Send a textHost Dr. Annie Petersen welcomes Fatima Guevara (Founder) and Jenna Finch (Director of Operations) from The Cantu Foundation to discuss how the rescue began with Fatima’s paralyzed dog, Cantu, and grew through social media into a nonprofit helping dogs in Mexico and San Diego. They share how a viral Dodo video expanded their community, how they built a foster-based rescue run by volunteers (now a large team with both local and remote roles), and how events helped establish a stronger presence in San Diego. Fatima and Jenna talk about the realities of rescue work, the importance of strict adoption screening (applications, home checks, references, vet checks, meet-and-greets, and requiring dogs be returned to the rescue if needed), and concerns about overcrowded shelters, backyard breeding, and mismatched adoptions. They share impactful rescue stories - including Pearl, a blind senior dog mislabeled as aggressive who thrived after rescue, and Archie, a severely injured dog found on a highway who recovered and was adopted by his foster. The episode ends with ways to support the Cantu Foundation through donations, monthly giving, volunteering, and social media sharing, and notes that donations are tax-deductible. 00:00 Welcome Back: Anniversary Re-Release and Intro to The Resilient Animal 00:52 Meet the Guests: The Cantu Foundation’s Mission and Origins 01:48 Cantu’s Story: Adopting a Paralyzed Dog and Building a Community 03:24 The Dodo Effect: Social Media Growth and First Fundraisers 04:35 How Fatima and Jenna Connected - and Why Baja Needed Help 07:29 From Two People to 80 Volunteers: Running a Foster-Based Rescue 09:03 Events Team Breakthrough: Getting Traction in San Diego 11:19 Remote Volunteering + Social Media: Building a Global Rescue Network 14:00 Fatima’s Roots in Peru: Early Rescue Values and Family Influence 16:44 Lifelong Dog Commitment: Jax, Cantu, and the “Same Paper” Mindset 20:23 Adoption Challenges: Screening, Relinquishments, and Protecting Dogs 23:21 Why the Process Is Strict: No Same-Day Adoptions and Respecting the Rules 25:08 Why Adoption Fees Matter (and Avoiding “Ego” Adopters) 25:36 Behind One Rescue: The Volunteer Chain That Saves Dogs 26:42 Same Adoption Process, Different Stakes: From Easy Puppies to Trauma Cases 28:14 Post-COVID Overcrowding and Breaking the Cycle 29:32 Backyard Breeders, Weak Screening and Why Dogs Get Returned 31:01 Meet-and-Greets, Behavior Risks and Prioritizing Quality Over Volume 34:38 Setting Boundaries: Saying “No” to the Wrong Match 36:26 Pearl’s Story: An “Aggressive” Blind Senior Who Just Needed Safety 39:28 Archie’s Miracle Rescue: Spotted on the Highway and Rebuilt 43:48 How to Help: Donate, Share, Volunteer + Final Thanks https://www.instagram.com/resilientanimal/ https://www.facebook.com/TheResilientAnimal https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-human-animal-bond-studies/