When Lindzie Bouillet visited Sayulita, Mexico, she didn’t expect to bring home anything more than memories.
But after falling in love with the landscape and the people, she and a friend wanted to give back in some way. They agreed to share the fostering of a puppy from Sayulita Animals and flew back to Vancouver with Estella.
But like many well-meaning animal fosters (and you can add me to this list), it wasn’t long before Lindz rejected the idea someone else should adopt the shy, awkward Mexi-mutt and made the decision to adopt her permanently.
Stella as a pup in Mexico.
In this edition of Rescue Me, Lindz describes how adopting her Mexi-mutt has spurred her into helping other needy pups.
Estella’s mother was a street dog in Sayulita who gave birth to nine puppies. Mexico does not have the same animal rescue resources that we have, and there are so many animals that do not end up getting spayed or neutered that a lot of these animals and their offspring end on the street in heartbreaking conditions and the problem keeps getting worse from there.
Stella has so many quirks that she’s beyond just being eccentric – she’s a straight up weirdo. We call her “the lurker” because she will often stand outside the room and intensely stare at you from around the corner.
She’s obsessed with other dogs, and constantly wants to play, but also terribly socially awkward. When we drive by another dog she will literally scream in an effort to get their attention, but then when she’s face to face she almost forgets how to play, and will just stand awkwardly in front of another dog with her tail wagging doing “the stare.”
She’s adapted well to Vancouver in that she absolutely loathes the rain. On her first time out with a dog walker into the mountains, when it started to rain Stella decided she had to escape the rain and bolted. A search party was sent out… and found Stella back at the walker’s truck, waiting to go home where it was dry.
She’s also very independent. She cuddles on her own terms, and she sometimes just needs her space – she puts herself to bed if we’re staying up late. For being so young she’s a bit of an old lady like that, that’s why I named her Estella. She’s this majestic old soul with a goofy streak and I love her for that.
My boyfriend Nate and I have had such a great experience with Stella that we decided we wanted to help more dogs from Mexico, and all of them have been absolutely perfect, with such friendly and loving dispositions.
We work with Sayulita Animals, which relies heavily on tourists’ donations, and their volunteering to escort dogs back to Canada for fostering and adoption. I don’t think people realize how easy it is to escort dogs back from Mexico, and there are usually foster families waiting to pick them up immediately at the airport. In my opinion, it’s the perfect way to end a vacation: you save a life and help the country that has just given you an amazing experience!
We’ve already fostered two dogs this year. The first, Figus, was a chi/terrier mix, and had to be removed from the home he shared with five other dogs because their owner’s unstable boyfriend was threatening to kill them.
Our second foster, Draca, was a true Mexi-mutt, like Stella. She was a five month old puppy that the shelter found badly beaten and very sick. A friend of mine quickly adopted Draca, and seeing the love she’s brought to her new family and how happy she is, is truly inspiring.
I know rescuing can be an intimidating prospect, but there are multiple groups and resources to help guide you through the process and ensure your pet is right for you and your lifestyle. The beauty of adoption is that you can always make fostering your first step before making the commitment of adoption and if it doesn’t work out you’ll know you were a part of another pet’s journey to their “furever” home in the meantime.
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