Doing It for the Plot

Why a spontaneous move to Saipan is the best decision you can make

This week’s story is by our friend Drew. Drew’s boyfriend Sean, left, and Drew, right, enjoy the beach with their Saipan fosters Deacon, Bones, and Mike.

Boonie Tails

Drew Menconi

Tropical “paradise” with more dogs than people? Say less, I’m in

My name’s Drew and I’m a 36-year-old New Jersey native who’s spent the last 11 years living in NYC. When the guy I’d been dating for a couple of months randomly asked me to run away to a remote island I’d never heard of, I responded with the only appropriate answer, ”Hell yes,” and set out for the adventure of a lifetime.

As it turned out, my boyfriend’s job had temporarily relocated him to Saipan, and I was along for the ride. We arrived in Saipan in February 2022 and immediately began exploring the island. Saipan is a tropical oasis with stunning beaches, lush jungles, and a vibrant culture. But despite all its incredible beauty, it’s hard to escape the reminder of the island’s dog and cat overpopulation crisis at every turn.

While living on Saipan, Drew and Sean became foster dads to a multitude of boonies, dogs and cats alike. Here Drew gets cuddles from his boonie cat, Bruce. Bruce unfortunately passed away in 2023 from illness and lack of vet access, but he was loved until his last day.

I’d heard about this crisis before arriving on the island, but I didn’t truly believe it until I saw it. We arrived on the island in the middle of the night, but even in the darkness on the short trip to our hotel we say multiple strays outside. I spent the first couple weeks feeding stray cats who lived at the hotel and the occasional pack of feral dogs Sean would come across on his way home from work. After a few weeks, one of the hotel employees I had become friends with asked if I had heard about Aria and Grace.

This led me to stalking Boonie Babies on Instagram, sending an admittedly creepy text letting them know I’d be at their trivia event, and ambushing them as soon as I had some liquid courage. I instantly knew I had met forever friends.

I began volunteering with them at the mayor’s shelter, helping with fundraising events, and spending an afternoon writing to current and former United Airlines employees, pleading with them to reinstate their PetSafe travel policy. Spending this much time with Boonie Babies, it wasn’t long before my boyfriend and I were fostering four dogs and three cats of our own.

When the time came for our island adventure to end, I couldn’t understand how I was supposed to go from living in paradise back to my small NYC apartment. I felt like Saipan was a piece of me and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel whole again without it. That was when we started discussing the possibility of adopting one of our foster dogs, Kaya.

I will be forever grateful to the amazing people and critters I’ve met through the Boonie Babies!

Boonie of the Week

Boonies make the best companion for any dog.

Meet Kaya!

Kaya was found in the jungle at about six months old with a zip tie around her neck and dropped in the mayor’s shelter before being picked up by Aria and Grace. Kaya is incredibly affectionate and melts in your arms, so everyone is instantly smitten with her. While we initially thought we could get her adopted on island, when Kaya tested positive for heartworm we decided it would be best to bring her back to NYC where she could get the treatment she needed.

It took a total of three weeks, but Kaya eventually made it to the Big Apple in May 2024. Since then, Kaya’s been adjusting to her new life as a city girl with her two new sisters, Dizzy and Ruby. We’ve taken her exploring through the streets of Brooklyn and the best dog parks Jersey has to offer. Kaya seems to be loving every minute of it and is especially excited to see the seasons change for the first time!

Kaya has adjusted pretty well to the life of a spoiled city dog.

Boonie Tails is free to read. But if you liked this post, support Boonie Babies and this newsletter by pledging a monthly or annual donation. Thank you for reading! We’ll see you next week.

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