“...the dogs run on about ten acres of her family’s 142-acre farm.”

February 24, 2017 9:17 PM

Our Lady of Strays [Outside] “The world's greatest dog sanctuary is on a small farm in Costa Rica, where hundreds of canines run wild over the land — eating huge piles of food and slobbering happily on Lya Battle and her small band of dedicated volunteers.”

“By this time, Alvaro and Lya were facing a radical restructuring. “We were going to make our life simple,” says Lya, which in retrospect sounds like a cosmic joke. Unable to afford their suburban home in the hills, they moved into a smaller place in town. Previously, Lya had kept a dog, abandoned by a construction worker, and a pet pig. The new place, however, had a backyard, and that’s how her dog love took over. “We started picking up strays, taking them to vets,” Lya remembers. “I started thinking, What happens to the dogs you rescue but can’t keep? So I started keeping them.” A year passed, and then another, and Lya had about 30 dogs.”

posted by Fizz (8 comments total)

That opening paragraph is hideous. I'll go back to reading the article now but the author and editors should be ashamed.
posted by nestor_makhno at 9:27 PM on February 24, 2017 [9 favorites]

opening paragraph aside. I really have to admit to a certain desire to create this same sort of world - to be love mauled by a swarm of pups and to do your best to care for them.* It also breaks my heart (but isn't terribly surprising) the figure cited of the estimated dog population vs "homed" dog population.

* = Me being me (see the last thread about beer, I would naturally have to have a brewery on site and offer the finest, deeply sought after with a giant grey market "Bière de chien de ferme" - that would do quite nicely.
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:19 PM on February 24, 2017

They're good dogs, Brent.
posted by Combat Wombat at 1:56 AM on February 25, 2017 [4 favorites]

Some people are really extraordinary. What amazing people.
posted by gt2 at 5:21 AM on February 25, 2017

Watch your step.
posted by blue_beetle at 6:50 AM on February 25, 2017

The author's bizarre writing style completely detracted from my ability to get into the story. The beauty angle is cringeworthy.
posted by houseofleaves at 7:35 AM on February 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

* = Me being me (see the last thread about beer, I would naturally have to have a brewery on site and offer the finest, deeply sought after with a giant grey market "Bière de chien de ferme" - that would do quite nicely.

Red Tick Beer?
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:54 AM on February 25, 2017

Though I'm not a fan of calling some pups "fugly" and herself a "dog slut," I still donated.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 8:31 AM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]