Meet Chella, the hero to thousands of voiceless dogs.
Graciela “Chella” Phillips
Chella has been helping homeless dogs since she moved to the Bahamas in April of 2004. It's impossible not to notice these dogs as they are everywhere on the streets. Her car always carries dog food and water because she knows dogs will cross her path, and she has to feed them and give them clean water to drink.
Most of the dogs are just passing by, and she never sees them again. She has different feeding routes and areas she goes to feed the homeless dogs every day. She does this until they trust her enough to let her touch them, and then she brings them into the refuge once she knows it will be a safe transition to remove them from the streets.
After the dogs are vetted, vaccinated, and released from the clinic, they come to live at the refuge until she connects with a rescue partner in the States who agrees to take them once they're clear for air travel.
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“Countless homeless dogs have left the streets of Nassau, and they are now enjoying life being loved and cared for by their families. Dogs who were disposed of as garbage on the streets by their 'families' once they did not suit them well. Dogs who were abused, mutilated, tortured, dogs that nobody wanted–I wanted them all. Dogs that were [considered] trash here are now someone else's treasure in the States. That is what I do on a daily basis. I am not a dream maker, but I do my best to give them what they all dream of.
My faith has been put to the test in so many hard ways. And my heart has been broken so many times that a normal person could not bare the pain, but I force myself to stand back on my feet when I have fallen because the streets are filled with thousands of strays needing a helping hand. This is me. My name is Chella, and I love these strays with all my heart, and I would do anything for them–anything at all!”
— Chella, President & Founder