The island of Saipan, part of the Mariana Islands archipelago, has been a United States territory since 1986. is most renowned for its influence in WW2. Evidence of WWII battles are everywhere on the island, from the sunken tanks and planes offshore to the staggering stray dog population. In the aftermath of the war, countless combat dogs were either lost or left behind. Today the descendants of these heroic war dogs are known uniquely as "boonie dogs," a jumbled mix of bloodhounds, rottweilers, labradors, dobermans, German shepherds, and more.
Today these distinct breeds are nearly unrecognizable in the boonies' genes; their isolation and crossbreeding since WWII has created a diverse "breed" of boonie dog, coming in all kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes.
Boonie dogs roam the island living off any scraps they can find and enduring the harsh rainstorms and blistering heat. Most are homeless, starving, sick, and covered in ticks and mange, as Saipan is the only U.S. territory to enact an animal cruelty law in just 2020, one which still goes unenforced.
The ONLY animal clinic on-island, tries their best to provide adequate medical care to the community's pets, but without a veterinarian or sufficient resources, the sheer number of dogs in need can be overwhelming.
Things have been especially difficult since 2018 when our island was hit by Super Typhoon Yutu whose 200 mile per hour winds destroyed nearly everything in its path and displaced many people and animals. Then, with Corona Virus affecting the globe, veterinarians have been unable to easily travel all the way to Saipan. Therefore, there are no certified vets on the entire island, the effects of which are devastating to animals who need veterinary treatment or spay and neuter procedures. The already rampant population has surged even more without the practice of sterilization being possible.
Boonie Babies was founded in 2018 as a small, individual rescue group to aid the community and animals of Saipan. Our mission is to make a sutainable change in the lives of the people and animals of Saipan. To learn more and see how you can help us achieve this, click the button below.
Boonie Babies' main job on-island is to look out for as many neglected boonie dogs as we can. Because of the overpopulation of strays and lack of resources, unfortunately, only emergent cases can be taken into our care. We rescue dogs in severe need of help and try our best to save as many lives as possible.
After the initial rescue of boonie dogs and getting them off the streets fending for themselves, we immediately seek medical care. Nearly all the boonies we take in are fighting off several health risks, most commonly tick disease, severe mange, parvovirus, and emaciation. The clinic treats what they are able to without a vet, and then our boonie babies are brought home where they are cared for, treated, and socialized until they are happy, healthy, and ready for permanent homes.
Because of our efforts, over 500 dogs have been rescued, rehabilitated, and adopted out to wonderful homes on-island. However, due to our small and isolated community, only so many forever homes can be found here on Saipan, the sheer number of dogs in need of adoption vastly surpasses the number of willing adopters. Therefore, we are expanding our search to adopters off-island. The process is longer and more expensive, but a necessary next step to end the cycle of suffering here.
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