Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Ramirez.
Hi Jill, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2016, I had an internet-famous corgi named Beanie who had a rare autoimmune disorder called IMPA (immune-mediated polyarthritis) which is basically rheumatoid arthritis in a person. Her veterinary care costs thousands of dollars which I, unfortunately, didn’t have. After requesting loans from family and friends and depleting my bank account to try and save her, I was made aware of a financial assistance program called Bandit’s K9Care. I reached out to them, extremely overwhelmed, feeling defeated and sick over not being able to provide the type of care Beanie needed, and they graciously banded together to help me. I was able to take Beanie to multiple specialists, who diagnosed her with IMPA and came up with a dedicated plan. Not only did Bandit’s K9Care provide me with financial support from Corgi Nation, but they provided the best emotional support I could have possibly asked for so that I could fully tend to the care of my sweet corgi, they called the vets for me, they provided everyone with updates, they called when I didn’t have the words to speak because I was so upset over Beanie’s condition, and they ultimately provided me with 6 months more time with my sweet girl. Beanie went into remission after being on controlled medication for her IMPA. However, regretfully, Beanie passed away from a secondary condition caused by the strong medicine, which made her develop incurable stomach ulcers, and I knew that I was faced with the worst decision, if I stopped the medication, her IMPA would return, if she stayed on the medication, the stomach ulcers would kill her regardless. I knew I had to be selfless for Beanie and do what was right for her, so we had to let her go to the rainbow bridge. It was the hardest day of my life, but the hardest day of my life brought me the most incredible people in my corner. Beanie passing away brought my sweet wife into my life all by chance. Alex (co-founder of the Texas Corgi Roundup) had reached out to my mother and sent me wooden corgi angels that she made to represent my sweet Beanie girl. I reached out to thank Alex, and we just… never shut up! When Alex and I met, we attended a similar gathering called the Florida Corgi Picnic. The event raises funds for a non-profit organization that helps corgis in rescues. We no longer lived in Florida, but there was nothing like this picnic in Texas. So that’s how the Texas Corgi Roundup came to be, all with the mission to give back to the wonderful organization that helped me! We needed a Texas Corgi event that allowed all lovers of the breed, corgi friends, families, etc to gather all while helping give back!
Our event is to raise funds for Bandit’s K9Care and WDCR (Wyoming Dachshund and Corgi Rescue), which is a Texas-based rescue despite their name. The event we have organized is the Fourth Annual Texas Corgi Roundup (for Corgis, Corgi mixes, and any non-Corgi siblings or furriends) to be held November 11th, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm, at Smith Ranch in Katy, TX. Please visit www.texascorgiroundup.org for more information about the event. We are also on Facebook & Instagram as Texas Corgi Roundup! 100% of all net proceeds will be given to WDCR & Bandit’s K9Care. We have Corgi Contests such as hot dog bobbin’, best momo (best corgi booty), the costume contest, and the fan favorite, the Corgi Races!! We are hoping for an even larger turnout for this inaugural event this year. But last year, we were able to bring 2000+ humans and 903 corgis to our event, which in turn generated net proceeds of $10,000 for WDCR! We are hoping to surpass our stats from 2019 and help spread the word about these two amazing organizations. WDCR is a wonderfully dedicated 501(c)3 non-profit organization that helps rehabilitate corgis, corgi mixes, and dachshunds from all over Texas. They have rescued many corgis and doxies with health and aggression issues that many other rescues wouldn’t take. Bandit’s K9care helps all dog moms and dads when they are faced with emergency vet bills and experience financial hardship. Please visit their website, www.facebook.com/WyomingDachshundandCorgiRescue/ / https://banditsk9care.org/ for more information on both of the organizations. We think they deserve the recognition and a pat on the back for doing so!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The Texas Corgi Roundup was founded in 2017. In the very first year, we had 326 corgis in attendance. In 2018, our second year, we had 625 corgis in attendance. In 2019, we had 903 corgis in attendance! In 2020, we had to cancel due to Covid, but we are coming back in 2023 bigger and better! We are only a month and a half into registration being open, and we already have over 500 corgis registered to attend! We are hoping for at least 1000 this year! It hasn’t always been easy, with our growth, we had to move the event from Temple, TX to Katy, TX to provide an ample amount of parking for our attendees.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In my personal career (as the Texas Corgi Roundup is a second full-time job as solely a volunteer), I work for a company called Zocdoc.com that helps patients find healthcare with providers listed in their insurance network! Alex is retired and lives with Parkinson’s disease, unfortunately. She is a true fighter though and Corgis keep her going strong.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
We truly believe everything happens for a reason. We are incredibly grateful for the support and growth of our event and hope everyone knows that there are programs to help so that no one is faced with a huge decision over financial hardship.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.texascorgiroundup.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/texascorgiroundup
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/texascorgiroundup
- Other: Tiktok: TexasCorgiRoundup
