Augusta DeLisi has no desire to grow a fortune. While most of us focus on building a career, finding that perfect someone, and making ends meet, the 25 year old just wants ‘her heart to be covered with stretch marks’. Augusta is founder of Abu Doggies, a non-profit organization that rescues and shelters homeless animals in the UAE, and her efforts have not gone unnoticed. This year she was a finalist for the 2015 Unite4: Humanity Awards that honours global humanitarian efforts and also for the Ultimate Role Model Category for the 2015 Cosmopolitan M.E. ‘Fabulous Female’ Awards. She shares her ideas for social change.
TEMPO: Who is Augusta De Lisi?
I am a 25 year old American living in Abu Dhabi and the founder of Abu Doggies Rescue, a charity devoted to saving the lives of shelter dogs and homeless pets in the UAE. Abu Doggies is an extension of Augie’s Doggies Rescue, a US based nonprofit dog rescue organization that I started when I was 12 years old to save the lives of shelter dogs in need. 13 years later (more than half my life!) This passion has proven to be a lifelong commitment that’s taken me on a journey across the world.
My mission continues in Abu Dhabi as I work to establish a Humane Education program in the UAE while saving homeless pets in the Gulf Region with the hope of inspiring others to make a difference.
TEMPO: You established Augie’s Doggie Rescue in Chicago at the young age of 12. What is the story behind that?
“There are two great days in a person’s life. The day we are born and the day we discover why.” William Barclay.
I have always been a little girl with a big dream. When I was 11 years old, my mom gave birth to my beautiful baby sister Faustina, but she never got to come home with us. Instead she went to heaven.
That day I went home I wrote a letter to heaven, tied it to a balloon and released it to the sky. I promised God that I’d spend the rest of my life making it up to him, and making my life count. Promises are taken very seriously at age 11, and that moment powerfully influenced the rest of my creation. I learned at a young age that life is a miraculous gift and set forth on a mission to make mine count.
Almost exactly one year later, I learned that there were shelter dogs in a high kill facility 2.5 hours from my hometown in Pittsburgh that were given 5 days to find homes before they’d be put to sleep. I felt a stirring in my soul that told me I had to do something about it. I begged my parents to allow me to save their lives, and promised that I’d simply do what I could to save them, and then find them forever homes.
My prayers were answered. On September 14, 2002 I started Augie’s Doggies. We hopped on board my family’s minivan and drove to the country side of Philippi, West Virginia and came home with 8 lucky dogs. That’s when I found butterflies in stomach and I know they’re still alive today. To this day, animal rescue remains the passion that conducts my heart to beat the loudest, and I am so grateful that I have found something that makes me feel so alive.
TEMPO: You recently moved to Abu Dhabi and set up Abu Doggies, a non-profit organization that has provided shelter to several abandoned pets. What has been your experience in the UAE?
When I was living in the United States, I was able to install kennels in the basement of my family’s home, and that greatly impacted the amount of dogs that I was able to rescue and care for at one time.
It’s been a slow and humble beginning, but right now my animal rescue efforts are purely foster based until I raise the funds to build a shelter, and network with others who are devoted to the same cause. I am still so brand new and want to learn from those in the charitable community of Abu Dhabi so that I can tailor my mission in a way that it will be most meaningful to the community that I serve.
This past year has been the ultimate learning experience. Over the years the homeless animal population in the Emirates has skyrocketed, and with few designated animal shelters in the region, the population of stray animals is enormous and growing by the day. I was thrilled to learn of multiple grass root organizations like my own that are also working hard to respond to this cause, but I’ve learned that in order to create a sustainable solution to this problem, we must do more than respond on the surface. In the case of Animal Welfare in the Emirates, I believe the solution is deeply rooted in education, emotion, and cultural appeal. I know that there is still plenty of work to be done, but every day I believe we are progressing in the right direction.
TEMPO: How did people around you react to your work? What kind of support did you receive?
The beautiful thing about the UAE is that it is full of so many motivated, talented, driven individuals who want to their life to possess great significance in the world. I am continuously fascinated by the goodwill of the people that I’ve met, and to learn of the charitable spirit that is so naturally apart of the UAE.
I’ve been told that this is a huge undertaking to try and tackle an issue that is so demanding and present, but together we can find a solution.
I’ve tried reaching out to several other animal rescue charities in the UAE, but really have not gotten much of a response. I know that everyone is so overwhelmed with the day to day aspects involved in their charitable efforts, but I would love to join forces with other animal advocates working towards the same cause.
TEMPO: This year you were a finalist for the Unite4: good award that honors global humanitarian efforts and you were also nominated for Cosmopolitan M.E ‘Fabulous Female’ Awards. How did that feel?
This year has swept me up in endless fascination. To move freely from one miracle to the next, the Unite4:humanity Awards and the Cosmopolitan Middle East Fabulous Female Awards have both been an incredible honor, and I am still yet to find words that will suffice in describing the appreciation that I feel for all who were involved. God has breathed poetry into every aspect of my life and I am left speechless by it all.
The 2015 Unite4 Humanity Awards were truly an evening of little miracles. I’ve never felt more at peace than standing on stage surrounded by a room full of beautiful souls. Of course there were some of Hollywood’s most well-known stars, and their wonderful devotion to their cause, and it was lovely meeting Demi Lovato, Wilmer Valderama, and Aaron Paul and to learn of the wonderful causes that they support. But more than anything, I felt honored to stand next to some of the world’s most incredibly inspiring individuals, serving the needs of their own community and neighborhoods through their hard work each and every day. Truly, every day heroes. Living, breathing, individuals who are hoping, wishing, and praying for a better world. Just like me.
These people had passion, spunk. Spark. And it was beautiful. Every single life that stood next to me had a story. A true story that powerfully illustrates the human limitless capacity for kindness and compassion. They magnified the power of their own strengths and talents and use it as a tool in helping others.
My mission cannot simply be defined by the brackets of animal rescue. My heart, mind, and aspirations are all devoted to making a difference for anyone that I cross paths with an find in need, and there is no greater mark of success than to inspire others to do the same. I have accepted this journey and I vow to give it my best. It taps me physically. Mentally, emotionally. Spiritually. I’ve grown. I’ve seen others grow. It’s a goal worth achieving. It’s worth waiting for. I hope that every single person gets to feel and experience something like that.
A year and a half ago I had to consult an atlas to know where I was heading, but today I stand, two feet on the ground, and a smile so big it can be found on Google maps. I am alive, and I am here. And I want to make every moment count.
TEMPO: What/Who do you owe your success to?
Everything that I have accomplished or achieved is the result of the continuous love and support of my parents. They saw the world within my heart, and they fostered my belief that I could do anything I put my mind to. Because of all that they are, I get to be all I dream of being. I measure success on a different scale, and they told me that’s ok. I don’t have a single dollar or dirham to my name, but each shelter dog’s life I’ve saved has become the currency of my soul.
Right now I receive no financial support and have funded this mission entirely from my own personal funds. I decided to take a year off from work and have devoted my entire time here working without profit or commission. I moved in with my family, so right now my living expenses are being covered but I struggling a bit with getting up on my feet. I am a 25 year old woman, living in a world surrounded by fashion malls and markets. I am not ashamed to admit that sometimes. I would love to go shopping, buy makeup, and get my hair done. Typical desires of a 25 year old woman, but really all of that is trivial when it comes down to saving a life.
Today I read that Passion is derived from a Latin word meaning to suffer. If you genuinely love something, you suffer for it. I’ve sustained this mission for half my life, and saving these beautiful creatures has given my life a value that nothing else could even begin to approach.
I’ve always been enchanted by second chances, empowered by faith, and committed to perseverance. A calculated blend of those three things have led me to where I am today. This world has been God’s school for my soul, and if there’s one thing I learned from buying a one way ticket to Abu Dhabi, it’s that we ought to follow our dreams, no matter where they take us. I want to always tackle life with enthusiasm and energy, and my drive has always been, and always will be the biggest motivator in making this dream a reality. I’ve never paid much attention to the idea of a growing bank account, massive home, or multiple cars. A growing fortune does not entertain my soul. In the end, I just want my heart to be covered in stretch marks.
TEMPO: Describe a normal day at Abu Doggies.
A majority of days surround the direct rescue and care of homeless and neglected pets. We operate merely off of donations, and owe the lives we’ve saved to the wonderful individuals who take part in fostering, adopting, and donating to the cause. The goal of every day is to strive to match families and individuals with a shelter pet in need, and this is done through the coordination of rescues, fosters, and planned adoptions. Since I was only 12 years old when I started saving homeless pets, a huge part of my mission is to inspire other kids to make a difference, too. On the weekends I invite my brother’s friends over to help train the dogs and teach them about anti cruelty and animal care through education that focuses on compassion, empathy, and respect. It’s a blueprint for the humane education program that I hope to launch on a large scale, and it’s amazing to witness the bond that has developed between the kids and the dogs. Any positive human and animal interactions can greatly influence the respect that these kids have for the animals and generates an understanding for the proper care of the animals that they encounter. It’s truly a fun experience, and it helps make the dogs more appealing to potential adopters.
TEMPO: Do you have any future plans/ventures?
This upcoming July I will be spending a few weeks back in my adopted second hometown Chicago collaborating with Safe Humane Chicago, on their Lifetime Bonds Program. SHC is an innovative organization that was founded to make communities safer by reducing violence for children and companion animals. SHC is focused on education, advocacy, and second chances for at risk youth and animals.
When I received word that I would not be able to accept my Unite4: Humanity $25,000 award for use in launching Abu Doggies in the Middle East, I decided to direct my award to a cause that is so dear to my heart and my home.
Safe Humane Chicago’s Lifetime Bond Program provides opportunities for at risk youth and at risk dogs to help one another. Youth in disadvantaged communities learn to care for, socialize and train dogs positively and participate in positive, beneficial activities with them. They learn the values of kindness and compassion, while developing useful skills and experience in dog training, while making the shelter dogs more adoptable. The whole concept is rooted beautifully in Second chances, and is deeply connected to the goals and mission of my own organization.
I am so excited for this collaboration, but remain committed 100% to the continuation of my mission with Abu Doggies here in the UAE when I return.
My ultimate goal and dream is to help launch the most “Innovative Animal Shelter” in the world to greatly reinvent the relationship between people and their pets in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi is home to the most innovative infrastructures in the world, and I think wondrous things could happen if we infused this same creative approach to tackling the homeless pet epidemic in the UAE in the most revolutionary way. I look forward to the future, and to be a part of the beautiful cause.
TEMPO: Any message you’d like to pass on to the community on kindness towards animals?
This whole “change the world idea”, it’s an open invitation. I want to tell you that you’re invited. There’s this idea going around that seems to imply that making a difference requires a large reserve of funding and resources. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re all good at something, and that very something might be just what someone else in the world needs. There are countless ways to help a cause, whether it be people or pets, and it simply requires using whatever skills or talents you have already been given.
When you hide your talents, no one will come and beg you for it. Compassion is a super power, and you will never know the capacity of kindness unless you use it. The heart is a muscle and should be exercised daily. Just be kind. To anyone, to everyone. Be kind to animals, be kind to the people that you encounter each day, and be kind to yourself. A combination of those 3 things can drastically impact the UAE and the world.
That’s something this whole experience has taught me that I will keep with me forever.
By Sheetal Raghunath
