dogs.

Sadly, a setback again occurred in the devastating Woolsey fire of November 2018 when the caretaker’s home, and the goat shed on the Cornell ranch burned down. Again, all animals and humans survived, but it took months before animals could be returned. 

Starting in 2019, Geraldine began taking dogs off the streets of Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali and Tecate, working with the local rescue community on the ground in those areas, vetting them, and transporting them to the ranch at Cornell to find their forever homes. Hundreds of dogs came to the USA this way. Some were at death’s door, but all survived and adopted out to the local community. 

A passionate person by nature, Geraldine devotes herself to the neediest of dogs and refuses to give up on any of them. As a renowned chef, author, and restaurateur (Bon Appetit magazine once named her one of the top six BBQ chefs in the United States), Geraldine Gilliland could choose to live a glamorous life relaxing at Rancho Chiquita, high in the hills over Malibu. She chooses instead to live her life in service to neglected and abused dogs, young and old, sometimes ill or disabled, because she knows every dog deserves a warm bed, a safe home, and the love of a human companion. Through Chiquita’s Friends, Geraldine Gilliland strives to offer just that to as many dogs as she can reach for as long as she can.

In 2023 Geraldine made yet another bold move, sold her home, her restaurant, packed up her Sprinter van with her 10 dogs, and made the 1000 mile journey to Los Cabos, Mexico. Today in Mexico she is sponsoring spay and neuter clinics in San Jose and San Lucas. Geraldine purchased another home to use for the dogs she rescued from the local landfill dump. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each of you who have supported Chiquita’s Friends; your dedication to the mission of making the world a kinder place for the most vulnerable is notable and admirable. It is my deepest wish that you’ll join me again in this new chapter. Together, we can work towards a future where every dog feels safe, loved, and is free from suffering.