Let's get MOVING! By March 1, we'll be IN Oasis! This is so exciting for us, but the next few weeks will be very difficult. Moving all the dogs and cats, moving all of our supplies, everything...it will be a lot of work, however we are READY!
The left side of Oasis is getting the finishing touches: paint, doors, tile, septic and water. This is where we'll be taking care of the animals while the Shelter side is finished. We know that we are moving into a half-finish place, but that's OK!
Let Ceci give you a tour of the Shelter side in the video. Warning, the video is 10 minutes long, but she gives you a full walk through. Ceci explains each area, what it will be used for and why we need it. Year of experience in rescue work helped us to design the shelter for exactly what we need. Isolation areas. Outdoor pens. Bathing area. Drains for easier cleaning of pens. Many factors went into our design, that Ceci did herself! She is unstoppable!
Send us your prayers and love. These next few weeks will be the hardest. We need your help to finish the Shelter side ASAP.
Thank you to everyone that has donated to Isla Animals Oasis! We are so very close. Let's finish this together!
Isla Animals Update
Featured in our new Winter 2023 issue: Velin Homes
Beyond Borders
Velin Homes connects stunning interior and exterior view with architectural finesse.
Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)
A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.
To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95
Get your issue today!
Featured in our Winter 2023 Issue: Cosentino Group
Isla Animals OASIS - NEWS
Hello Isla Animals Family!!!!
We wanted to make a newsletter at the beginning of the year, and then again to make some big announcements... But you know that if we are late with news is because we have been super busy with rescue and working on Oasis!
Happy start of 2024!!!!
We have started the year with 29 dogs finding their forever homes, an incredible achievement since we are in the middle of packing, moving, building... We have done over 30 spay and neuters so far and we have a few more dates coming soon... and... we have some big news regarding Isla Animals OASIS!
Drumroll please!!!
We have a moving date!!!!!
We will be relocating to Isla Animals OASIS by March 1st!!!!
This decision has been coming for a while... but March 1st is the soonest we can have the minimum facilities ready for our volunteers and our dogs... And yes... the place is still much of a construction site!!!
Why moving before Isla Animals OASIS is ready?
There are many reasons...
Our place on Isla is very expensive without being adequate for our dogs and visitors, we want to better use our funds on the animals. We can only house a limited number of dogs, we are constantly worried they will bother the neighbors...
We are still short on our fundraising efforts and it's time to get our hands dirty (dirtier!). We can do a lot of the work if we are there... the money and time spent in coming and going, the limited time we have there before we have to come back and feed and clean and take care of the animals, all can be better used if we have everything in the same place!
We have been dreaming of the day we can move in our animals into Isla Animals Oasis... and we can't contain our excitement
When will Isla Animals Oasis be ready?
This is a question we get often and we truly don't know... Remember we are a tiny team, we never took a break from rescue, we continued taking in animals, doing sterilizations, while we were architects and contractors for the new place... We have been the ones buying materials and supervising the works... as we wanted to make sure we were as wise as possible with the costs of building Isla Animals Oasis!
With us being able to work in the property more consistently, we believe we can go faster, but also our funds are getting smaller and smaller and if we manage to continue fundraising we may be able to have the space somewhat ready for the summer... that's our goal and dream... but if we can't make it work, we will be taking our time to get it exactly as we want it to be! As long as we have our dogs in a safe space, with the comforts we truly never had for them before... we can make this work!
And remember we never stop rescuing... 2024 started with 29 dogs going to their furever homes!!!!!
We have started a new way of fundraising on RallyUp! You can donate concrete blocks, puppy pens, doors, windows, and more!
https://go.rallyup.com/islaanimalsshelterfunds
Our Go Fund ME is still active and your help will make this space the future of Isla Animals!!!!! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-isla-animals-rescue
Check out more rescue videos and building updates
@islaanimalsrescue
Our GoFundMe is still active, and slowly we are trying to keep going, wisely allocating funds where they are needed, continuing with the building while making sure our dogs do not lack anything.
Please help us reach our goal and continue building. We are getting so close to finishing!
Featured in our new Winter 2023 issue: North Pointe Homes
What Family Values
North Pointe Homes blends Modern Farmhouse styling with a versatile and vastly entertaining vision of home.
Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)
A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.
To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95
Get your issue today!
Featured in our Winter 2023 Issue: VICOSTONE
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!
And thankful we are every single day! 🥹
No matter the struggle, no matter the challenges... we always take a moment to look around and be thankful! Thanksgiving is every day for rescue dogs!!! 🐶
Isla Animals is grateful to have you all fighting with us to save as many animals as we possibly can... So thank you for...
👉208 animals that have found homes this year so far!
👉Over 260 animals have been taken from the streets this year.
👉Over 800 animals have been sterilized
We are thankful we were able to treat dozens of ehrlichia cases, afford heartworm treatments, cover the costs of surgeries like Esperanza amputations, and broken legs, we were also able to treat quite a few cases of TVT, and overall provide the best medical care for our dogs! 🩺
We are SO THANKFUL that beyond the indifference of local authorities and the blows they hit us with, we managed to remain operational, adjust, and continue our mission. 💪
But we are MORE THAN THANKFUL that when we came up with the plans for a future for Isla Animals you all believed in us 🙏, what we do, and what we can achieve! And we are thankful today to be able to report that Isla Animals OASIS is well underway and SO CLOSE to be the new home of many animals that never again will suffer, be sick, and die in the streets.
When all felt lost after losing the govt space we had for 8 years, we reached out with our crazy plans and you showed us, with your kindness and support, that these plans were actually the answer, the right way, the solution. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN WHAT WE DO and what we can achieve. We work tirelessly daily saving animals in honor of your support and trust! 🙏
And yes, while we are indeed very close to seeing Oasis finished 🤩, we are also struggling to raise the funds to get there. We have 3 phases in front of us...
👉 first, to see most of the hardcore building finished (medical isolation areas and volunteers' apartment is being finished in the next week or so, front wall and gate hopefully by Christmas).
👉 The second phase would be to have all the basics, like plumbing and electricity, windows and doors... At this point, we can already move in the dogs!
👉 Phase three is to tackle all the finishings, painting, flooring etc... this could happen while we are there... and a lot of the work, we will be doing ourselves! 💪
If you still believe in what we do, what we can achieve and how much potential Isla Animals Oasis has to change the lives of so many animals... please consider lending a paw and being part of this crazy beautiful future.... The doggies will be forever grateful!
➡️ PayPal: https://paypal.me/islaanimalsresuce?locale.x=en_US
➡️ Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-isla-animals-rescue
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ❤️🧡💛
We have started a new way of fundraising on RallyUp! You can donate concrete blocks, puppy pens, doors, windows, and more!
https://go.rallyup.com/islaanimalsshelterfunds
Our milestone goals are to have raised $10,000 each month by the 24th when PayPal Giving Fund sends us your donations. We were short for August, but we did make our goal in September! For October we were approx. $4,400 short of our goal and unfortunately we only have enough money to build until the beginning of December. Please help us reach our goal and continue building. We are so close to finishing!
Can you believe it's November already?
The workers have begun smoothing the concrete blocks, transforming them into WALLS! They have also built the stairs to the 2nd floor of the shelter, which will have isolation pens and dorm-style rooms for visiting vets & voluteers.
And the BEST News?!?! We now have electricity! It took Ceci's collaboration with the neighbors to make this happen, and it ended up costing us much less than we anticipated.
As you can imagine, our make-shift shelter is completely overrun with puppies!
We have started a new way of fundraising on RallyUp! You can donate concrete blocks, puppy pens, doors, windows, and more!
https://go.rallyup.com/islaanimalsshelterfunds
Our milestone goals are to have raised $10,000 each month by the 24th when PayPal Giving Fund sends us your donations. We were short for August, but we did make our goal in September! For October we were approx. $4,400 short of our goal and unfortunately we only have enough money to build until the beginning of December. Please help us reach our goal and continue building. We are so close to finishing!
Interested in your own company feature in Best Home?
Now scouting for companies that service the custom home market to feature in our next edition of Best Home Magazine.
We are looking far and wide to include product and installation excellence in this next edition that will be released in January and will run to June as a bi-annual publication.
At Best Home we delve a little deeper to showcase the talents of those participating partners—the craftsmen and suppliers whose quality products and precision installation create the extraordinary. Often visionaries themselves, their quality offering of products and services often include exciting innovations, expansions, and launches that warrant their own platform of exposure. Called "What's New & Different?", these full-page company features afford a prime opportunity to further identify styles and trends in the industry as an opinion leader, showcasing a broader range of what the company can offer the custom home market.
* Advertising is placed opposite the feature (ad size up to you) and is the only cost associated with this comprehensive exposure.
Please contact publisher Cindy Chobanik at (403) 714-0175 or cindy@besthomemagazine.com
Unique Paint Colours to Spruce Up Your Home
Mint green wall paint brings a refreshing and soothing ambiance to any space. Its soft, pale green hue combines the tranquillity of green with the crispness of white, creating a versatile and timeless colour that suits various design styles. Mint green evokes a sense of serenity and can make a room feel more spacious and airy. It also pairs well with different complementary colours, allowing for endless design possibilities. Whether used in bedrooms, bathrooms, or living areas, mint green adds a unique charm that sets it apart as a particular choice for interior decor.
Blue-grey wall paint is an excellent choice due to its captivating blend of two soothing and versatile colours. It combines the calming nature of blue with the neutrality of grey, resulting in a harmonious and tranquil atmosphere in any room. It has a timeless quality that can adapt to various design aesthetics, from coastal and rustic to modern and minimalist. Blue-grey can also change its appearance under different lighting conditions, shifting from a serene, cool tone in natural light to a warmer, cozier hue in artificial light. This adaptability and the serene, contemplative ambiance it imparts make blue-grey wall paint a distinctive and highly sought-after choice for interior decor.
Rosé pink wall paint brings warmth and elegance into interior spaces. This soft, muted pink hue carries a delicate and romantic undertone, creating a sense of intimacy and comfort in a room. Rosé pink is versatile, complementing a wide range of colour schemes and design styles, making it suitable for both traditional and contemporary settings. Whether used as an accent or for full wall coverage, rosé pink wall paint adds a unique and inviting character that will set your space apart.
Is a Home Feature in Your Future?
Now scouting for Custom Home features to appear in our next edition of Best Home Magazine.
We are looking far and wide to include design and construction excellence in this next edition that will be released in January and will run to June as a bi-annual publication.
If you are a homeowner with tremendous house pride or a custom home builder who has recently completed a new home or renovation that you would like to showcase, please contact publisher Cindy Chobanik at (403) 714-0175 or cindy@besthomemagazine.com
Best Breakfast Places in Calgary
BRO'KIN YOLK
Bro'Kin Yolk has been around since 2015 and is owned by two brothers, Jeff and Gil Carlos. It's a family-oriented place where people from different parts of the city convene and enjoy a meal. This restaurant is known for using free-range organic eggs rich in omega-3.
5691 Signal Hill Centre SW
1410 - 7 Mahogany Plaza SE
130-12580 Symons Valley Road. NW
Hutch Cafe
A contemporary, elegant eatery in the Eau Claire neighbourhood of downtown Calgary, Hutch Cafe offers French-inspired cuisine with a touch of homestyle cooking. It has a uniquely designed space and calm, creative atmosphere, making it perfect to enjoy a cup of coffee or unwind with friends and family over a delicious meal.
795, 1st ave SW
QUEENS BREAKFAST COCKTAILS
Queens offers an authentic breakfast experience in the heart of Green View, Calgary. Its menu is created from childhood memories reimagined to create an environment where family and friends can share new stories. Queens is also known for its luxurious space and generous portions.
3927 Edmonton Trail, Calgary
Calgary's Best Bagels
I Love You Coffee Shop
I Love You Coffee Shop is a unique coffee shop in Calgary's Beltline region. They are inspired by Japanese Jazz Bars and play vinyl albums all day.
348b 14 ave SW
Good Bread
Good Bread is a bakery in Southeast, Calgary. Their bagels are the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
8303 Fairmount Dr. SE
Wayne’s Bagels
Wayne's Bagels prides itself on delivering authentic Montreal-style bagels. Although considered pricey by some, it is praised for making some of the best bagels in Calgary. Wayne's Bagels has four locations:
510 77 Ave SE
1235 26 Ave SE
831 10th Ave SW
25 Greenbriar Dr NW
More Progress at Oasis Shelter Isla Animals
Before and now…
What's Happening now...
And in the middle of building a shelter, we are faced with never-ending puppies on the street and in the jungle. While we are OVERFULL with dogs and puppies, we cannot turn our backs. Check out these cuties that we rescued this past week:
What Oasis will mean for us...
Space to house a lot more dogs than in our current temporary space and even more than in Mundaca.
Spaying and neutering on site, bring our vets to do campaigns, and have stronger trap and release programs with proper areas for isolation. We can do these campaigns as often as we need to.
Areas to house the dogs according to their medical conditions and behavior.
Located in the midst of a much larger issue where stray dogs have absolutely no one to defend them.
Save tons of time and resources on transportation, logistics, and airport runs.
All of our supplies in one place, allowing us to act faster when emergencies arise, plus have the necessary space to deal with unexpected situations.
We will live on-site with the dogs, permitting us to better care for them.
Open and accessible for volunteers and visitors wanting to be part of or experience the rescue life in Mexico.
More outreach, keeping track of street dogs and trap and release programs.
But most importantly, we will OWN OUR SHELTER and no one or government can take it away from us again!
Isla Animals OASIS is not simply a relocation, it's more like a transformation. It's a massive step forward after being forced to take a few steps back, it's a standing reality of the love and passion we feel for the animals, and witness to how much we can improve the lives of dogs and cats in Mexico, where the situation is out of control.
Oasis is a future that we never dreamt of until we had to, and we then realized how much more we could be doing.
And everything is thanks to your trust, your kindness, and your love for the helpless animals.
Keep walking this road with us, we promise to make it worth it.
Our milestone goals are to have raised $10,000 each month by the 24th when PayPal Giving Fund sends us your donations. We were short for August, but we did make our goal in September! This will guarantee that the building process continues without stopping to re-focus on fundraising. Please help us reach our goals!
Featured in our Summer 2023 Issue: MARIE HEBSON'S InteriorsBYDESIGNinc.
This talented and innovative design firms transforms personal discovery into a visually compelling connection to home.
Our new Summer 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)
A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.
To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95
Get your issue today!
Happening in Calgary this week
The Calgary Fall Home Show is a vibrant marketplace where you can shop for home-related products and services, experience stunning displays to help inspire your next home project, connect with industry experts, and enjoy informative presentations from renowned local and international home professionals.
SEPT. 2 9- OCT. 1, 2023 @ BMO Centre, Stampede Park
Website
The Triwood Fall Market is back on Sunday, October 1st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Triwood Community Association. It promises a day of local vendors, delicious treats, and vibrant autumn vibes.
2244 Chicoutimi Drive NW, Calgary
Website
Featured in our Summer 2023 Issue: Section 23
The Rangeview Life
Calgary’s first garden-to-table community builds the many ways that life can bloom.
Our new Summer 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)
A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.
To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95
Get your issue today!
What's New & Different: VICOSTONE
Featured in our Summer 2023 Issue: Platinum Signature Homes
Platinum Gold
Platinum Signature Homes captures the quality distinction of stylish luxury from a very open perspective.
Our new Summer 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)
A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.
To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95
Get your issue today!