Sister act

Grace and Aria Keilbach.

Sisters Aria and Grace Keilbach got started with a simple group page on Facebook, to feature stray dogs on Saipan and create some awareness about the plight of these dogs they find roaming, neglected, or injured on the road and streets of Saipan.

They have been helping stray island dogs or “boonie” dogs for about three years already and, in that time, has managed to generate more and more support across the globe, leading to the birth of the Boonie Babies Saipan Organization.

“We work to rescue, rehabilitate, and adopt out boonie dogs. This involves daily feeding rounds for strays spread across the island, rescue missions, administering medical care, and taking home the worst cases we find to foster them until they can be adopted out. We also are working behind the scenes on our social media platforms to spread awareness and help make a difference for the lives of the boonie babies,” Aria said.

“You can’t look into these puppy eyes and say ‘no’. Animals, and dogs in particular, have always been something that we are passionate about, so when we saw the neglect and abuse that boonie dogs face, it was an easy decision to step up and do something about it,” Grace said.

Although the dogs stay with them temporarily before getting adopted, the two sisters treat each and every animal as part of their family. “If you are hanging out with us, you have to like dogs because there will be lots of them involved. Luckily, all of our friends are very understanding and our work life (the dogs) fits right into our social life. At times it is overwhelming and we definitely rely on each other to make it work,” Aria said.

Aria Keilbach.

As co-founders of Boonie Babies Saipan Organization, the two sisters concede that providing a home and rehabilitating rescued animals take a lot of work but they see possibilities for these dogs beyond the island. “Part of our advocacy this year is to make off island adoption accessible. However, due to COVID-19, that is extremely difficult for now but it is on our list. We are also [collaborating] on efforts to find a traveling veterinarian to visit the islands and hopefully find one willing to stay for a longer period of time,” Grace said.

The Boonie Babies Saipan Organization also wants the community to be more involved in their mission and help animals on the island. “We are working to get rid of the stigma that boonie dogs aren’t good pets and are dangerous. Overall, we would like to make a sustainable difference and get as many dogs as possible off the streets and to their forever homes,” Aria said.

“Boonie Babies Saipan Organization is our main focus with just Grace and I running the entire thing. From taking care of our currently nine foster babies to feeding rounds to social media outreach and much more, we are completely dedicated to our cause and unfortunately don’t have time for much else,” she added.

Grace said the Boonie Babies Saipan Organization is inclusive and welcomes anyone to join them help more boonie dogs. “We want people who work with us to walk away with a feeling of purpose and enlightenment. Simply knowing how big of a difference they alone can make in the lives of these animals is a message we would be grateful to share.”

“We want them to value the importance of compassion and learn respect for not only the dogs we rescue but for other aspects of their lives as well. These boonie dogs are our passion and have had such a huge positive impact on our lives and the way we appreciate the world around us that we would like to be able to share that experience with others,” Grace added.