It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeart Radio. Welcome
to Maria's MutS and Stuff. And with me, I'm very very excited.
I have Alison Sawyer and she is the founder of ISLA Animals. Now,
Alison, first, I know that you are in a crisis situation right now.
But first I want to hear all about about the organization. So tell
me. I know it's in Mexico, But where did you move from to
start it all? In Mexico? Way back when I moved to islam Jes
which is a small island right off of Cancoon, in nineteen ninety nine.
Okay, actually I moved in two thousand, but we were there in ninety
nine and saw a piece of property and bought it the day we thought it
was right on the ocean and lovely. And where where did you move from?
Where were you were in the state? From bolder Colorado? Oh?
From Colorado? Wow? Okay, what made you decide to do that?
Let's see, I don't know. I just needed to change. Okay,
that's fair. And I'm a potter, so I could. I was setting
up a studio down there. I could work anywhere. Wow. Nice okay,
So that you moved like in two thousand and then, what made you
decide to start the rescue? I never even volunteered at the Humane Society.
I was a adamant potter and I have three children, and I was busy
already. But I got down there and the animal situation was absolutely horrible.
There were wild dogs, which I'd never seen. Sure, these dogs wouldn't
let you near them. And then there were street dogs, who were dogs
that had been thrown out of somebody's home or grew up around there where they
were born, and you know there were people around, but they were afraid
of people. Sure they weren't anybody's pets, and they would just live in
the streets and go into the garbage. And then there were pets, but
there was no vet on the island, and people couldn't find they couldn't find
medicine to keep the dogs from having ticks and fleas and all sorts of things.
So rarely did they leave them in their house let them in their house.
So a pet was really just a dog that hung out around your house
and you decided it was an okay dog, and you would throw it some
furtillas every day, and that was a pet, and you'd hope that they
might, you know, protect your property in exchange. So yeah, and
so the dogs were in terrible shape, just like awful, Just like awful.
I mean they all had maine, they all had ticks and fleas,
they were all covered with wounds from fighting. They were any um, they
just you know, if they were dogs that grow hair, they were matted,
and I mean awful. And I yeah, it was awful and I
just couldn't take it. I just uh, what really started it was that
people had no way to spay and neuter their dogs. That wasn't It was
not their fault, right, Um, there was no bet. They couldn't.
They couldn't. Um, So there was nowhere on the island for them
to spay and neuter their dog. They couldn't afford a large vet service to
for the operations. Sure, and they weren't allowed to take dogs on the
ferry. Oh my goodness, So what do you do? Your Their hands
were tied. They could do nothing, right, that's right. Either they
had their own boats and they could make it over, or they could get
on the car ferry, but you'd have to have a car that Oh my
goodness, right, right, right, So it was a nightmare. So
the dogs were breathing like crazy, of course. And yeah, and the
families would keep the keep the litter, let the mom have the litter,
and then they would keep the litter because that was kind of fun and cute
and the kids liked it, right, And then as soon as the mom
weaned them, they would um put them in a box and take them to
an empty lot or to the jungle boy. And meaning so the animal,
the pets, the dogs are on their own. Yeah, yeah, they
kept the mom, they would keep them, but the puppies were on their
own. Yeah, that's right. And they'd be like five weeks old.
And so there were puppies crawling out of the bushes everywhere. There were puppies
everywhere. And then children would be walking home from school, they'd see a
puppy, they'd pick it up, they'd take it home. Their parents would
say, no way, we're not keeping this dog, and so they throw
it in the streets. So they'd all get sort of relocated. Yeah,
just so awful. So there was a lovely pair of women who had to
use bookstore there at the time, and they were trying to do something about
it. So I started helping them, and eventually they couldn't do it anymore
because all these poor puppies, you know, they've been they'd all have the
runs and be dirty, and they'd be sick and everything else, and their
bookstore started to smell off, I know, right, right. So I
had we had built our house and we had a spare room above the garage,
and I said, look, I'll take them home and I'll bring you
back a couple of healthy puppies every day to have in the store, because
that's how they would get them adopted, hopefully by tourists, right right.
So that's where it started. I started off with this room full of puppies,
and then some of them would get home, some of them I would
send to friends in Canada or the United States, but inevitably I ended up
with a lot of dogs. I'm sure. Wow, Wow, that's so
wonderful. Do you realize how wonderful it is that you did that. It's
amazing too, I know, But you know, not everyone would do that,
you know, well, you know it was funny because I always say
I got hit by a dog stick. I was obsessed, right, it
was easy to do. I couldn't not do it. Right, you know,
it wasn't some grand gesture for the world. I just couldn't not do
it. I understand that, right, you couldn't see that the suffering and
right, you just couldn't. Well, you have empathy. You just couldn't
stand by and just watch it all happen. But it's amazing that you did
all that. Well, it is amazing because I didn't know anything. Well,
what is that trial? Trial by error? You learned? I guess
right, baptism't by fire, That's what I'm thinking, the old saying,
Oh yeah, that's more like y. Yes. I mean, I knew
nothing. And these dogs are all sick, and they have worms, and
they have skin problems, and they have everything. And I had no idea
what I was doing. And so I started to read and ask people and
people that at some point somebody put in a travel brochure that for for people
who loved dogs, there was a dog rescue on Islam Harris they could go
visit. They had no idea, no idea, right, right, So
tourists started showing up at my house and I'd put them to work. I'd
get them to help me clean up, I'd have them help me bathe dogs.
Yeah, smart. It just got bigger and bigger. And then somebody
helped me make a website, and so I appealed to people for monthly donations,
you know, and really pushed the idea that enough people giving me twenty
dollars a month would make a huge difference. Right, So that's where it
started. And that was twenty twenty two years ago. That was twenty two
years ago. So now twenty two years later, and I would say,
and this is you obviously have helped and adopted out dogs as well as cats
too, correct, Well I didn't. I just did dogs. I used
to give the cat lady cat food and she cats are more self sufficient than
dogs. Well that's true. Yeah, yeah, so she would I would
give her food, you know, with my donations, and she would put
food out for the cats. Okay, And that that was how I helped
the cats, because I didn't have enough space to have cats and dogs in
the same place. Right. Well, now that makes sense. So now
twenty two years later, I'm sure you've saved like tens of thousands of dogs.
Where are they now? Like what, you have a space, you
need a space. So what has progressed over the past, Like where were
you now twenty two years later. Okay, so before what happened happened,
the government in nineteen fifteen could see the difference, and tourism was just going
crazy on the island. And tourists don't want to see this. They don't
want to see sad animals. It ruins their vacation, you know, no,
it does, really, I mean, if they care about animals,
Well, this is how bad it was. This was how bad it was.
I mean, and that's why all inclusives are so popular because you don't
have to see the poverty and the sad animals and all of that. It
just didn't one place. So I because the government, the people in general
saw dogs and cats as rats. There were so many of them, and
they were always a problem that you know, they they had no compassion for
them, or most of them didn't, and most of them weren't taught that,
you know. All that was the culture. Well I was gonna say,
yeah, it probably was a little bit of ignorance too, because oh
yeah, right, because if they knew better, they would come up with
a spay and neuter program or something. Yeah, if they knew better.
But yeah, I'm sorry, so yeah, no, no, it's that's
right. And uh and a lot of the population. It was a fishing
village until it became a major tourist place. Okay. Um, So the
government could see a difference. We started, I started sponsoring span neuter clinics
on the island where they could get free span neuters. And the first one
there was uh. We were there for four to five days, I can't
remember. It was twenty two years ago, and we did two hundred animals.
Wow. And you know, we literally had to go door to door
and drag these animals out of people's homes, right because they the men didn't
want their their mails. Um, why is that that even? I mean
that happens. I feel like in every country, but especially here, Like,
seriously, guys, we're not going to neuter ye, get over it.
Oh, it's so ridicous. Oh my goodness, it is it is.
You know, even talked to some Yeah, he talked to some man
about neutering and he crosses his Oh. I know, it's true. It's
like it's it's even like involuntary. They just do it. I mean I
see it all the time. It's true. You're I'm always like, you're
not getting neutered. It's better for the dog, Like, what's wrong with
you? Oh my god, that's really funny, it is, But people,
I think they, you know people. One of the best things was
I mean, I mean I always made a big fuss about everybody's dogs,
because nobody made a fuss over door, right, and it was a novel
and and um um and sometimes or a lot of times, if I was
out giving out kicking flea mads or something in the poor neighborhoods and I saw
a really bad poodle mix that was just mats from head to toe, it
was my favorite to do to take that dog home and shave it, yeah
yeah, and clean it and put ticket flea meags on it and de worm
it, give it back to the owners. All of a sudden, they've
got the best looking dog on the blocks. Sure yeah, yeah yeah,
And that had a huge influence. They would let the dog in the house
because it didn't have ticks and fleas, right, and it didn't have the
runs because it didn't have worms, right, And everybody on the blocks going
wow, wow, look at your dog, right right, yeah, how
did you do that? H wow? So yeah, it was one of
my pride and joys that everybody knew me in all the poorer neighborhoods. I'd
go out there in my big, old broken down car and they'd all say,
hi, listen, Hi, listen, my dog's got you know this
or this, and it just it would make me feel like so wonderful.
Of course, it made all the the difference. Yes, sad things,
uh just disappear from it. But it was awesome. It made it worth
your while. You saw like the fruits of your labor. But when that
happened, well you know that that that's not exactly it, because I didn't.
It was already worth while to me, right, you know, it
was just making it stop, right. I don't know why I did it.
I don't, but but I'm glad I did, of course. And
it had to make you feel good that you did it. And when people
were grateful for it. I mean, not that you expected it, but
it's also nice. You know, you're right, it's nice. I just
deserve you know. Yeah, I think I'm always you know, people are
always talking about the fame and glorious. No, of course not, and
that's not why you're doing it. And everybody who knows you or knows of
you knows that you're doing it because of your love of animals and dogs,
right, Yeah, And the joke is there is no fame and glory of
under Now that's really fine. How every shirt you have had a ripping.
I was going to yes, of course, No, your husband's mad at
you, right because you're paying more attention to the dogs than him. Right,
that's right. And he just stepped in his poop in his yard.
You're right. So I think I'm very sensitive about that. There is no
People always say to me, I want to do what you do, and
I'm always thinking, no, you don't, right, No, I no,
you're right because people people don't realize how how difficult and how much hard
work and hours and hours of it go into it. H you know what
I mean. I remember, yeah, I remember confessing to my husband that
because we as people came to the house, we kind of lost our privacy,
you know. Sure, And um, I confess to him once that
when people knock on the door and we're having dinner, and he'll go,
just leave it, He'll just leave it, and and I'll go, no,
no, it be an emergency. And literally, in the back of
my mind, I'm hoping somebody's brought me a puppy that needs help. I
knew. I knew you were gonna say that that's so funny. I knew
you were. I don't knew that's not true. And you're like, yes,
it is, that's funny. I understand think I would feel the same
way. I don't puppy, I can help and save any Yeah. But
I started to learn some medicine myself. I did my own IVS in my
laundry row. Wow, stuff like that, and uh it it just grew.
Sure, and you have volunteers to help you. I have volunteers mainly
mainly tourists or ex packs that are living there who want to help out.
Um, not a lot, not a lot of foster homes because every home
already has five dogs. Wow, sure, you know so. So it
was a long time, right but anyway, so so then the government gave
us a spot in two thousand and fifteen, which was unbelievable. I thought
I had a really good volunteer at the moment, and we were so excited.
We went in and we painted everything and we oh, it was so
great, And we started doing weekly spay day to Tuesdays and Thursdays two spay
days a week free. Yeah wow. And and we do maybe twelve animals
hats or dogs, right, And by then we had a vat that I
absolutely loved. Who was the best bet I'd ever come across, and still
is. I mean that is a game changer, of course, because um,
there are you know, there are bad vats, like there's bad painters,
like of course, bad house cleaners anything. Yes, there are bad
apples in every profession. And sometimes people become vets but they don't love animals,
which doesn't make sense to me, but they do. Um so yeah,
no, you're right, I get that. Or they're just not good
at it. And the street animals they're they need help, sure, right,
And I think you also, as a vet, you probably need to
have a little bit extra I don't know if it's patience or uh, you
know, it's not somebody coming in who pampers their pet like a child.
It's not. It's not like that when they're coming in that they're stray or
they're ferrel. It's it's a different kind of a pet, if that makes
sense. It's a whole different ball game because when people in the US and
and and there's bad dog, dog owners in the US and camp Oh my
goodness, absolutely. Yeah. But when people say their animals, they take
them to a vet and the vet um spaces them and then sends them home
to a warm, dry house with a collar on. Right right, the
color is yes, of course, yeah, and uh so, and then
somebody's watching that dog's incision, watching everything about it. Well, you can't
do that down there. It's moist and it's hot, and these dogs are
always in the dirt and in the rain, and and you have to make
the smallest incision possible. Sure, and because if it's bigger and it comes
out, they die right right. So our vet makes a half inch incision
half inch wow and um, and then you know it's three stitches and if
they come open, they're not going to die right right. And he's so
good that people have started coming to our big clinics where we'll do fifteen hundred
animals and to learn from him. Sure, wow, that is pretty incredible.
Yeah, And I mean I've never and he loves animals. He's a
good teacher at Arturo de zool is his name. Oh, it's just gonna
ask you. His name was, like, let's give him some props that's
nice. Yeah, yeah, awesome. So where are you today? Because
okay, I became aware of you, and I'm sorry that I wasn't aware
of you sooner because now you have a situation that you need people's help.
Yeah, and we have gone. I wrote I wrote a book about my
first ten years. It's called The Dog Lady of Mexico. Okay, And
so I've done articles and interviews before, trying to get my book out there
so people could know what was going on. Right, And I'm not a
writer, but it's not a bad book, The Dog Lady of Mexico.
That's the book that you wrote. I worked on it hard, no spelling
mistakes. In two thousand and fifteen, they get the government gave us a
space. He used that to full advantage. Okay. It was wonderful.
We had it for eight years and people would come, tourists there, More
and more tourists come to the island. They'd all heard of us on the
island. We kept everything so crystal clean, you can't imagine. And the
dogs, if they weren't healthy, they were usually in isolation. So the
dogs were wonderful. We people would come and they'd walk them, or we'd
have two litters of puppies. We adopted out so many animals that way,
it was unbelievable, and people would leave donations or they'd bring us supplies.
It really did. It was so great. We were we were spaying and
neutering over over four thousand animals a year. Wow. That's incredible. Yeah,
yeah, it's hot. Yeah, I mean, and we didn't actually
do them all. We sponsored a lot of them, sure, backyard rescuers
and things like that. And we also were homing between three and four hundred
cats and dogs a year wow. And they would all be healthy. I
mean, you know, one out of four hundred might have gone up with
something, but we vetted them so well with wonderful arturo and um they were
and we got really good at sending them out to homes and making it work
for people, and everything was just flowing, you know, of course that
all the time. Yes, And in two thousand and eighteen, somebody who
used to come to all of my spay and neuter clinics, a lot of
them were on the mainland, moved to the island and wanted to help and
soon became my right hand person. Her name's Trina Noakes nak Es and she
has now because I'm seventy years old, she now seriously, but she's now
taken over the on site running of the rescue. Okay, and um,
she's fantastic. She's fantastic, and we think a lot alike. Oh that's
good, you know. Yeah, we can be absolutely full of animals and
will always take one more. And you know some people are no, we
can't do it. Nope, nope, not right. You know, you
never say no. I never said no no. So we were just cooking
with gas. It was great, and she's more organized than me. She
was going to make everything better and better and better. Well. Last,
let's see, I don't know how many months ago it was the government told
us that we had to vacate the premises and we had three weeks to get
out. Oh my god, why. I think it's because we get our
job so well. Right, But they should be happy that you did your
job so well and probably brought more tourists and everything else. They didn't see
it when it was bad. Its not like that anymore. They didn't see
it. They they were probably ten when I started the rescue, right,
right, I get it. No, of course, you're right, you're
right. And so they don't see a problem. And we did all of
their work for them. They used to bring dogs to us to be spay
and neutered on our free spay day. Wow. Um you know and they
they oh, anyway, don't get me started on them. Okay, I
won't know, Okay, anyway through their ignorance, that's all I'm going to
say. That's right, that's the way to put it. Yeah, So
they took they wanted the space back. You had three weeks to move out,
right, So what did you do? Well, we had uh the
year before rented a small house to be our office. Okay, Um,
so we moved, We got out as many dogs as we had, and
we moved the rest of them into the house that we had. And then
we had uh that and since then we just didn't know what we were going
to do, right, And then um our that UH donated a piece of
land to us. He's honored board of directors, and he had a piece
of land on the outskirts of Cancun in the jungle. Okay. Uh.
The sad thing is, I mean it's jungle. It's like jungle, jungle
jungle, and it has no water, no electricity, no sewage, no
nothing, okay and um it uh. So we had a place to go,
sure, and so that became our new focus. But in the meantime
we're doing fifteen percent of the amount of work. But we that you were
doing. And I can't tell you how awful it is, of course,
it's just awful. One day we had three different people come to us with
asking us to take in litters that they'd found. One of them they found
in a box in the pouring rain, and we had to take the first
two and we could not. Every foster we had, every volunteers house was
full, and you have to isolate these puppies for two weeks before you can
put them with any dogs. Sure, of course, have to get vaccines
into them right and check their health. So we had to. Trina and
I were both beside ourselves. We had to say no to this litter of
puppies from the rain, right, and it just broke our hearts. We
just, I mean, this is what we do this for. Like I
mean, we don't have any administration fees, We don't have every penny.
We hired three ladies to be at the rescue that the building that the government
had given us for seven days a week, and they would clean and care
for the animals, and then we would be out rescuing and doing different things.
And that was a turning point, that was extraordinary. These were three
local ladies who were afraid of dogs when they started. Now they've been with
us for eight years and they're just as invested as we are. Wow.
And I mean that's how great. Everything was going right and then and then
nothing and nothing right, nothing and nobody, nobody on the island helped us.
Nothing. And the problem is it's a small island and all the land
and housing is incredibly expensive, right right, So I mean you can't buy
a little tiny square of land for less than two hundred thousand dollars, right
right. And that's probably in thanks to you as well, because you helped
clean up the island with the wild dogs and the strays and everything else.
So it became more of a tourist attraction. I would say, yeah,
well, I don't know I made that difference. You probably did. I
mean it sounds like you did, right, Well, I'll tell you it
was a different place. The islanders were walking their dogs, picking up their
poop with poop bags, not all of them, of course, but still
I mean that's anyway it was right, but yeah, but still much better
than what it was. Much better. So now you are, you're still
using the space that the vet donated his his piece of land. Um,
do you are you looking for another space? Are you going to make the
best of this space? I know there's a go fund meate that you have.
I'm like, what, how can my listeners help you, even though
we're not basically there, they can tell other people about it and go to
the go fund meate Because where we are now is we say money up every
year for our one big clinic where we do fifteen to seventeen hundred animals in
five days. Okay, we have twenty five tape surgery tables and I mean
it's it's a production and it's magnificent and people. Now we do this at
a poor area on the mainland, which is actually part of the hum under
the government of Islamhads. Okay, um, so we were still working on
Islam Mohads anyway, So um, we save up money every year to to
do that. So we have had to take that money out and use it
to start developing the land right of that, and every spare penny that we
have were we have done that and we're leaving the island. Nobody stepped up
and helped us with a piece of land with anything. Nobody nothing. I
mean, we put a we did a thing where we put a message out
on our Facebook page which has like forty seven thousand followers on it, and
we put a letter in it, an email for them to send it to
the government, you know, to say what's going on, please help this
rescue. After four hours, they called us and told us to take it
down, and so we took it down. We took it down, you
know, they said they'd help, they'd do something. So we were like,
yeah, we've done it. We took it down, but they didn't
and they they didn't. They we went to Trina, went to a meeting
the next day and they offered us an eight by ten square building. It
was just like slapping us in the face of it was of course so bad
anyway, So yeah, would you put what if you put that message up
on Facebook again? Or do you think you'd be asked to take it down?
U out on how we leave the island? Right. We don't want
to mess with the government. No, no, of course we're not natives.
They can I've been threatened twice to be um, what do they call
it, deported? Yeah? Deported? Yeah yeah, so um uh.
Trina and I are landed immigrants, but they were foreigners. They can deport
us or they can make life miserable. So okay, no, I get
that. That makes sense. And they yeah, and they pretty much illustrated
that they don't want to do anything for us. So we with the money
we had and the SPAN Neuter Clinic money which we've now had to cancel our
November Span Neuter clinic. Um, we have cleared the land. Okay,
dug a well, put in a septic and built a wall around the outside
of the property. Oh wow, that's pretty good. Yeah, okay,
so we still need about a hundred and forty thousand dollars to put in the
buildings. Okay, and that's people can donate on your go fund me page,
which I'm gonna I'm gonna include with this interview, so my listeners can
just click on that. Great wonderful because and I swear and I always say
this because I know people are wary. This is the real thing. They
can go back and research me. They can research the rescue We've been around
for twenty three years and this is the real thing. And every penny they
give us will go towards the dogs correct or building or building the space right
right, Every penny will go to helping you and which ultimately helps the dogs
because it'll help you with that space since the government keeps you out of your
good space and right and not a curiosity, what did the government do anything
with that space that you had, or did they sell it or put some
sway hotel or they haven't done anything, of course not. Yeah, no,
yeah. It's at the front of this park and they're having an election
and part of one of their um this is a historical park on the island,
and part of one of the people running for office is to redo the
entrance. And we're at the entrance. Oh so you think they probably just
going to take it down. No, I think they'll probably put gift shops
in there. Oh okay, I know, Sorry, sorry to talk at
that, but yeah, so no, that's what we said. Yeah,
yeah, because to have your place there would be more appropriate, more welcoming
to a park than a gift shop. But what do I know? But
but they don't see it though, No of course they don't. They don't
know. Yeah, and so anyway, so you know, it's history.
Now we we we we're leaving the island, which is just I can't believe
that they are throwing out this free service for a space for a space.
You're right, well, you know they're not smart about it, not being
very smart. No, And so then we will be in can Koon,
and to tell you the truth, we'll still do outreach to the island.
You know, we're not going to abandon the eye, right, but there
is much more need now in Cancoon, and they're around Cancoon for us and
with appropriate space, because we made the best of the space we were but
it was we're in, but it wasn't really an appropriate place to do a
real dog rescue, right, and so with an appropriate place over there,
we can oh, well it's gonna be great. It's gonna be great.
But in the meantime, we're not doing anything for the animals, which just
breaks my heart. And we need to raise money to finish what we're doing,
right, Okay, Well, I'm hoping my listeners can help you out
a little bit, and just you talking to me about all this will help
as well, because you know, knowledge is power, I always feel and
the more people know about stuff, right, um, absolutely so, Alison,
Um, I want to I'll definitely post the go fund me page and
also for the listeners to learn more, they can go to ISLA Animals dot
org, which is I s l A Animals dot org. And they can
also go to your Facebook page. You're all I see you're all over social
media. Facebook, you have Instagram, um, and it's ISLA I s
l A Animals, right right, Alison Sawyer, thank you, thank you
for talking to me and telling me all this, and I definitely want to
talk to you again. Oh please, I still like four years ago,
that's right, like four years ago. Oh my goodness. But I'm not
gonna wait four years. I want to talk to you again so you can
tell me the progress read to well. Good luck with everything, and I
really do hope that, um, that everyone comes through and and you continue
to clear the space and you know, get back to where you wanted to.
Oh. I know, and that's why you'll get it done. I'm
sure you will, because you're determined. We are you are, we are.
We need more people like you, Alison, So thank you for doing
all that you do. I don't know. Some people think I'm insane.
You're not insane. You have a big giant heart, is what you're insane
about. That's all it is. Dear um. Anyway, well, thank
you for your interest and thank you for doing this interview. I mean,
I just know that people would care if they could see what we see.
Of course I get that, I know, I agree, But I think
also hearing you talk all about it and the whole history of it, I
think you know the fact that we're not there with you, but we can
sort of see it through your eyes and your explanation. So I think it's
it's almost as good. Yeah. And you know, people have often asked
me how you know why animals in Mexico there's animals in the US and Canada
that need help. And my answer is caring as global. Correct, that's
on our on our thing, and the world gets smaller every year, and
caring is global, and that just happened to be where I was. Absolutely,
and you know what, that that really sums it up because I hear
that too from people and it's like, caring is global. I will credit
you, but I'm going to use that from now going forward. I'm gonna
say no, no, no, I can't. I can't take credit.
I say Alison Sawyer said, caring is global. That's what that means,
and that will shut anybody up. So I love yeah, I love it.
Alison. Thank you so much, thank you for all your effort and
all your work, and thank you, thank you, thank you, yes
you too, and thanks for this interview and helping us out. I really
appreciate it. You're very welcome.