Summer is in full swing at Surfers for Strays, and we have plenty of pup-dates to share! 🐾

At our recent board elections in June, we had the honor of appointing the leaders who will help guide Surfers for Strays over the next two years.

Please join us in congratulating our newly elected President, Minette Ozaki, and Treasurer, Vaishali Sampat, as they step into their new roles. We are also delighted that Alissa Arredondo will continue serving as Secretary, bringing her dedication and experience into another term. 

Serving in a leadership role within a volunteer rescue organization is both an honor and a tremendous responsibility. It requires countless hours, thoughtful decision-making, and a deep commitment to the animals and community we serve.

We are incredibly grateful that these individuals have chosen to dedicate their time and energy to help our organization continue growing and making a difference.

We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing board officers. Their hard work, dedication, and countless volunteer hours have helped shape our organization into what it is today. 💗

Congratulations to our new board officers – we are excited for what lies ahead!

Some of you may remember Nopal, who now goes by Cuñado, one of the puppies from our beloved 2022 Vivero Litter.

Found alongside his five siblings under a pile of wood and debris at a plant nursery, Nopal's story began under difficult circumstances. Thanks to the dedication of our rescue team, the entire little family was eventually brought to safety.

After returning to our care, Nopal was welcomed into an incredible foster home in Los Angeles, where he was given the time, patience, and love he needed to decompress and adjust. 😌

To give him the best chance at success, Nopal recently boarded a flight to Seattle, where adoption opportunities are often stronger than in Southern California. We are hopeful that this new chapter will bring him one step closer to the family he's been waiting for. 🙏

Nopal is currently settling in with a short-term foster, where he continues to demonstrate how special he is. ✨

He loves playing with toys, walks beautifully on leash, is both crate- and potty-trained, and gets along well with other dogs. While he can be a little shy when meeting new people, especially men, he blossoms into an affectionate cuddle bug once trust is built. 🌸

We are still searching for either a long-term foster or (even better) his forever home in the Seattle area.

We know his perfect match is out there: someone who will appreciate his gentle nature, respect his pace, and be rewarded with the most incredibly loyal companion in return. 🐾

If you or someone you know in the Pacific Northwest think Nopal might be the perfect addition, please reach out to us. ➡️ We'd love to introduce you!

Every flight, every foster, and every new beginning is possible because of the support of our incredible community. Thank you for helping dogs like Nopal continue their journey toward the loving homes they deserve.

Since sweet Stockholm's hip dysplasia diagnosis, we've been carefully exploring every option to help her live the happiest, most comfortable life possible.

After discussing all available options with our invaluable veterinary partner, Dr. Oscar Guadarrama, we decided that stem cell therapy was the best first step for Stockholm. 💉

Unlike more invasive orthopedic procedures, this treatment allows both hips to be treated simultaneously with significantly less recovery time and a lower risk of complications. While no treatment can guarantee success, we have seen encouraging results in other dogs and are optimistic that Stockholm will also benefit. 🙏

Dr. Guadarrama's name may sound familiar, as he's helped several other special-needs SFS pups, including performing Jack's TPLO surgery, and providing stem cell therapy for Griffin and Camilo! 👨‍⚕️

We are happy to share that Stockholm received stem cell therapy this past weekend. Dr. Guadarrama also provided injections to Camilo, our sweet pup-on-wheels, and performed a post-operative examination of Jack.

All went very smoothly — Camilo and Stockholm are recovering well, and Dr. Guadarrama was very pleased with Jack's recovery to date.

We are deeply grateful that he once again made the trip from Toluca to Troncones to care for our dogs – even dedicating part of his vacation to their treatment and providing Camilo's therapy completely free of charge. 🩺

Furthermore, none of this would have been possible without our community of supporters. Thanks to everyone who donated to Stockholm's fundraiser, her treatment was fully funded. Your kindness has given her access to a therapy that we hope will improve her overall quality of life.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sandrine and Paty, who continue to take wonderful care of Stockholm. They've dutifully administered her supplements and medication and carefully managed her activity level to ensure she gets the rest she needs to recover. 

Over the coming weeks and months, we'll be monitoring Stockholm's progress closely and providing updates on her journey. From all of us at Surfers for Strays, especially from Stockholm, thank you for making moments like these possible 🫶

After more than four years of calling Mexico home, volunteering full-time with Surfers for Strays (full time means 168 hours/week, right?!), and dedicating my days to rescue work, a major chapter of my life has ended.

Leaving Mexico was never just about leaving a place. It meant leaving a community, a daily routine, countless memories, and a part of my identity that was built through rescue work.

And of course, I could not leave without my girls: Saiya, Soleil, and Sequoia. 

Bringing all three of them to Europe was one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. The travel itself was intense, and there were many moments where I questioned everything. But then we arrived and they did what dogs do best: they adapted.

Today, they are exploring forests, rolling in the grass, discovering new smells, and enjoying this new life. Watching them settle in has been one of the greatest gifts.

After arriving, I realized that all the years of road trips, new places, and different experiences in Mexico had prepared them for this moment without me even realizing it. They were ready. They trusted me. And I am so proud of them.

Although I am stepping away from my daily role at Surfers for Strays, this work will always be part of me. The lessons, the animals, the people, and everything I learned will continue with me into whatever comes next.

I will always be grateful that a random three-week volunteer stay turned into more than four years, a purpose, lifelong friendships, and three incredible dogs who now get to start a new chapter with me.

Thank you to everyone who was part of this journey. 🤍

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