In rural Bosque County, Texas, a name about an deserted canine doesn’t essentially convey an animal management officer or result in an open consumption shelter. Usually, a canine will get assist solely when a neighbor, volunteer, foster, or rescue group finds a strategy to step in.
Alexis Sibila, president of BARK Rescue, is aware of what it takes to show that decision right into a protected place for a canine. Alongside her buddy and fellow rescuer Chelsea, she has helped construct a transport program that connects Texas canines with trusted rescue companions in areas the place they’ve a greater probability of discovering houses. That work grew to become the inspiration for the iHeartDogs Rescue Street Journeys, supported by the iHeartDogs group and Hero VIP Membership members.
However the story of these journeys begins years earlier, with two canines dwelling beneath a bridge. We spoke with Alexis concerning the canines who modified her life, the choices folks not often see behind a rescue, and the street that introduced BARK and iHeartDogs collectively.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
An Interview With Alexis Sibila of BARK Rescue
Dina Fantegrossi: Earlier than we speak about BARK, inform readers somewhat about your self. Have been animals all the time a part of your life?
Alexis Sibila: I’m a small-town Texas lady who loves her household, the outside, and being on the water. My husband, Thomas, and I reside on ten acres in Central Texas with our 4 canines, two cats, two Watusi cows, and a horse.
My dad was a Texas sport warden, so my brother and I grew up round every kind of animals. There was virtually all the time an injured or orphaned wild animal at our home that wanted assist. We’d take care of them till they might get to a wildlife rehabilitator. Wanting again, these experiences formed me greater than I spotted. Serving to an animal in want wasn’t introduced as one thing extraordinary. It was merely what you probably did when one thing wanted assist.
Dina: Was there one animal that first taught you what it means to care for an additional life?
Alexis: My first horse, Cindy. It was my accountability to verify she was fed and watered and had every thing she wanted. My dad and mom made positive I understood that having an animal wasn’t simply concerning the enjoyable half. She relied on me, whether or not I felt like doing the work that day or not.
Lengthy earlier than I knew rescue would turn into such an enormous a part of my life, I used to be studying that caring for animals means displaying up for them day by day.
Dina: How did you first become involved with animal rescue?
Alexis: About 5 years in the past, I didn’t suppose my coronary heart might deal with strolling right into a shelter and seeing all of the canines who wanted assist. I needed to make a distinction, however I didn’t know what number of other ways there have been to become involved.
I used to be pals with Jackie, who was BARK’s president on the time, and I informed her what I assumed I might deal with. I knew I had connections and will assist with fundraising. She met me the place I used to be and gave me a spot to start out. Ultimately, I discovered about fostering and started bringing canines into my dwelling. That modified every thing.
I feel my story is a reminder that you simply don’t have to start out by doing every thing. You simply have to seek out a method you’ll be able to assist and begin there. You by no means know the place that first step may lead.
Dina: You talked about two canines who performed a serious half in pulling you into rescue. What occurred?
Alexis: I discovered two canines dwelling beneath a bridge. I named them Black Canine and Brown Canine. For 5 months, I drove there and fed them twice a day. I reached out to shelters and rescues, however everybody was full. They couldn’t assist until I used to be keen to foster them.
Then each canines grew to become pregnant, and a horrible storm was headed our manner. One thing in me stated I wasn’t leaving them beneath that bridge that night time, so I introduced them dwelling.
I used to be barely in a monetary place to care for 2 canines, a lot much less the roughly 23 puppies a veterinarian estimated they have been carrying between them. I didn’t have a rescue backing me or the community I’ve in the present day. I made the painful determination to have each canines spayed. I had a bank card with a $600 restrict, and I spent $567 of it on their surgical procedures. It nonetheless makes me emotional to speak about.
That was when rescue grew to become actual to me. Loving animals doesn’t imply you all the time get to make the simple or pleased determination. These two canines confirmed me how desperately our group wanted extra folks keen to become involved. Brown Canine continues to be with me in the present day.
Dina: How did your position at BARK change after that?
Alexis: I began as an outdoor volunteer who needed to assist elevate cash. Then I started attending adoption occasions, spending time with the canines, studying about fostering, and seeing how a lot work occurs behind the scenes.
A few years in the past, I grew to become BARK’s president. Now I’m concerned in fundraising, group outreach, fostering, consumption selections, veterinary care, relationships with different rescues, and transport. I went from questioning if I might even stroll right into a shelter to serving to lead a corporation that has turn into one of many largest elements of my life. As soon as I noticed the necessity, I couldn’t unsee it. I stored asking, “What else can I do?”
Dina: What challenges do canines face in rural Texas that individuals elsewhere won’t understand?
Alexis: In lots of communities, there isn’t any animal management and no open consumption shelter. Right here in Bosque County, if somebody finds a dumped or deserted canine, there isn’t essentially an officer who will choose it up or a county shelter the place they’ll take it. That canine stays the place it’s till a rescue, volunteer, or particular person steps up.
There are additionally much more canines needing assist than there are folks capable of foster them. Rescues can solely save as many canines as they’ve protected locations for. Inexpensive veterinary care, particularly spay and neuter companies, is one other large problem. We’ve pushed so far as six hours to entry free spay and neuter companies.
In rural Texas, generally there isn’t any subsequent telephone name to make. If somebody doesn’t step up, a canine might merely keep on the street.
Dina: When BARK will get a name a few canine, what occurs earlier than the general public sees a rescue story?
Alexis: Normally, Chelsea will get the decision and lets me know. We begin gathering info: Is the canine protected? Is it pleasant? Can the finder maintain it briefly? Do we have now a foster or kennel? Is there a rescue associate who could be a very good match? Who can go get the canine?
Then we have now to suppose past the pickup. The place will the canine sleep? What medical care does it want? How will we pay for it? What’s the long run plan? We could also be checking for a microchip, calling veterinary clinics, contacting fosters, rearranging kennels, and speaking with rescue companions whereas we’re each working our common jobs.
Earlier than anybody sees a photograph and reads that BARK saved a canine, there might have already got been dozens of calls, texts, and selections. A lot of rescue is making a plan the place there wasn’t one and determining find out how to safely flip a name for assist right into a sure.
Dina: What does a typical day appear like for you?
Alexis: I’m undecided there’s a typical day. I work a full-time job, and Chelsea and I joke that there are about 1,000,000 calls and texts between us. A day may embody selecting up canines dumped on a again street. Throughout a Rescue Street Journey week, my evenings are full of paperwork, veterinary information, well being certificates, and getting ready the transport binder. Throughout a spay-and-neuter week, we could also be confirming appointments for 28 folks.
We’re additionally shifting canines by means of different transport companions almost each week. There may be sheltering, fostering, fundraising, veterinary care, and no matter emergency comes subsequent. Rescue doesn’t precisely match into my schedule. We’ve discovered to suit life round rescue.
Dina: What led you and Chelsea to construct BARK’s transport program?
Alexis: We reached a degree the place we needed to discover one other strategy to save canines. Our county misplaced the transport useful resource we’d been counting on. Adoptions are low in Texas, and with out transport, the identical canines might sit in our kennels for months and even years. When the kennels keep full, we have now to say no to the subsequent canine.
I spotted that if we might transfer canines to trusted rescue companions in locations the place adoption demand was greater, these canines would have a greater probability, and we might open a protected house for an additional canine right here. Chelsea had transport expertise, and I used to be decided to determine how BARK might do it. We started constructing relationships, discovering companions, and studying the necessities for out-of-state transport.
One other group allow us to use its transport van whereas we bought began and ultimately donated it to BARK. However the cash that allowed us to take our first step got here from one thing way more private.
Dina: It got here from Black Canine’s story, didn’t it?
Alexis: Sure. I misplaced Black Canine in a tragic accident, and it broke my coronary heart. After she died, about 10 to fifteen of my closest pals gave me a card. That they had collected cash and informed me to make use of it to avoid wasting canines in Black Canine’s honor.
Transport brings prices past a van and a driver: gas, lodges, well being certificates, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention. My pals’ present helped us start, and Chelsea’s expertise helped us flip that first step right into a program. In our first 12 months, we saved 533 canines.
Black Canine by no means bought to know what she began, however I do. Each time that van leaves BARK stuffed with canines headed towards a greater life, somewhat piece of her is with me.
Dina: How did BARK’s transport program turn into a part of iHeartDogs Rescue Street Journeys?
Alexis: Our relationship with iHeartDogs started when BARK helped pair a canine with a veteran by means of Hope Lives Right here, a program iHeartDogs was supporting. That have helped me be taught concerning the iHeartDogs group and the opposite methods it was serving to canines.
I noticed that iHeartDogs had helped fly canines to security, and I assumed, “What about floor transport?” My husband, Thomas, and I had just lately taken a visit to Colorado to Karl’s Canine Krew. I put collectively a video from the journey and despatched it to Catherine at iHeartDogs. I requested whether or not iHeartDogs would ever think about sharing one thing prefer it.
Catherine shared the video with Marshall, iHeartDogs’ CEO. If I’m remembering appropriately, Marshall got here up with the identify Rescue Street Journey. In August 2025, we took our first official journey with the help of the iHeartDogs group. What began as one video and a message has related us with folks throughout the nation who comply with these canines’ journeys.
I’m from a city of about 3,500 folks. I didn’t have a grand plan to construct one thing folks everywhere in the nation would comply with. I noticed canines sitting in kennels and extra canines ready for these kennels, and I knew we would have liked to create motion. The iHeartDogs group gave our little transport program a platform and helped it turn into one thing greater than us.
Dina: What’s the hardest a part of rescue for you personally?
Alexis: Individuals may count on me to say it’s seeing the canines we will’t save, and naturally, that’s heartbreaking. However one of many hardest elements is the way in which folks generally deal with us once we can’t assist.
If I say we will’t take a canine, Chelsea and I’ve in all probability already appeared for a foster, checked our kennels, known as rescue companions, and tried each different resolution we will consider. I’m already carrying the load of realizing there’s a canine I couldn’t discover a place for. Typically the particular person asking for assist turns into offended and says issues that make it sound as if we don’t care.
Rescue employees aren’t saying no as a result of they don’t care. Typically they’re saying no as a result of they’ve already stated sure till there’s nowhere else to soundly put a canine. No person is extra upset by that reply than I’m.
Dina: How do you retain going when you’ll be able to’t assist each canine?
Alexis: I don’t know that I’ve fully discovered how to deal with these instances. I take into consideration the canines I couldn’t assist and marvel what occurred to them. However I can’t let the canines I couldn’t save hold me from saving those I can.
I concentrate on what I can do subsequent: constructing partnerships, discovering fosters, creating transport alternatives, and dealing on spay and neuter applications. Every of these issues may imply fewer instances we have now to say no sooner or later. You don’t cease caring concerning the canines you couldn’t assist. You discover a strategy to carry them with you whilst you hold combating for those you continue to can.
Dina: How do you defend your self from burnout?
Alexis: The most important factor I’ve discovered is to take the holiday. A wholesome, pleased Alexis can assist much more canines than an Alexis who has given every thing till there’s nothing left. I’m fortunate to have folks like Chelsea and Lacey who let me step away for a number of days, realizing the calls will nonetheless be answered and the canines can be cared for.
Taking a trip doesn’t imply I care any much less. Typically caring for your self is precisely what helps you to hold caring for everybody else.
Each Open Kennel Is One other Likelihood
Black Canine’s story didn’t finish when Alexis misplaced her. The present made in her reminiscence helped BARK begin shifting canines to rescue companions, and every profitable transport can free a kennel for an additional canine nonetheless ready in Texas. By way of the Rescue Street Journeys, iHeartDogs supporters and Hero VIP Membership members have helped carry that effort farther, giving extra folks an opportunity to comply with these canines from an unsure starting towards the potential for a house.
Alexis’s account additionally makes clear how many individuals it takes to make a visit potential: the one that solutions the primary name, the foster who opens a door, the veterinary staff getting ready a canine to journey, the companions able to welcome that canine, and the group keen to help the journey. What started with two canines beneath a bridge continues every time BARK’s van pulls away with one other group of canines aboard.
