Unleashed

This week on Unleashed on Pet Life Radio, Cheryl Kaye welcomes Liz Shafiroff, the compassionate president of Global Strays. Inspired by a life-changing visit to Central America, Liz set her sights on reducing and ending the suffering of animals in underserved regions. Through education, community support, and direct care, Global Strays has helped improve the lives of over 10,000 animals worldwide. With every donation going directly to impactful programs, this incredible organization is making a tangible difference. Tune in to hear Liz’s inspiring journey, the challenges she’s overcome, and how you can join the mission to stop animal suffering across the globe.

Listen to Episode #79 Now:

BIO:

Liz is the President and Co-Founder of Global Strays. After witnessing the suffering and overpopulation crisis of stray animals while traveling in Central America, she was inspired to start Global Strays. In her twenties, she began fostering and finding homes for pitbulls who were scheduled to be euthanized. Prior to Global Strays, she was a freelance photojournalist for Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. She has a fascination with log cabins, rivers in The Texas Hill Country and has a particular knack for alternative medicine.

For questions about fundraising or events, email Liz@globalstrays.org

Transcript:

00:00:02.140 --> 00:00:03.960
Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Cheryl Kaye: Hi, everybody, Cheryl from Unleashed.

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Cheryl Kaye: And today, I have a very special guest, Liz Shafiroff.

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Cheryl Kaye: And she has globalstrays.org.

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Cheryl Kaye: It's a wonderful organization, and we're gonna talk all about it, and what you could do to help, and some things that might very well interest you.

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Cheryl Kaye: We're gonna take a break.

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Cheryl Kaye: We'll be right back.

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Announcer: You know the expression, cats have nine lives.

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Announcer: Well, what if you can give them one more?

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Announcer: The GiveThemTen movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.

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Announcer: How?

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Announcer: With spay and neuter.

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Announcer: Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life.

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Announcer: And it helps control free-roaming cat populations, too.

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Announcer: Learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter, and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethemten.org.

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Announcer: That's givethemten.org.

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Announcer: Well, we're back.

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Cheryl Kaye: Welcome, Liz, I'm so glad you're here.

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Liz Shafiroff: Oh, thank you so much for having me today, Cheryl.

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Cheryl Kaye: So, your organization is a nonprofit, you do wonderful things around the world.

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Cheryl Kaye: Tell me how you got started with this.

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Liz Shafiroff: Sure, so I got started when, you know, I never had pets growing up, but in my 20s, I rescued a dog, and, you know, I started doing animal rescue or volunteered at Animal Care and Control in New York City for about five, ten years.

00:02:04.898 --> 00:02:12.198
Liz Shafiroff: Well, I was with them actually for only about a year or two, but I was doing other rescue with other animal rescues in New York.

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Liz Shafiroff: And then I took a trip to Costa Rica, and I was astonished that when I...

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Liz Shafiroff: I'm the type of person that likes to explore, so I don't just stay in the confines of the resort.

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Liz Shafiroff: I want to see what's going on at that time.

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Liz Shafiroff: I was also beginning a career as a photojournalist in New York City.

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Liz Shafiroff: So, I went out and explored, and there were stray animals everywhere, and I ended up helping an animal over there.

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Liz Shafiroff: And one of the guys I met over there said, if you think this is bad, go to Nicaragua.

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Liz Shafiroff: And so, that's exactly what I did on my next trip, which was not that much after I went to Nicaragua.

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Liz Shafiroff: And everywhere, there were, you know, stray animals dying of dehydration and illness, and, you know, it's not different than the US in the way that we have an overpopulation crisis in the US as well.

00:03:07.538 --> 00:03:15.538
Liz Shafiroff: It's just different because you see more of it in some of these other countries, like in Nicaragua.

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Liz Shafiroff: You know, they're kind of everywhere, and they don't take them to a shelter.

00:03:19.478 --> 00:03:21.418
Liz Shafiroff: A lot of these people, I mean, there are shelters.

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Liz Shafiroff: So I went back to New York and I said, no, I want to do something different.

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Liz Shafiroff: I love the rescue in New York.

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Liz Shafiroff: I love the rescue.

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Liz Shafiroff: But so I'm going to go back to Nicaragua, and I'm going to see what's going on.

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Liz Shafiroff: And so I went back.

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Liz Shafiroff: I didn't think there'd be anyone helping animals.

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Liz Shafiroff: I really didn't.

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Liz Shafiroff: And Nicaragua is a very poverty-stricken country.

00:03:41.818 --> 00:03:48.678
Liz Shafiroff: And so, you know, I didn't expect that animals were something that people had on their radar.

00:03:48.678 --> 00:03:49.818
Liz Shafiroff: And I was wrong.

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Liz Shafiroff: There were, I went and I met with animal rescue organizations in Nicaragua.

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Liz Shafiroff: And I was shocked by how many people wanted to help.

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Liz Shafiroff: And they had their own shelters, but it was different from what you consider an animal shelter in the United States, right?

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Liz Shafiroff: It was someone's, you know, someone had a piece of land and here all the animals, maybe a hundred animals, maybe they have little beds and little areas, but it's not like an animal shelter you would go to in the US with, you know, kennels and everything like that, a little bit different.

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Liz Shafiroff: These rescuers really wanted to help, but they had no donations, zero.

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Liz Shafiroff: I mean, very few to none.

00:04:26.478 --> 00:04:30.098
Liz Shafiroff: I mean, there was no support coming in for these people.

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Liz Shafiroff: And so that's what hit me.

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Liz Shafiroff: It's like, well, these animals matter too.

00:04:35.098 --> 00:04:39.118
Liz Shafiroff: And I want to help here because I don't think there's any help here.

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Liz Shafiroff: I do think that there's need everywhere, right?

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Liz Shafiroff: And there's no one area that's more important.

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Liz Shafiroff: But why not here?

00:04:45.598 --> 00:04:46.238
Liz Shafiroff: What's different?

00:04:46.238 --> 00:04:49.358
Liz Shafiroff: And so I established relationships with these rescuers.

00:04:49.358 --> 00:04:53.918
Liz Shafiroff: I started Global Strays to support these animal shelters.

00:04:53.918 --> 00:04:54.918
Liz Shafiroff: I had to get to know them.

00:04:55.018 --> 00:04:57.918
Liz Shafiroff: I went back to Nicaragua several times.

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Liz Shafiroff: And so that's how it kind of started.

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Liz Shafiroff: When I came back home, I couldn't not think about what I saw.

00:05:03.778 --> 00:05:06.838
Liz Shafiroff: It was too upsetting, too upsetting for me.

00:05:06.838 --> 00:05:11.638
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah, because, you know, in Puerto Rico, there was Dead Dog Beach.

00:05:11.698 --> 00:05:11.958
Cheryl Kaye: Right.

00:05:11.958 --> 00:05:14.658
Cheryl Kaye: I think after the hurricanes, that's gone.

00:05:14.658 --> 00:05:17.978
Cheryl Kaye: But then in Turks and Caicos, there were dogs.

00:05:17.978 --> 00:05:20.258
Cheryl Kaye: Then they were the potcakes.

00:05:20.298 --> 00:05:21.258
Liz Shafiroff: Potcakes, yeah.

00:05:21.258 --> 00:05:26.538
Cheryl Kaye: That's when they make the dough, and what's ever left, they would throw to the dogs.

00:05:26.538 --> 00:05:35.998
Cheryl Kaye: And then, you know, you see online sometimes, like what you said, land with hundreds and hundreds of dogs, and the guy pulls up with the truck.

00:05:35.998 --> 00:05:39.958
Cheryl Kaye: Maybe he's got some kibble, and they wait for him every day.

00:05:39.958 --> 00:05:47.198
Cheryl Kaye: And then maybe, you know, there's a lot of rescues that have started in the States that really aren't rescues.

00:05:47.578 --> 00:05:55.058
Cheryl Kaye: They're people who just want to collect $400, and they'll give anybody a dog, and they're bringing them in.

00:05:55.058 --> 00:05:56.298
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, that's what happened.

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Cheryl Kaye: That's what I found, because, you know, me with my show, before I got my tilly, I wanted to get a foster, and I wanted to go to a rescue or, you know, a foster.

00:06:07.998 --> 00:06:11.118
Cheryl Kaye: And a lot of these people, they don't know what they're doing.

00:06:11.118 --> 00:06:29.078
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, they give animals to people that really shouldn't have that particular animal, you know, they're not equipped for that particular, maybe the animal is, you know, too big for them or too powerful, and they're older or weaker, but they fall through the cracks.

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Cheryl Kaye: But because of what's happening now with animals, and people are realizing that they really are part of us, they are part of the family, they're not just sitting by the fireplace anymore.

00:06:41.198 --> 00:06:44.598
Cheryl Kaye: They really are, for me, my dog is my other.

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Cheryl Kaye: She's my companion.

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Cheryl Kaye: It's a much different relationship than I had when I was growing up with dogs, and then I went to cats because they were easier.

00:06:55.018 --> 00:06:59.358
Cheryl Kaye: But the resources are thin for a lot of places, you know?

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Cheryl Kaye: And this is a wonderful thing you're doing.

00:07:01.618 --> 00:07:04.418
Cheryl Kaye: So tell us all about it, how you're doing this.

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Cheryl Kaye: Because you're also in a different nation, right?

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Liz Shafiroff: Yeah, so what I noticed after about a year or two was that it wasn't just about helping these animal shelters.

00:07:13.378 --> 00:07:17.038
Liz Shafiroff: I work very closely with the heads of those shelters.

00:07:17.038 --> 00:07:18.178
Liz Shafiroff: It started in Nicaragua.

00:07:18.178 --> 00:07:19.578
Liz Shafiroff: We have expanded.

00:07:19.578 --> 00:07:32.518
Liz Shafiroff: But they would speak to me about the need in these underserved and impoverished communities, where people did not have, they didn't have any money to be able to go spay and neuter their dogs.

00:07:32.518 --> 00:07:40.978
Liz Shafiroff: They didn't have maybe education on the proper care of animals, on how to animal welfare education around compassion.

00:07:41.498 --> 00:07:44.358
Liz Shafiroff: There were a lot of things in these areas that were missing.

00:07:44.358 --> 00:07:45.998
Liz Shafiroff: It was knowledge and resources.

00:07:45.998 --> 00:07:54.098
Liz Shafiroff: And so we decided to expand Global Strays to include, we would go into a community with a spay and neuter team, veterinarians.

00:07:54.098 --> 00:07:58.578
Liz Shafiroff: We started teaming up with veterinarians and they would do spay and neuter clinics.

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Liz Shafiroff: We stayed in one area, but the area was Hino Tepe in Nicaragua, but we would go to community and community.

00:08:05.178 --> 00:08:14.138
Liz Shafiroff: We wouldn't leave that community until we felt that the majority of the animals there were spayed, whether they were owned or strays.

00:08:14.138 --> 00:08:19.118
Liz Shafiroff: The importance in these countries, they have their dogs, people keep their dogs outside.

00:08:20.338 --> 00:08:27.058
Liz Shafiroff: Not everyone, but in a country like Nicaragua, the majority of people, the dogs come and go, they're outside.

00:08:27.058 --> 00:08:32.238
Liz Shafiroff: If they're not spayed and neutered, they're just going to make more and more puppies.

00:08:32.238 --> 00:08:37.338
Liz Shafiroff: That's why the overpopulation is so bad in some of these countries.

00:08:38.578 --> 00:08:41.958
Liz Shafiroff: They don't have animal control, and so it's just about these shelters.

00:08:42.278 --> 00:08:46.438
Liz Shafiroff: We've started our community-based programs for spay and neuter clinics.

00:08:46.938 --> 00:08:49.738
Liz Shafiroff: We focus in one area because we want to see impact.

00:08:49.738 --> 00:08:57.758
Liz Shafiroff: If we did 100 animals that weekend, and then we might go back to the next community in two weeks to do another 100 animals.

00:08:57.938 --> 00:09:06.678
Liz Shafiroff: Then once that specific area, we feel that everyone showed up to our clinic, then we can move on to another area nearby.

00:09:07.278 --> 00:09:10.398
Liz Shafiroff: And then we decided that it was about education.

00:09:10.398 --> 00:09:15.678
Liz Shafiroff: So we began our own educational curriculum based on the five freedoms of animal welfare.

00:09:15.678 --> 00:09:21.598
Liz Shafiroff: And we teach kids in workshops, now in Bogota, Colombia, Nicaragua.

00:09:21.598 --> 00:09:27.478
Liz Shafiroff: And we have a program also for humane education in Liberia, Africa.

00:09:27.478 --> 00:09:31.118
Liz Shafiroff: And we teach children, you know, the five freedoms.

00:09:31.118 --> 00:09:38.918
Liz Shafiroff: Freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort and pain, freedom from illness and disease.

00:09:38.918 --> 00:09:48.578
Liz Shafiroff: And so we teach them what basic needs of an animal are, whether that's a dog or a cat or, you know, it can be another type of animal too.

00:09:48.578 --> 00:09:55.698
Liz Shafiroff: It's not just specific to dogs and cats, but we find these education programs to be really great.

00:09:55.698 --> 00:10:02.278
Liz Shafiroff: And the organization we just teamed up in Liberia, Africa, they are extremely impressive.

00:10:02.418 --> 00:10:08.598
Liz Shafiroff: And they were doing a program in a very rural area of Liberia, Africa.

00:10:08.598 --> 00:10:14.118
Liz Shafiroff: And I knew their organization many years before we brought them on as a partner.

00:10:14.118 --> 00:10:26.918
Liz Shafiroff: And I told Morris Darbo, the head of Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society, Morris, you're doing such great work with animal education for kids in LOFA.

00:10:26.918 --> 00:10:31.318
Liz Shafiroff: And it seems like your entire village knows how to treat animals very well.

00:10:31.358 --> 00:10:33.838
Liz Shafiroff: Well, why don't we move this program?

00:10:33.838 --> 00:10:41.778
Liz Shafiroff: Let's partner up, but let's move this program to the capital city of Monrovia, where there's none of the kids have had animal welfare education.

00:10:41.778 --> 00:10:53.318
Liz Shafiroff: So we are now in our third year of the program, and we are in 10 schools every year in Monrovia and all age levels.

00:10:53.318 --> 00:10:57.738
Liz Shafiroff: And so we've partnered with Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society Global Strays.

00:10:57.838 --> 00:11:07.238
Liz Shafiroff: We have our educators that we help to make this program possible in Monrovia, and we do 4,000 children a year educate them.

00:11:07.238 --> 00:11:12.118
Liz Shafiroff: And some of these children bring back the knowledge to their parents.

00:11:12.118 --> 00:11:14.338
Liz Shafiroff: But let me tell you a story, Cheryl.

00:11:14.338 --> 00:11:23.998
Liz Shafiroff: There's a family and a lot of certain families in Liberia, they sell their pet dog to someone who then consumes them for food.

00:11:24.678 --> 00:11:29.438
Liz Shafiroff: I actually found that it's more of a delicacy than an economic thing.

00:11:29.438 --> 00:11:32.118
Liz Shafiroff: Certain people like to eat that type of meat.

00:11:32.118 --> 00:11:38.438
Liz Shafiroff: And so one of our students in Monrovia came home and told his mom about what he learned.

00:11:38.438 --> 00:11:41.298
Liz Shafiroff: He said, I do not want you selling Binko.

00:11:41.298 --> 00:11:42.998
Liz Shafiroff: Oh, let's not sell him.

00:11:42.998 --> 00:11:43.698
Liz Shafiroff: I love him.

00:11:43.698 --> 00:11:49.158
Liz Shafiroff: And so the mother completely changed and told her son that I will not sell him.

00:11:49.158 --> 00:11:51.178
Liz Shafiroff: And they're not just not selling them.

00:11:51.278 --> 00:11:59.698
Liz Shafiroff: They now, for the first time in their lives, they're viewing this dog, Binko, as a companion, as part of the family.

00:11:59.698 --> 00:12:00.498
Cheryl Kaye: Wonderful.

00:12:00.498 --> 00:12:04.818
Liz Shafiroff: This is not happening otherwise in some of these countries.

00:12:04.818 --> 00:12:08.818
Liz Shafiroff: They do not look at dogs and cats as companion animals.

00:12:08.818 --> 00:12:17.018
Liz Shafiroff: In fact, in Liberia, Africa, another myth we're trying to dispell in our education workshops is that cats are witches and have evil.

00:12:17.018 --> 00:12:19.078
Liz Shafiroff: And so they stone cats.

00:12:19.398 --> 00:12:28.278
Liz Shafiroff: And so we are working hard with our team to change that myth and explain that that is not okay.

00:12:28.278 --> 00:12:33.618
Liz Shafiroff: And the reason why is because they have feelings like humans, right?

00:12:33.618 --> 00:12:43.718
Liz Shafiroff: And they're capable of sadness, happiness, and that we try to debunk these myths, these long held notions.

00:12:43.718 --> 00:12:45.358
Cheryl Kaye: Where do the vets come from?

00:12:45.358 --> 00:12:46.218
Cheryl Kaye: The veterinarians?

00:12:46.798 --> 00:12:50.658
Liz Shafiroff: All of them are local to the country.

00:12:50.658 --> 00:12:55.178
Liz Shafiroff: We are in the position of helping the people where they are.

00:12:55.178 --> 00:13:02.438
Liz Shafiroff: And the reason why is because they're the ones that need to do the work when we're not there.

00:13:02.438 --> 00:13:21.358
Liz Shafiroff: And so we support and empower local veterinarians, animal welfare professionals on the grounds in the country they work, so that they can do better work, more of it, and continue what they're doing, even if I'm not physically there.

00:13:21.358 --> 00:13:24.598
Cheryl Kaye: But they're not adopting like we know of adoption.

00:13:24.598 --> 00:13:25.838
Liz Shafiroff: In which country?

00:13:25.838 --> 00:13:28.678
Cheryl Kaye: In some of these countries, you know, they go to a shelter, they find...

00:13:28.678 --> 00:13:29.278
Liz Shafiroff: They do.

00:13:29.278 --> 00:13:30.018
Liz Shafiroff: No, they do.

00:13:30.018 --> 00:13:36.858
Liz Shafiroff: Not in Liberia, but in Nicaragua and Colombia, absolutely, South and Central America, people do adopt.

00:13:36.858 --> 00:13:38.098
Liz Shafiroff: They've caught on.

00:13:38.098 --> 00:13:39.018
Liz Shafiroff: They do adopt.

00:13:39.018 --> 00:13:42.938
Liz Shafiroff: So that's why I support, we support these animal shelters, Global Strays as well.

00:13:43.778 --> 00:13:46.098
Liz Shafiroff: People adopt from them, from the shelters.

00:13:46.098 --> 00:13:52.418
Liz Shafiroff: Certain countries, its notion is not so common, like, I mean, Liberia and other parts of Africa.

00:13:52.418 --> 00:13:57.098
Liz Shafiroff: Maybe that hasn't caught on yet there, but I guess it depends where you are.

00:13:57.098 --> 00:14:02.638
Liz Shafiroff: But definitely in Nicaragua and Colombia and Bogota, a lot of people are adopting.

00:14:02.638 --> 00:14:03.398
Cheryl Kaye: What do you think?

00:14:03.398 --> 00:14:05.698
Cheryl Kaye: Well, where are you located?

00:14:05.698 --> 00:14:08.618
Liz Shafiroff: Right now, I'm located in Texas.

00:14:08.638 --> 00:14:12.278
Liz Shafiroff: That's where I currently, I moved from New York to Texas.

00:14:12.278 --> 00:14:16.138
Liz Shafiroff: And a big reason with that was I wanted to have animals.

00:14:16.138 --> 00:14:20.578
Liz Shafiroff: I wanted to have land, and that wasn't really affordable in New York state.

00:14:20.578 --> 00:14:23.218
Liz Shafiroff: And so I wanted to go where it was warm.

00:14:23.218 --> 00:14:25.158
Cheryl Kaye: You want to live in Central Park.

00:14:25.158 --> 00:14:31.418
Liz Shafiroff: And I didn't want to get like, you know, my neighbor in Brooklyn saying, what do you have back there?

00:14:31.418 --> 00:14:32.638
Liz Shafiroff: An animal farm?

00:14:32.638 --> 00:14:33.598
Cheryl Kaye: Right, what?

00:14:33.598 --> 00:14:35.138
Cheryl Kaye: Your dog's barking.

00:14:35.138 --> 00:14:36.398
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah, your dog's barking.

00:14:36.398 --> 00:14:37.398
Liz Shafiroff: This is not a kennel.

00:14:37.898 --> 00:14:40.498
Cheryl Kaye: How do you think the shelters in Texas are?

00:14:40.498 --> 00:14:49.018
Cheryl Kaye: Because a lot of the dogs that are rotated throughout the country when they're in a shelter too long are moved from Texas.

00:14:49.018 --> 00:14:54.878
Cheryl Kaye: Like, if the dog is there maybe eight months, there are some dogs that have been in a shelter for a year.

00:14:54.878 --> 00:15:01.578
Cheryl Kaye: They have to be moved because it's obvious that dog is not registering with the public there.

00:15:01.578 --> 00:15:06.598
Cheryl Kaye: So if they move them maybe to the East Coast, maybe somebody will fall in love.

00:15:07.118 --> 00:15:07.558
Liz Shafiroff: Correct.

00:15:07.558 --> 00:15:10.038
Liz Shafiroff: And a lot of organizations are doing that.

00:15:10.038 --> 00:15:14.038
Liz Shafiroff: The kill rates, the euthanasia rates in Texas are very high.

00:15:14.038 --> 00:15:30.638
Liz Shafiroff: And so we just got registered in the state of Texas, and we have met with the organization about doing mobile spay and neuter clinics, helping them in San Antonio, because at the kill shelter in San Antonio, Texas, they're euthanizing too many animals.

00:15:30.638 --> 00:15:32.058
Cheryl Kaye: It's very, very sad.

00:15:32.058 --> 00:15:33.258
Liz Shafiroff: It's very sad.

00:15:33.258 --> 00:15:40.918
Liz Shafiroff: And I think it's important to consider where these animals are coming from and why there are so many coming into our shelters.

00:15:40.918 --> 00:15:53.798
Liz Shafiroff: And I think until nonprofits and the government and our people start to really tackle that, I do believe that we need, obviously, rescue, fostering is so, so important.

00:15:53.798 --> 00:15:55.098
Liz Shafiroff: Don't get me wrong.

00:15:55.098 --> 00:16:06.178
Liz Shafiroff: But I think we have to look at the other side too and consider why are there so many animals and where are they coming from and what can be done.

00:16:06.178 --> 00:16:08.518
Liz Shafiroff: I don't have the exact answer.

00:16:08.518 --> 00:16:09.418
Cheryl Kaye: They're breeding.

00:16:09.418 --> 00:16:10.678
Cheryl Kaye: They're not getting their animals.

00:16:10.678 --> 00:16:11.138
Liz Shafiroff: Exactly.

00:16:11.138 --> 00:16:16.078
Liz Shafiroff: And I wonder why, I always wonder why, why hasn't breeding laws ever been addressed?

00:16:16.078 --> 00:16:16.618
Cheryl Kaye: It's true.

00:16:16.618 --> 00:16:20.058
Cheryl Kaye: Well, they breed them probably for backyard fights.

00:16:20.058 --> 00:16:20.298
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah.

00:16:20.578 --> 00:16:22.958
Liz Shafiroff: Well, not necessarily for backyard fight.

00:16:22.958 --> 00:16:27.198
Liz Shafiroff: They breed them to sell the puppies, to get, to make some money.

00:16:27.338 --> 00:16:31.978
Liz Shafiroff: But why don't we look at, why does the government, it's not easy?

00:16:32.158 --> 00:16:35.098
Liz Shafiroff: Because once you pass a law, you have to enforce it.

00:16:35.098 --> 00:16:40.958
Liz Shafiroff: But nothing has ever been passed anywhere in this country, maybe in certain states, but not-

00:16:40.958 --> 00:16:44.898
Cheryl Kaye: Not rid of puppies in the malls being sold.

00:16:44.898 --> 00:16:46.318
Liz Shafiroff: They did get that.

00:16:46.318 --> 00:16:48.158
Liz Shafiroff: I'm also talking about puppy mills.

00:16:48.158 --> 00:16:49.938
Liz Shafiroff: They're doing great with that.

00:16:49.938 --> 00:16:54.198
Liz Shafiroff: But I mean also going after some of these backyard breeders, which could be puppy mills.

00:16:54.198 --> 00:16:56.238
Liz Shafiroff: I think there's a lot of overlap there.

00:16:57.098 --> 00:17:03.478
Cheryl Kaye: Every once in a while, you hear about, they went into a house and there were 40 dogs there or puppies or whatever.

00:17:03.478 --> 00:17:08.518
Cheryl Kaye: But I mean, I see it at my dog park, these oodle doodles, which are beautiful dogs.

00:17:08.518 --> 00:17:09.418
Cheryl Kaye: Don't get me wrong.

00:17:09.418 --> 00:17:10.538
Cheryl Kaye: Very smart.

00:17:10.538 --> 00:17:12.398
Cheryl Kaye: They come in all shapes and sizes.

00:17:12.398 --> 00:17:14.578
Cheryl Kaye: They're mixed with everything.

00:17:14.578 --> 00:17:16.638
Cheryl Kaye: But they're designer dogs.

00:17:16.638 --> 00:17:23.018
Cheryl Kaye: Then every once in a while, you see somebody's allergic, maybe not for them because they got the poodle in them.

00:17:23.058 --> 00:17:25.098
Cheryl Kaye: But even our shelter is here.

00:17:25.098 --> 00:17:27.858
Cheryl Kaye: And I have a friend in Denver.

00:17:27.858 --> 00:17:36.158
Cheryl Kaye: He left one shelter where he thought they were putting down too many dogs for the wrong reasons.

00:17:36.158 --> 00:17:39.778
Cheryl Kaye: These dogs need to get out of their pen.

00:17:39.778 --> 00:17:41.798
Cheryl Kaye: They need to be exercised.

00:17:41.798 --> 00:17:44.958
Cheryl Kaye: So their personality comes out.

00:17:44.958 --> 00:17:49.818
Cheryl Kaye: So when people come to see them, they could really maybe relate to them.

00:17:49.818 --> 00:17:55.878
Cheryl Kaye: I know when I met Tilly, they asked me if I wanted to meet her outside and it was great.

00:17:55.878 --> 00:17:57.838
Cheryl Kaye: I don't think she was there that long.

00:17:57.838 --> 00:18:04.458
Cheryl Kaye: But there are some dogs in these shelters for months and months and months, and that's just not right.

00:18:04.458 --> 00:18:08.458
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah, or they only are in there for 48 hours.

00:18:08.458 --> 00:18:08.858
Cheryl Kaye: Right.

00:18:08.858 --> 00:18:13.438
Cheryl Kaye: Or somebody adopts a dog on Saturday, and guess what?

00:18:13.438 --> 00:18:15.378
Cheryl Kaye: On Monday, they bring the dog back.

00:18:15.378 --> 00:18:17.878
Cheryl Kaye: They are not vetting people properly.

00:18:17.878 --> 00:18:20.398
Cheryl Kaye: Nobody should bring a dog back after three days.

00:18:20.578 --> 00:18:24.698
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, there's going to be, they're going to poop, they're going to pee in your house.

00:18:24.698 --> 00:18:25.998
Cheryl Kaye: They don't know anything.

00:18:25.998 --> 00:18:28.578
Cheryl Kaye: Some of these dogs never lived inside before.

00:18:28.578 --> 00:18:31.378
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah, and there's a decompression period.

00:18:31.378 --> 00:18:42.358
Liz Shafiroff: It can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and people need to understand that, if they really want to rescue, they have to understand that these dogs have been through a lot.

00:18:42.358 --> 00:18:47.858
Cheryl Kaye: I've always heard three days, three weeks, three months before a dog truly knows their home.

00:18:48.238 --> 00:18:55.478
Cheryl Kaye: And I saw it with my dog, you know, after a certain period of time, she knew exactly how to get to my apartment door.

00:18:55.478 --> 00:18:57.258
Cheryl Kaye: She knew exactly where to go.

00:18:57.258 --> 00:19:02.658
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, you know, now she's got more friends than Carter has pills in our neighborhood.

00:19:02.658 --> 00:19:06.558
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, they actually stop, roll the window down and go, hi, Tilly.

00:19:06.558 --> 00:19:18.438
Cheryl Kaye: Forget me, because, you know, people, if you want to have friends, get a dog, because you will meet so many like-minded people, and it's just an icebreaker, you know.

00:19:18.438 --> 00:19:19.858
Cheryl Kaye: What's your dog's name?

00:19:19.858 --> 00:19:20.918
Cheryl Kaye: Stuff like that.

00:19:20.918 --> 00:19:21.538
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah.

00:19:21.538 --> 00:19:23.538
Cheryl Kaye: It really is a wonderful thing.

00:19:23.538 --> 00:19:25.758
Cheryl Kaye: So how could our listeners help you?

00:19:25.758 --> 00:19:29.978
Liz Shafiroff: Well, I mean, of course, we're approaching the end of year giving season.

00:19:29.978 --> 00:19:38.858
Liz Shafiroff: And so we would love your help with our, you know, animal education programs and our spay and neuter programs.

00:19:38.858 --> 00:19:42.938
Liz Shafiroff: We're helping individual animals with veterinary care at these shelters.

00:19:43.638 --> 00:19:50.698
Cheryl Kaye: Maybe we could do a virtual adopt a pet and that pet could get the care that they need.

00:19:50.698 --> 00:19:52.498
Liz Shafiroff: You mean like a sponsor pet?

00:19:52.498 --> 00:19:56.738
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah, something that they feel like they have, they're part of it.

00:19:56.738 --> 00:19:57.958
Cheryl Kaye: They did something.

00:19:57.958 --> 00:19:59.818
Cheryl Kaye: They made friends.

00:19:59.818 --> 00:20:00.118
Liz Shafiroff: Right.

00:20:00.118 --> 00:20:08.178
Liz Shafiroff: And we do have pets that are at these shelters where we help that are available for sponsorship.

00:20:08.178 --> 00:20:10.898
Liz Shafiroff: And so that's one thing that can be done.

00:20:10.938 --> 00:20:13.938
Liz Shafiroff: There are some people sponsoring some of these animals.

00:20:13.938 --> 00:20:22.538
Liz Shafiroff: But if you, we would love if you wanted to go to globalstrays.org or our social media on Instagram is Global Strays.

00:20:22.538 --> 00:20:26.278
Liz Shafiroff: And just take a look at our work and see if it resonates with you.

00:20:26.278 --> 00:20:36.838
Liz Shafiroff: And if it resonates with you, I can tell you that in 2023, 95% of our expenses went to our programs.

00:20:36.838 --> 00:20:37.558
Cheryl Kaye: That's wonderful.

00:20:38.078 --> 00:20:38.618
Liz Shafiroff: 95%.

00:20:39.358 --> 00:20:46.838
Liz Shafiroff: So we have people receiving part-time salaries for our staff, but we're a very, very small organization.

00:20:46.838 --> 00:20:49.978
Liz Shafiroff: And the majority is going to the programs.

00:20:49.978 --> 00:20:52.078
Cheryl Kaye: Nobody gets into this to make money.

00:20:52.078 --> 00:20:52.698
Cheryl Kaye: Let's put it that way.

00:20:52.698 --> 00:20:53.798
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah, exactly.

00:20:53.798 --> 00:20:55.718
Liz Shafiroff: No one gets into this to make money.

00:20:56.198 --> 00:21:04.758
Liz Shafiroff: And even though they should, you know, I still do believe this is a whole other topic, that nonprofits need to invest in things that businesses do, like marketing and all.

00:21:04.758 --> 00:21:06.038
Liz Shafiroff: But that's a whole other topic.

00:21:06.118 --> 00:21:10.298
Liz Shafiroff: And I feel that way, because how else do they not, how else do they know about it?

00:21:10.298 --> 00:21:11.698
Liz Shafiroff: They'd be able to grow.

00:21:11.698 --> 00:21:12.738
Liz Shafiroff: That's true.

00:21:12.738 --> 00:21:19.298
Cheryl Kaye: You'll provide us with any link that will add to the show when we put it out.

00:21:19.298 --> 00:21:22.738
Cheryl Kaye: And you'll let us know, because we're worldwide.

00:21:22.738 --> 00:21:23.358
Liz Shafiroff: Oh, wonderful.

00:21:23.358 --> 00:21:23.758
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah.

00:21:23.758 --> 00:21:30.058
Cheryl Kaye: But anybody who's listening, it's already an in, because obviously they're interested in animals.

00:21:30.058 --> 00:21:30.918
Liz Shafiroff: Yes, yes.

00:21:30.918 --> 00:21:33.178
Liz Shafiroff: And there's other ways you can get involved, you know.

00:21:33.338 --> 00:21:37.958
Liz Shafiroff: We have remote opportunities if you want to volunteer.

00:21:37.958 --> 00:21:43.778
Liz Shafiroff: So, there's other ways people can get involved, if they're really passionate about international animal welfare.

00:21:43.778 --> 00:21:46.398
Cheryl Kaye: Maybe somebody in Columbia will contact you.

00:21:46.398 --> 00:21:50.338
Cheryl Kaye: We have to listen in and, you know, say how can I help?

00:21:50.338 --> 00:21:51.138
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah.

00:21:51.138 --> 00:21:52.498
Liz Shafiroff: And we're globalstrays.org/donate.

00:21:54.838 --> 00:22:01.758
Liz Shafiroff: If you want to make a donation or if you want to just get in touch, you can email me at liz at globalstrays.org.

00:22:02.078 --> 00:22:04.958
Liz Shafiroff: If you have any questions, if you need advice.

00:22:04.958 --> 00:22:09.558
Liz Shafiroff: I love to, it's not just, you know, people want to help wherever they are in the world.

00:22:09.558 --> 00:22:11.238
Liz Shafiroff: And that's what Global Strays is about.

00:22:11.238 --> 00:22:18.358
Liz Shafiroff: We really just want to be there for pet lovers, any part of the world, and people that want to help where they are.

00:22:18.358 --> 00:22:19.878
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, you really got a good name.

00:22:19.878 --> 00:22:22.858
Cheryl Kaye: I can't believe nobody has snatched that name before.

00:22:22.858 --> 00:22:23.478
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah.

00:22:23.478 --> 00:22:24.218
Cheryl Kaye: Well.

00:22:24.218 --> 00:22:24.938
Liz Shafiroff: Great.

00:22:24.938 --> 00:22:26.078
Liz Shafiroff: It's a good one.

00:22:26.078 --> 00:22:26.718
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah.

00:22:26.718 --> 00:22:28.178
Cheryl Kaye: It was waiting for you.

00:22:28.178 --> 00:22:28.778
Liz Shafiroff: But yeah.

00:22:29.038 --> 00:22:32.638
Liz Shafiroff: And to thank you for your time and my pleasure.

00:22:32.638 --> 00:22:35.798
Cheryl Kaye: Now I want to talk about the multi bucket list.

00:22:35.798 --> 00:22:37.278
Cheryl Kaye: That is such fun.

00:22:37.278 --> 00:22:38.538
Liz Shafiroff: Oh, yes.

00:22:38.538 --> 00:22:39.118
Liz Shafiroff: Yes.

00:22:39.118 --> 00:22:40.218
Liz Shafiroff: The bucket list.

00:22:40.218 --> 00:23:04.078
Liz Shafiroff: And we're hoping that the bucket list was just an idea we had to come up with, you know, the pet bucket list, you know, taking your pet to a national park, going camping with your pet, going on a kayak and putting your, you know, things that you want to do with your pet in the short time that we have these amazing, amazing creatures in our lives.

00:23:04.078 --> 00:23:13.438
Cheryl Kaye: Great idea, because, you know, they really do enjoy when you set aside and do something special for them, because I see it with my dog.

00:23:13.438 --> 00:23:15.858
Cheryl Kaye: She has a best friend in my neighborhood.

00:23:15.858 --> 00:23:24.398
Cheryl Kaye: And even going to a day spa, you know, when you have something to do and you can't watch them and getting a bath together.

00:23:24.398 --> 00:23:27.718
Cheryl Kaye: And, you know, it's like girlfriends, you know, it's such fun.

00:23:28.218 --> 00:23:35.058
Cheryl Kaye: But it's true, you know, going to the park or going camping or on a long walk or going to the beach.

00:23:35.058 --> 00:23:36.698
Cheryl Kaye: These could be wonderful things.

00:23:36.698 --> 00:23:44.338
Cheryl Kaye: And if they share it with other animals, plus their owners, their companions, their others, it could be a lot of fun.

00:23:44.338 --> 00:23:45.978
Cheryl Kaye: Good memories, really.

00:23:45.978 --> 00:23:47.798
Cheryl Kaye: I think it's a great idea.

00:23:47.798 --> 00:23:48.638
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah.

00:23:48.638 --> 00:23:59.638
Liz Shafiroff: So we just like to encourage animal pet owners to be active with their pets and make sure they're included as much as possible.

00:23:59.638 --> 00:24:11.758
Liz Shafiroff: And I know everyone's lives are really busy, but I really think that kind of a consistent schedule where the animal feels like they're stimulated mentally and physically is very important.

00:24:11.758 --> 00:24:13.278
Cheryl Kaye: Very, very, really.

00:24:13.278 --> 00:24:19.138
Cheryl Kaye: I have Tilly in the Aging Dog Project, which monitors them throughout their lives.

00:24:19.138 --> 00:24:21.618
Cheryl Kaye: She just turned three, so it's a good time.

00:24:22.378 --> 00:24:26.418
Cheryl Kaye: And they always send me kind of activities to try with her.

00:24:26.418 --> 00:24:28.538
Cheryl Kaye: You know, you got to keep them engaged.

00:24:28.538 --> 00:24:32.098
Cheryl Kaye: You know, there's no sitting on the couch or by the fireplace anymore.

00:24:32.098 --> 00:24:33.418
Cheryl Kaye: Dogs are active.

00:24:33.418 --> 00:24:35.038
Cheryl Kaye: They keep us active.

00:24:35.038 --> 00:24:36.198
Cheryl Kaye: That's the key.

00:24:36.198 --> 00:24:36.978
Liz Shafiroff: Yeah.

00:24:36.978 --> 00:24:43.138
Cheryl Kaye: I walk about 20,000 to 23,000 steps a day with my dog.

00:24:43.138 --> 00:24:44.198
Liz Shafiroff: Oh, that's great.

00:24:44.198 --> 00:24:49.458
Cheryl Kaye: You know, I'm getting involved with Cancer Society, you know, 31 miles.

00:24:49.818 --> 00:24:50.818
Cheryl Kaye: And it's fun.

00:24:50.818 --> 00:24:53.058
Cheryl Kaye: And you feel like you're doing something good.

00:24:53.058 --> 00:24:57.518
Cheryl Kaye: So for all of our listeners, we want to thank Liz for coming on.

00:24:57.518 --> 00:25:05.678
Cheryl Kaye: And maybe you'll come up with some ideas in your own area for something, or contact Liz, or contact me.

00:25:05.678 --> 00:25:12.478
Cheryl Kaye: And, you know, maybe we can make a difference because they give us all the best years of their lives, the best days.

00:25:12.478 --> 00:25:18.198
Cheryl Kaye: It's a wonderful thing to have an animal, whether it's a cat, it's a goat, it's a horse, it's a dog.

00:25:18.198 --> 00:25:18.998
Cheryl Kaye: They're our buddies.

00:25:19.498 --> 00:25:20.278
Cheryl Kaye: It's great.

00:25:20.278 --> 00:25:22.138
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank you for coming on.

00:25:22.138 --> 00:25:23.618
Liz Shafiroff: Thank you so much.

00:25:23.618 --> 00:25:25.998
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank Mark, my producer.

00:25:25.998 --> 00:25:27.398
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank Tilly Mark.

00:25:27.398 --> 00:25:31.918
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank Tilly for being the best dog, sometimes.

00:25:31.918 --> 00:25:36.298
Cheryl Kaye: And I want to thank my listeners and remember to live life Unleashed.

00:25:36.298 --> 00:25:37.698
Cheryl Kaye: And we'll see you next time.

00:25:37.698 --> 00:25:39.058
Cheryl Kaye: Bye everybody.

00:25:39.058 --> 00:25:40.238
Cheryl Kaye: See ya.

00:25:40.238 --> 00:25:46.238
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