The Tripod Foundation – Finding Purpose in Paradise

Did you know that there are an estimated one million dogs living on the streets of Costa Rica? It’s sad, but true.

My name is Liz Harris and along with my friend Natalie Bridges we established The Tripod Foundation.

Helping Costa Rica’s abandoned pets

The foundation’s mission is to provide affordable spay/neuter clinics to reduce the amount of unwanted and abandoned animals. Financial assistance is also offered to families who can’t afford medical treatment or emergency surgeries for their pets.

We decided that population control was the one thing we could do that would really make a difference. There is no shelter in our area, and people sometimes misunderstand our function. Our community has been great about taking in strays but we’ve about exhausted that resource.

New beginnings in Costa Rica

Natalie moved here from Boston, a couple of years before I did, where she was a successful realtor. She knew she wanted a different life and she found it in Costa Rica. She bought land and horses and started bringing home the strays, keeping some and finding homes for others.

I moved from Atlanta after my three children had flown the nest and began their successful careers. Like Natalie, I also wanted a different life, so I sold my yoga and pilates studio and relocated to Costa Rica.

A dog’s tale, caring for our first stray

We met and became friends. Over coffee one rainy day we were discussing the dog that we had seen dragging a badly broken leg. He was unapproachable and appeared aggressive. His life must have been a nightmare of pain and fear.

We decided to leave food for him which was, in this case, drugged with a tranquilizer. Natalie got him to the vet who immediately amputated the diseased and gangrened leg that would have otherwise killed him. I brought him home and we fell in love and he has not once showed any aggression towards me.

The Tripod Foundation is born

Well, this dog’s tale was our first happy ending and we wanted lots more of them. But how would this be possible? How could we afford it? And so the Tripod Foundation was born. We began fundraising with garage sales at the local feria.

We also did a project that propelled Tripod into the spotlight, even on local TV, a calendar of bare naked beautiful women over 50. It certainly was great fun and a great money maker. The new Tripod calendar 2012 will be out in November. To purchase a calendar or make a donation you can visit our Facebook page, The Tripod Foundation, under non-profits.

Our new life here has brought us so much, a sense of purpose and a profound empathy for the suffering of animals. Every day we are in awe of the natural beauty of Costa Rica, and in awe of the power of Mother Nature.

The opportunity to live in a foreign country and experience its culture is not for everyone. Though, I do believe that there is something special that attracts those of us who end up here, a commonality that goes deeper than a love of nature.

No matter how different our backgrounds, I feel some intangible connection to the people from all over the world who have landed here with us.

It’s safe to say that we both found paradise. I enjoy everything there is to do outside in Costa Rica as does Natalie who likes to spend time in her gardens, with her animals and finding other outlets for her boundless creativity.

[custom_script adID=97]

Written by Natalie Bridges and Elizabeth Elliot.

Natalie Bridges: “So here I am in Costa Rica, surrounded by nature and animals, living in a small community, making a difference in doing what I love. As a kid and a young adult, I always felt the most at peace when I was with my horses and other animals and Costa Rica seemed like a good fit for environment and proximity to the US for family visits. I live in Domincal and do wonderful and rewarding work with animals and the Tripod Foundation to save those wonderful animals that need our love.”

Elizabeth Elliot: “Tripod was a dog I could not ignore, I saw him several times as I drove down the mountain dragging a badly broken leg. He was terrified of people and acted aggressively through his fog of pain. When he was taken to the vet the leg came off immediately, it would have killed him soon with the gangrene that had set in. I began visiting him every day and after a week I brought him home and now we are his family. We wanted this story for all the suffering animals we saw, and there were lots. With our upcoming fundraising calendar of girls over 50 willing to take it all off for our cause we intend to expand our services to other communities.”

If you have ever dreamed of living in a place that’s as close to a tropical paradise as you can find … Please contact our Recommended Costa Rica Realtors Daveed Hollander, John Wieland and James Drews in Dominical in the Southern Pacific area, by using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.