Stories

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Christie's Corner

One Hour a Day

These raggedy old hands of mine sure aren’t going to win any beauty contests.

Light Up the Darkness

Over the past few years, I’ve stumbled upon the same question in conversation after conversation with coworkers, supporters, and friends.

Standing in the Middle of It All

I’m standing ankle deep in feces, mud and garbage, staring into the face of a bone thin mama dog who is crouching in a nearly collapsed wooden shed.

The Perpetual Blind Date

Each time I head south of the border I get a little nervous.

The Theory of Relativity -Christi Camblor, DVM

It is 122 degrees outside. That’s hot. Really hot.

“Why do you rescue dogs from Mexico? ” by Christi Camblor, DVM

I have been rescuing dogs from Mexico for fifteen years.

Should we stop feeding the poor?

Picture this: Your local soup kitchen being challenged for feeding hungry families by a nearby restaurateur who is claiming disloyal competition.

In the Absence of Ashes

On September 12th, California faced its third worst fire in history.

Tails of a four-legged, tail-wagging’, northward gazing immigrant: Part Two

Hello there amigos! Sonora here again. Reporting to you live from Mexico one last time before I hit the road and make a run for something they keep calling “the border”.

Tails of a Four-legged, Tail Waggin’, Northward Gazing Immigrant

First, allow me to introduce myself. Name?

The Ones You Leave Behind

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a sham. Like some bleeding heart softie, weak in the knees, and about ready to crumble, yet all the while waltzing around in a shiny defensive c…

Checkpoints and Chances: A New Year’s Eve Tail of Four-Legged Immigration

We are about one hour west of El Paso. It’s mid-day on New Year’s Eve.

Tipping the Balance

It’s 9 PM in downtown Fresno. Saturday night.

Freefall…Puerto Peñasco Clinic Diary July 2014: Part 2 of 2

“Freefall” There comes a moment at almost every clinic we host in Mexico where I finally just freefall.

I Welcomed The Heat…. Puerto Peñasco Clinic Diary July 2014: Part 1 of 2

I welcomed the heat. The burning swell of red-hot desert air that singed my eyelashes as it poured over me with excruciating thoroughness every time I brought another animal into…

Toilets and Too Much – or Not Enough?

I’ll be honest. I have been known to be a bit obsessive when it comes to dwelling on inequalities.

“and as you show me your scars, I will only hold you closer….”

I first met Koa about a month ago, yet I feel I’ve known her my whole life.

Can You Save Them All?

“You’ve got a great heart, kid, but, remember – you can’t save them all” These were the deflating words spoken to me by my boss about 13 years ago, right before vet school.

Straddling the Divide

The point where the Sonoran desert in Mexico butts up against the Sea of Cortez represents such a dramatic contrast it can feel surreal.

The Moment of Impact

In my life, defining moments tend to hit unexpectedly – with full force, and relentless clarity.

Radical Acts of Love – a snapshot of rescue south of the border

The Rio Grande is one of the longest rivers in the world.

Unbearable compassion: a starfish, idealism and the plain old truth

Somewhere around 15 years back, I first heard “the Starfish story”.

Chihuahuas, Sweat, and Heroes

It’s over 90 degrees and it’s not even 9 a.m.

If you are lucky, your heart will break…

There are moments that stick with you. Moments where you can remember the exact light, smell, sound and detail as if it just happened.

Personal Pitt-falls

Last October was a hard time for me personally.

The Ripple Effect

I first met Sophie, a delightfully scruffy and spry little terrier mix, in 2002 at the Refugio Franciscano, a large shelter in Mexico city that houses approximately 2,000 dogs.

Insanity versus Passion: How many ways can you rescue a dog?

I remember walking out of the Sacramento international arrivals about eleven years ago.

How Does It Feel?

I am sharing the following travel 24 hour diary of our most recent trip to Mexico in an attempt to create a narrative that accurately and honestly conveys the full range of…

Emotional Zigzag: Heading South

The border is just a few hours away, just about to cross into Juarez, Mexico.

The Momentum of Compassion

At our most recent free spay/neuter and wellness clinic for animals belonging to low-income Latinos, I found myself very aware of the incredible amount of good work being done by…

Cursing the Darkness

“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” -Chinese Proverb Baseasechic is a remote town in northwestern Mexico, tucked away in the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Lessons From My Scruffy Faced Savior

On June 11th of this year, I said goodbye to Manolito, the love of my life.

When the Impossible is Your Only Possibility

If you were to climb into a time machine and head back ten years, where would you find me?

Sometimes Hope Ain’t easy

Look at this dog. How could your heart not split open and pour out all over the computer screen when you see an image like this?

Up, down and sideways

Yesterday Compassion without Borders hosted our third free animal wellness and sterilization clinic in Sonoma, California.

Inmates and Tarantulas…all in a day’s work!

Just how did I end up driving the CWOB rescue van up a two-lane windy road in the middle of rural Lake County, California following signs to the county prison last Wednesday?

Behind the camera at Celebrate Your Pet

Driving from the bustling San Francisco Peninsula up to the rolling green hills of Sonoma I was excited to see first-hand the operation of Compassion Without Borders first Local…

The Circle of Compassion Widens

Last Sunday, Compassion without Borders and Pet’s Lifeline Shelter hosted our first wellness and sterilization clinic for the animals of low-income Latinos in Sonoma County.

How to Mend a Broken Heart

A few years ago, I was working in a very impoverished region of Chihuahua, Mexico doing a week-long clinic of free spay/neuter and veterinary care.

When Suffering Meets Compassion

“Nirvana is not a place where there is no suffering.

The Local Connection

Compassion without Borders is founded on the premise that all animals deserve to be free of suffering, wherever they are.

When margaritas and compassion mix

We are hosting our first fundraiser in just 17 days.

The Road to Compassion

On the agenda this evening is to finalize an hour-long presentation that I will be giving at a conference this weekend put on by Oregon State’s Veterinary school and the…

The plunge into academia?

I have been working for animals in Mexico for the past 9 years.

Is compassion finite?

Quite frequently I find myself being challenged as to why I help animals in Mexico.

What would the animals say?

What would the animals of Mexico blog about if they had the ability?

To save a Life Is to Save a World

Let’s Make a Difference