Cars and Canines hosts adoption event honoring founder Mia Molina

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Cars and Canines returned Sunday with a special dog-adoption event held in honor of its late founder, Mia Molina.

The event took place at Mutts Cantina, where friends, family and supporters gathered to celebrate Molina’s two passions: exotic cars and rescue dogs. Organizers said bringing both worlds together is a way to keep her legacy alive.

“This is our first event that’s in honor of her,” co-founder Gia Soleil Espinoza said. “Even my shirt has our for Mia logo.”

Molina and Espinoza founded Cars and Canines to help shelter dogs find permanent homes. But the future of the organization felt uncertain after Molina was shot and killed in September.

“For a while, we didn’t know if we were going to let it rest with her,” Espinoza said. “But we’re going to keep it going. She would love to see the community turnout.”

Sunday’s event brought out dozens of dog lovers hoping to meet their perfect match. Several rescue groups attended, including Mutt Love and 2 Rivers dog rescue. Organizers said they brought a range of dogs from small breeds to larger dogs and even some with special needs.

The event had something for everyone, for the Maya family, that match was a dog named Jelly.

“She’s older, and we already have a one-year-old puppy,” Rinel Maya said. “She’ll be a good fit to help show our puppy the ropes.”

With many shelters reporting overcrowded conditions, organizers emphasized the importance of choosing adoption over shopping.

“They have all shapes and sizes,” Espinoza said. “If you’re looking for a purebred, the shelter probably has one.”

Organizers say they plan to continue holding Cars and Canines adoption events, with the next one expected early next year.