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Boonie Tails

By Grace Keilbach

Life at headquarters

Just in time to escape the snow storm taking over the east coast, I have made it to the beautiful shores of Saipan to enjoy the sun. There’s never a dull moment, so here’s what we’ve been up to so far!

• Exploring!

  People always ask me if I get bored living on such a small island and the answer is literally never. There is always a new beach to explore, restaurant to try, dog to rescue, or spot to curl up and read. This trip, I have the pleasure of my college roommate, Kirsten, joining me! Seeing the island for the first time through someone else’s eyes is always so fun and we are all enjoying exploring more than we usually do when we don’t have company.

• Rescue!

  This week has been a big non-Boonie week. You’ll never believe it but we have two “maltese” (quotations due to these small white backyard bred mixes being far from purebred but referred to as such here) and a German Shepherd currently in our house. Elle Woods (also known as Ella Minnow Pea), Mort (short for Voldemort), and Hopper. We’ll let you guess who is who ;). Ella and Hopper were surrendered by their owners to the shelter and Mort was picked up by dog control on the side of the road getting attacked by other dogs. We soon shockingly discovered that Hopper was already comfortable getting in and out of a crate, knew various commands, and had obviously worked on a prong collar before, criteria that pet dogs on-island rarely meet. This, along with the fact that he is an actual purebred German Shepherd (compared to simply black and tan boonies that generally claim this title from the public), we theorized he must have been some sort of working dog. When we asked the shelter staff, they confirmed that he was surrendered by a police officer. Any time we find a desirable breed at the shelter, we always pull them so that we can get them fixed and ensure they won’t be used for breeding. Unfortunately, there is not a vet on island any time soon so these three will be in our care until then as it is not safe to adopt them out before surgery.

• Volunteering

  Every Saturday, a group of amazing women volunteer at the shelter to walk the dogs, refill water bowls, and give them some time out of their kennels. This work is extremely emotionally taxing as every week, the dogs in the shelter are euthanized and a new batch is brought in. This small act of kindness is one of the first and last they will ever be shown. The shelter is dirty, filled with heartbreak, uncomfortably hot, and extremely smelly, yet, every Saturday morning, these women show up to make a difference. Working with animals on these islands is not for the weak and it is so incredible to see women leading the charge. As we’ve said it truly takes a village and we are so grateful for every individual in ours doing what they can to help. To the Saturday Shelter volunteers, thank you.

  

  The Boonie Babies Team with the Shelter Saturday volunteers, Alyssa and Bailey… Hot Girls Rescue Dogs!!!

Share the love

The time to prepare for Valentine’s Day is now! You may not be able to surprise your significant other with a real life Boonie Baby on this special day, but you can still get the next best thing; Boonie Babies merch! Share the love this Valentine’s Day by giving a gift that also gives back. You really can’t go wrong but our personal recommendations are the “You can’t buy love but you can rescue it tote” and the pink “Save The Boonies” tank top and sweatshirt!

Growing up, Valentine’s day was always a very celebrated holiday at our house. It was filled with lots of quality time, nice homemade dinners, flowers, and small gifts (our favorite being the one year we got to pick out a cat from the shelter). Although it is a fun time to show some extra love to your significant other, remember that there are so many other people in your life to share the love with too! Click HERE to shop the look! Don’t forget, we have stickers, t-shirts, and more!

P.S., if cute tote bags and tank tops aren’t your thing, you can always make a donation on someone’s behalf!

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Boonie of the Week

Logan has been with me through every high and low. He was there during the long, uncertain months when I was waiting on my visa and couldn’t work. He was the reason I started volunteering with Boonie Babies. He is the reason I went into veterinary medicine. Without him, my life path would look very different.

He is very much an island dog. He loves the outdoors, hiking, and swimming, sometimes a little too much. I often have to stop him from swimming too far. He is brave on trails and confident in nature. But at the same time, he will completely freeze if a kite or plastic bag flies past him. No barking, just full statue mode. And despite being three to four times bigger, he’s terrified of tiny puppies.

Logan has been there to celebrate my career milestones, watching Saipan Humane Society grow from shelter days into a real clinic. After long days filled with consultations or euthanasia, he and my husband are my rock. On the hardest days, when I’ve had multiple euthanasias in a row, Logan lies next to me. I listen to his heartbeat, and somehow that’s enough to ground me.

He is my reminder of why I do this. He fuels my drive to do better for the community, and my hope that one day, most animals on this island can live a happy, safe life like his.

To keep up with Logan and Ruby, follow them on Instagram @Logan.TheIslandPup

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