Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Emal Gamez.
Erika, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My childhood was filled with animals. My dad brought home every single animal you can think of. Cats, dogs, squirrels, possums, raccoons, birds, you name it. My job as a kid was to do the mange baths for dogs and taming feral cats. We used to volunteer at spay/neuter events he would hold at old fire stations in the ’70s, I’ve done it all my life.
My first rescues were when I was in elementary school. Though mostly I did cats, I started gravitating to dogs when I realized what dog fighting was and that it was going on next door.Houston has an ENORMOUS stray overpopulation problem.
Fast forward 35 years to 2012- living in the East End (also no shortage of strays!) and my husband Sandro and I had already been doing rescue as “Indy Rescue Houston.” There are a few rescues and independent rescuers working for the East End strays. We moved to Sunnyside and saw that there was absolutely NO help for the street dogs there. The issues in Sunnyside are different than other areas of Houston. Besides dog fighting, sometimes in broad daylight, in plain sight, there is downright cruelty and abuse which appears to be openly accepted as an everyday method of dog treatment.
Besides the dangers of dog fighting, stray dogs in Houston’s South Side are used as target practice, as nearly EVERY SINGLE DOG we pull from the street or adopt out has at least one bullet or a few pellets in them. Dogs with hair loss often have been beaten routinely. Strays that bark at people are also beaten and sometimes killed just for barking. The frustrations of the socioeconomic climate in the area trickle down to the most vulnerable- children and pets. And the pets are the ones with the least amount of protection, so they get the worst of the abuse. We started SSSD because there was no one else in Sunnyside helping them.
Today, we have our SSSD SafeHouse, where we can get dogs out of immediate danger in Sunnyside and not scramble to first find a foster or somewhere for them to go. They can go straight to the vet then to our small SafeHouse in Brazoria County, about a 40-minute drive south of Houston. We can get them the help they need, and take care of them, get the dogs fully vetted, rehabbed, and healthy, and adopted.
Our capacity is about 40 but we tend to not take on more than 16 at a time, as we want to know each dog is getting the individual care and attention they need. We have a minimum of 4 staff at all times (24 hours) and we have a wonderful Foreign Exchange Volunteer Programme where young people from all over the world come stay at the SafeHouse anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months, volunteering with the dogs, bathing, training, cleaning kennels, etc. The programme has been amazing and educational for both SSSD and the volunteers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Most of our struggles are, as a relatively young non-profit dog rescue, being able to establish a steady donation stream to cover the vet bills, SafeHouse overhead, and other related expenses. So far we have been lucky enough to make ends meet, but it has been our biggest challenge. Working with the dogs from 8 am to midnight or later 365 days a week lends little time for little else! So finding people to do exclusive tasks and finding the time to fundraise, promote, or advertise has been difficult. My own health issues also make it difficult to accomplish the goals I want to reach with the organization and make me much more reliant on the help of volunteers.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about South Side Street Dogs – what should we know?
South Side Street Dogs is a vegan 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue established officially in April 2012. SSSD rescues street dogs exclusively from Houston’s South Side, primarily Sunnyside, which was named the USA’s 2nd most dangerous neighborhood by the FBI in 2015. Our motto is Rescue. Rehab. Rehome. Repeat. We pride ourselves in working with the dogs providing quality of life, putting their needs first, focusing on quality, not quantity. We will only receive a dog into our program if we have the room, manpower, and means to provide them with quality one-on-one time and attention.
Our SafeHouse is run by volunteer staff and volunteers, who work non-stop from 8 am to midnight or later cleaning, rotating (taking dogs out to play), socializing, and working with each dog to make sure they are happy and healthy and all needs are met. Dogs get special diets and accommodation if needed, receive all vetting and medications, We are in the process of building outdoor playpens for them (from fencing donated from Best Friends Animal Society) so that their outdoor play times can be longer, i.e. after vigorous play, they can rest in 25′ x 15′ pens and relax enjoy the day, or work with volunteers with leash or commands, etc, while others continue with their play times in the large yard. This will add precious quality of life as they prepare for their new homes! As mentioned, we are also a vegan organization, promoting compassion to all animals, not just companion animals.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We love our SSSD supporters and active participants on our SSSD Facebook page who have been with us for years (or even recent fans!) We must acknowledge Houston PetSet and Unity for a Solution for their invaluable support.
And I would have to thank my dad for instilling in me the compassion for animals that he always had. He would pick up every single creature that needed help and brings it home, from the time I was a larva myself. I was raised learning about worms, heartworms, mange, spay/neuter, and volunteering. I was taught to know why it is horrid to chain a dog, and why squirrels, possums, raccoons, deer, dogs, cats, cows, pigs, horses, armadillos, turtles, chickens, and frogs all deserve the same respect and all deserve to live free from fear, pain, and suffering. I wish my dad, Charlie Emal, was alive to see his dream- the SafeHouse -today.
I applaud every parent who teaches this level of compassion to their children.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southsidestreetdogs.com
- Email: southsidestreetdogs@gmail.com
- Facebook: Facebook.com/southsidestreetdogs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SSSD_rescue
- Other: PayPal.me/southsidestreetdogs
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