Isla Animals Rescue Needs Our Help!

Maria chats with Isla Animals Rescue founder Alison Sawyer about the history, and recent eviction of Isla Animals shelter.

Since 2001, they've helped hundreds of thousands of animals in Mexico. And as Alison explains "Caring is global"!!!

To help Isla Animals build a new shelter: https://www.islaanimals.org/

Or their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-isla-animals-rescue

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. Whata great idea on iHeart Radio. Welcome
to Maria's MutS and Stuff. Andwith me, I'm very very excited.
I have Alison Sawyer and she isthe founder of ISLA Animals. Now,
Alison, first, I know thatyou are in a crisis situation right now.

(00:24):
But first I want to hear allabout 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 offof Cancoon, in nineteen ninety nine.

(00:44):
Okay, actually I moved in twothousand, but we were there in ninety
nine and saw a piece of propertyand 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?

(01:07):
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. Icould work anywhere. Wow. Nice okay,
So that you moved like in twothousand and then, what made you
decide to start the rescue? Inever even volunteered at the Humane Society.

(01:34):
I was a adamant potter and Ihave three children, and I was busy
already. But I got down thereand the animal situation was absolutely horrible.
There were wild dogs, which I'dnever seen. Sure, these dogs wouldn't
let you near them. And thenthere were street dogs, who were dogs

(01:56):
that had been thrown out of somebody'shome or grew up around there where they
were born, and you know therewere people around, but they were afraid
of people. Sure they weren't anybody'spets, 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

(02:21):
medicine to keep the dogs from havingticks and fleas and all sorts of things.
So rarely did they leave them intheir house let them in their house.
So a pet was really just adog that hung out around your house
and you decided it was an okaydog, and you would throw it some
furtillas every day, and that wasa pet, and you'd hope that they

(02:42):
might, you know, protect yourproperty 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 fromfighting. They were any um, they
just you know, if they weredogs that grow hair, they were matted,

(03:05):
and I mean awful. And Iyeah, it was awful and I
just couldn't take it. I justuh, what really started it was that
people had no way to spay andneuter their dogs. That wasn't It was
not their fault, right, Um, there was no bet. They couldn't.
They couldn't. Um, So therewas nowhere on the island for them

(03:27):
to spay and neuter their dog.They couldn't afford a large vet service to
for the operations. Sure, andthey weren't allowed to take dogs on the
ferry. Oh my goodness, Sowhat do you do? Your Their hands
were tied. They could do nothing, right, that's right. Either they
had their own boats and they couldmake it over, or they could get
on the car ferry, but you'dhave to have a car that Oh my

(03:47):
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 litterbecause 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 putthem in a box and take them to

(04:12):
an empty lot or to the jungleboy. And meaning so the animal,
the pets, the dogs are ontheir own. Yeah, yeah, they
kept the mom, they would keepthem, 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 outof the bushes everywhere. There were puppies

(04:35):
everywhere. And then children would bewalking 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 notkeeping this dog, and so they throw
it in the streets. So they'dall get sort of relocated. Yeah,
just so awful. So there wasa lovely pair of women who had to

(04:56):
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, youknow, they've been they'd all have the
runs and be dirty, and they'dbe sick and everything else, and their
bookstore started to smell off, Iknow, right, right. So I

(05:25):
had we had built our house andwe had a spare room above the garage,
and I said, look, I'lltake them home and I'll bring you
back a couple of healthy puppies everyday 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. Istarted off with this room full of puppies,

(05:45):
and then some of them would gethome, some of them I would
send to friends in Canada or theUnited States, but inevitably I ended up
with a lot of dogs. I'msure. Wow, Wow, that's so
wonderful. Do you realize how wonderfulit is that you did that. It's
amazing too, I know, Butyou know, not everyone would do that,

(06:06):
you know, well, you knowit was funny because I always say
I got hit by a dog stick. I was obsessed, right, it
was easy to do. I couldn'tnot do it. Right, you know,
it wasn't some grand gesture for theworld. I just couldn't not do
it. I understand that, right, you couldn't see that the suffering and

(06:27):
right, you just couldn't. Well, you have empathy. You just couldn't
stand by and just watch it allhappen. But it's amazing that you did
all that. Well, it isamazing because I didn't know anything. Well,
what is that trial? Trial byerror? You learned? I guess
right, baptism't by fire, That'swhat I'm thinking, the old saying,
Oh yeah, that's more like y. Yes. I mean, I knew

(06:50):
nothing. And these dogs are allsick, and they have worms, and
they have skin problems, and theyhave everything. And I had no idea
what I was doing. And soI started to read and ask people and
people that at some point somebody putin a travel brochure that for for people

(07:14):
who loved dogs, there was adog rescue on Islam Harris they could go
visit. They had no idea,no idea, right, right, So
tourists started showing up at my houseand 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 gotbigger and bigger. And then somebody

(07:35):
helped me make a website, andso I appealed to people for monthly donations,
you know, and really pushed theidea that enough people giving me twenty
dollars a month would make a hugedifference. Right, So that's where it
started. And that was twenty twentytwo years ago. That was twenty two

(08:00):
years ago. So now twenty twoyears later, and I would say,
and this is you obviously have helpedand 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 foodand she cats are more self sufficient than
dogs. Well that's true. Yeah, yeah, so she would I would

(08:22):
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 haveenough space to have cats and dogs in
the same place. Right. Well, now that makes sense. So now
twenty two years later, I'm sureyou've saved like tens of thousands of dogs.

(08:46):
Where are they now? Like what, you have a space, you
need a space. So what hasprogressed over the past, Like where were
you now twenty two years later.Okay, so before what happened happened,
the government in nineteen fifteen could seethe difference, and tourism was just going

(09:09):
crazy on the island. And touristsdon't want to see this. They don't
want to see sad animals. Itruins their vacation, you know, no,
it does, really, I mean, if they care about animals,
Well, this is how bad itwas. This was how bad it was.
I mean, and that's why allinclusives are so popular because you don't

(09:31):
have to see the poverty and thesad animals and all of that. It
just didn't one place. So Ibecause 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 youknow, they they had no compassion for
them, or most of them didn't, and most of them weren't taught that,

(09:54):
you know. All that was theculture. Well I was gonna say,
yeah, it probably was a littlebit of ignorance too, because oh
yeah, right, because if theyknew better, they would come up with
a spay and neuter program or something. Yeah, if they knew better.
But yeah, I'm sorry, soyeah, no, no, it's that's
right. And uh and a lotof the population. It was a fishing
village until it became a major touristplace. Okay. Um, So the

(10:22):
government could see a difference. Westarted, I started sponsoring span neuter clinics
on the island where they could getfree span neuters. And the first one
there was uh. We were therefor four to five days, I can't
remember. It was twenty two yearsago, and we did two hundred animals.
Wow. And you know, weliterally had to go door to door

(10:43):
and drag these animals out of people'shomes, right because they the men didn't
want their their mails. Um,why is that that even? I mean
that happens. I feel like inevery country, but especially here, Like,
seriously, guys, we're not goingto neuter ye, get over it.
Oh, it's so ridicous. Ohmy goodness, it is it is.

(11:07):
You know, even talked to someYeah, 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'strue. You're I'm always like, you're
not getting neutered. It's better forthe dog, Like, what's wrong with
you? Oh my god, that'sreally funny, it is, But people,

(11:31):
I think they, you know people. One of the best things was
I mean, I mean I alwaysmade 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 ora lot of times, if I was
out giving out kicking flea mads orsomething in the poor neighborhoods and I saw

(11:54):
a really bad poodle mix that wasjust mats from head to toe, it
was my favorite to do to takethat dog home and shave it, yeah
yeah, and clean it and putticket flea meags on it and de worm
it, give it back to theowners. All of a sudden, they've
got the best looking dog on theblocks. Sure yeah, yeah yeah,

(12:15):
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 yourdog, right right, yeah, how
did you do that? H wow? So yeah, it was one of

(12:37):
my pride and joys that everybody knewme 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 itwould make me feel like so wonderful.

(12:58):
Of course, it made all thethe difference. Yes, sad things,
uh just disappear from it. Butit was awesome. It made it worth
your while. You saw like thefruits of your labor. But when that
happened, well you know that thatthat's not exactly it, because I didn't.
It was already worth while to me, right, you know, it

(13:18):
was just making it stop, right. I don't know why I did it.
I don't, but but I'm gladI did, of course. And
it had to make you feel goodthat 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, Ithink I'm always you know, people are

(13:41):
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 becauseof your love of animals and dogs,
right, Yeah, And the jokeis there is no fame and glory of
under Now that's really fine. Howevery shirt you have had a ripping.

(14:03):
I was going to yes, ofcourse, No, your husband's mad at
you, right because you're paying moreattention to the dogs than him. Right,
that's right. And he just steppedin his poop in his yard.
You're right. So I think I'mvery sensitive about that. There is no
People always say to me, Iwant to do what you do, and

(14:24):
I'm always thinking, no, youdon't, right, No, I no,
you're right because people people don't realizehow how difficult and how much hard
work and hours and hours of itgo into it. H you know what
I mean. I remember, yeah, I remember confessing to my husband that
because we as people came to thehouse, we kind of lost our privacy,

(14:48):
you know. Sure, And um, I confess to him once that
when people knock on the door andwe're having dinner, and he'll go,
just leave it, He'll just leaveit, and and I'll go, no,
no, it be an emergency.And literally, in the back of
my mind, I'm hoping somebody's broughtme a puppy that needs help. I
knew. I knew you were gonnasay that that's so funny. I knew

(15:09):
you were. I don't knew that'snot true. And you're like, yes,
it is, that's funny. Iunderstand think I would feel the same
way. I don't puppy, Ican help and save any Yeah. But

(15:31):
I started to learn some medicine myself. I did my own IVS in my
laundry row. Wow, stuff likethat, and uh it it just grew.
Sure, and you have volunteers tohelp you. I have volunteers mainly
mainly tourists or ex packs that areliving there who want to help out.

(15:52):
Um, not a lot, nota lot of foster homes because every home
already has five dogs. Wow,sure, you know so. So it
was a long time, right butanyway, so so then the government gave
us a spot in two thousand andfifteen, which was unbelievable. I thought

(16:14):
I had a really good volunteer atthe moment, and we were so excited.
We went in and we painted everythingand we oh, it was so
great, And we started doing weeklyspay day to Tuesdays and Thursdays two spay
days a week free. Yeah wow. And and we do maybe twelve animals
hats or dogs, right, Andby then we had a vat that I

(16:38):
absolutely loved. Who was the bestbet I'd ever come across, and still
is. I mean that is agame changer, of course, because um,
there are you know, there arebad vats, like there's bad painters,
like of course, bad house cleanersanything. Yes, there are bad

(17:00):
apples in every profession. And sometimespeople 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 getthat. Or they're just not good
at it. And the street animalsthey're they need help, sure, right,
And I think you also, asa vet, you probably need to
have a little bit extra I don'tknow if it's patience or uh, you

(17:25):
know, it's not somebody coming inwho pampers their pet like a child.
It's not. It's not like thatwhen they're coming in that they're stray or
they're ferrel. It's it's a differentkind of a pet, if that makes
sense. It's a whole different ballgame because when people in the US and
and and there's bad dog, dogowners in the US and camp Oh my

(17:48):
goodness, absolutely. Yeah. Butwhen people say their animals, they take
them to a vet and the vetum spaces them and then sends them home
to a warm, dry house witha collar on. Right right, the
color is yes, of course,yeah, and uh so, and then

(18:11):
somebody's watching that dog's incision, watchingeverything about it. Well, you can't
do that down there. It's moistand it's hot, and these dogs are
always in the dirt and in therain, 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

(18:40):
half inch wow and um, andthen you know it's three stitches and if
they come open, they're not goingto die right right. And he's so
good that people have started coming toour big clinics where we'll do fifteen hundred
animals and to learn from him.Sure, wow, that is pretty incredible.

(19:02):
Yeah, And I mean I've neverand he loves animals. He's a
good teacher at Arturo de zool ishis 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 havea situation that you need people's help.

(19:26):
Yeah, and we have gone.I wrote I wrote a book about my
first ten years. It's called TheDog 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 goingon. Right, And I'm not a

(19:47):
writer, but it's not a badbook, 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 fulladvantage. Okay. It was wonderful.
We had it for eight years andpeople would come, tourists there, More

(20:11):
and more tourists come to the island. They'd all heard of us on the
island. We kept everything so crystalclean, you can't imagine. And the
dogs, if they weren't healthy,they were usually in isolation. So the
dogs were wonderful. We people wouldcome and they'd walk them, or we'd
have two litters of puppies. Weadopted out so many animals that way,

(20:33):
it was unbelievable, and people wouldleave donations or they'd bring us supplies.
It really did. It was sogreat. We were we were spaying and
neutering over over four thousand animals ayear. Wow. That's incredible. Yeah,
yeah, it's hot. Yeah,I mean, and we didn't actually
do them all. We sponsored alot of them, sure, backyard rescuers

(20:56):
and things like that. And wealso were homing between three and four hundred
cats and dogs a year wow.And they would all be healthy. I
mean, you know, one outof four hundred might have gone up with
something, but we vetted them sowell with wonderful arturo and um they were

(21:19):
and we got really good at sendingthem out to homes and making it work
for people, and everything was justflowing, you know, of course that
all the time. Yes, Andin two thousand and eighteen, somebody who
used to come to all of myspay and neuter clinics, a lot of

(21:41):
them were on the mainland, movedto 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

(22:06):
taken over the on site running ofthe rescue. Okay, and um,
she's fantastic. She's fantastic, andwe think a lot alike. Oh that's
good, you know. Yeah,we can be absolutely full of animals and
will always take one more. Andyou know some people are no, we

(22:26):
can't do it. Nope, nope, not right. You know, you
never say no. I never saidno 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 andbetter and better. Well. Last,
let's see, I don't know howmany months ago it was the government told

(22:48):
us that we had to vacate thepremises and we had three weeks to get
out. Oh my god, why. I think it's because we get our
job so well. Right, Butthey should be happy that you did your
job so well and probably brought moretourists and everything else. They didn't see
it when it was bad. Itsnot like that anymore. They didn't see

(23:11):
it. They they were probably tenwhen I started the rescue, right,
right, I get it. No, of course, you're right, you're
right. And so they don't seea problem. And we did all of
their work for them. They usedto 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 getme started on them. Okay, I

(23:33):
won't know, Okay, anyway throughtheir ignorance, that's all I'm going to
say. That's right, that's theway 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 tobe our office. Okay, Um,

(23:56):
so we moved, We got outas many dogs as we had, and
we moved the rest of them intothe house that we had. And then
we had uh that and since thenwe just didn't know what we were going
to do, right, And thenum our that UH donated a piece of

(24:21):
land to us. He's honored boardof directors, and he had a piece
of land on the outskirts of Cancunin the jungle. Okay. Uh.
The sad thing is, I meanit'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,

(24:47):
sure, and so that became ournew focus. But in the meantime
we're doing fifteen percent of the amountof work. But we that you were
doing. And I can't tell youhow awful it is, of course,
it's just awful. One day wehad three different people come to us with
asking us to take in litters thatthey'd found. One of them they found

(25:10):
in a box in the pouring rain, and we had to take the first
two and we could not. Everyfoster we had, every volunteers house was
full, and you have to isolatethese 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

(25:36):
I were both beside ourselves. Wehad to say no to this litter of
puppies from the rain, right,and it just broke our hearts. We
just, I mean, this iswhat we do this for. Like I
mean, we don't have any administrationfees, We don't have every penny.
We hired three ladies to be atthe rescue that the building that the government

(26:00):
had given us for seven days aweek, and they would clean and care
for the animals, and then wewould 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 dogswhen they started. Now they've been with
us for eight years and they're justas invested as we are. Wow.

(26:22):
And I mean that's how great.Everything was going right and then and then
nothing and nothing right, nothing andnobody, nobody on the island helped us.
Nothing. And the problem is it'sa small island and all the land
and housing is incredibly expensive, rightright, So I mean you can't buy

(26:47):
a little tiny square of land forless than two hundred thousand dollars, right
right. And that's probably in thanksto you as well, because you helped
clean up the island with the wilddogs and the strays and everything else.
So it became more of a touristattraction. I would say, yeah,
well, I don't know I madethat difference. You probably did. I

(27:11):
mean it sounds like you did,right, Well, I'll tell you it
was a different place. The islanderswere walking their dogs, picking up their
poop with poop bags, not allof 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

(27:33):
using the space that the vet donatedhis his piece of land. Um,
do you are you looking for anotherspace? Are you going to make the
best of this space? I knowthere's a go fund meate that you have.
I'm like, what, how canmy listeners help you, even though
we're not basically there, they cantell other people about it and go to

(27:55):
the go fund meate Because where weare now is we say money up every
year for our one big clinic wherewe do fifteen to seventeen hundred animals in
five days. Okay, we havetwenty five tape surgery tables and I mean
it's it's a production and it's magnificentand people. Now we do this at

(28:18):
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 hadto take that money out and use it

(28:41):
to start developing the land right ofthat, and every spare penny that we
have were we have done that andwe're leaving the island. Nobody stepped up
and helped us with a piece ofland with anything. Nobody nothing. I
mean, we put a we dida thing where we put a message out

(29:03):
on our Facebook page which has likeforty seven thousand followers on it, and
we put a letter in it,an email for them to send it to
the government, you know, tosay what's going on, please help this
rescue. After four hours, theycalled us and told us to take it
down, and so we took itdown. We took it down, you

(29:29):
know, they said they'd help,they'd do something. So we were like,
yeah, we've done it. Wetook it down, but they didn't
and they they didn't. They wewent to Trina, went to a meeting
the next day and they offered usan eight by ten square building. It
was just like slapping us in theface of it was of course so bad

(29:51):
anyway, So yeah, would youput what if you put that message up
on Facebook again? Or do youthink you'd be asked to take it down?
U out on how we leave theisland? 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 tobe um, what do they call
it, deported? Yeah? Deported? Yeah yeah, so um uh.

(30:18):
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. Andthey yeah, and they pretty much illustrated
that they don't want to do anythingfor us. So we with the money
we had and the SPAN Neuter Clinicmoney which we've now had to cancel our

(30:40):
November Span Neuter clinic. Um,we have cleared the land. Okay,
dug a well, put in aseptic and built a wall around the outside
of the property. Oh wow,that's pretty good. Yeah, okay,
so we still need about a hundredand forty thousand dollars to put in the

(31:03):
buildings. Okay, and that's peoplecan donate on your go fund me page,
which I'm gonna I'm gonna include withthis interview, so my listeners can
just click on that. Great wonderfulbecause and I swear and I always say
this because I know people are wary. This is the real thing. They

(31:23):
can go back and research me.They can research the rescue We've been around
for twenty three years and this isthe real thing. And every penny they
give us will go towards the dogscorrect or building or building the space right
right, Every penny will go tohelping you and which ultimately helps the dogs
because it'll help you with that spacesince the government keeps you out of your

(31:45):
good space and right and not acuriosity, 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 ofthis park and they're having an election
and part of one of their umthis is a historical park on the island,

(32:07):
and part of one of the peoplerunning 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, Iknow, Sorry, sorry to talk at
that, but yeah, so no, that's what we said. Yeah,

(32:28):
yeah, because to have your placethere 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 theisland, which is just I can't believe
that they are throwing out this freeservice for a space for a space.

(32:53):
You're right, well, you knowthey're not smart about it, not being
very smart. No, And sothen 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 toabandon the eye, right, but there

(33:13):
is much more need now in Cancoon, and they're around Cancoon for us and
with appropriate space, because we madethe best of the space we were but
it was we're in, but itwasn't really an appropriate place to do a
real dog rescue, right, andso with an appropriate place over there,

(33:34):
we can oh, well it's gonnabe great. It's gonna be great.
But in the meantime, we're notdoing anything for the animals, which just
breaks my heart. And we needto raise money to finish what we're doing,
right, Okay, Well, I'mhoping my listeners can help you out
a little bit, and just youtalking to me about all this will help
as well, because you know,knowledge is power, I always feel and

(33:58):
the more people know about stuff,right, um, absolutely so, Alison,
Um, I want to I'll definitelypost 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 lA Animals dot org. And they can
also go to your Facebook page.You're all I see you're all over social

(34:19):
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 meall 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

(34:42):
gonna wait four years. I wantto 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'swhy you'll get it done. I'm
sure you will, because you're determined. We are you are, we are.

(35:05):
We need more people like you,Alison, So thank you for doing
all that you do. I don'tknow. Some people think I'm insane.
You're not insane. You have abig giant heart, is what you're insane
about. That's all it is.Dear um. Anyway, well, thank
you for your interest and thank youfor doing this interview. I mean,
I just know that people would careif they could see what we see.

(35:29):
Of course I get that, Iknow, I agree, But I think
also hearing you talk all about itand the whole history of it, I
think you know the fact that we'renot there with you, but we can
sort of see it through your eyesand 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 inMexico there's animals in the US and Canada

(35:54):
that need help. And my answeris caring as global. Correct, that's
on our on our thing, andthe world gets smaller every year, and
caring is global, and that justhappened to be where I was. Absolutely,
and you know what, that thatreally sums it up because I hear
that too from people and it's like, caring is global. I will credit

(36:14):
you, but I'm going to usethat from now going forward. I'm gonna
say no, no, no,I can't. I can't take credit.
I say Alison Sawyer said, caringis global. That's what that means,
and that will shut anybody up.So I love yeah, I love it.

(36:35):
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 thisinterview and helping us out. I really
appreciate it. You're very welcome.