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  • - [Female Speaker] One core trait in every dog is

  • its ever-forgiving nature.

  • That's probably the most valuable thing in a dog

  • and it's also its biggest pitfall because

  • we have dogs here who've been horribly hurt by

  • human beings and yet all they want to do

  • is find somebody else to love.

  • (upbeat music)

  • - [Narrator] Around the world strays, mutts

  • and street dogs are victims of stigma.

  • In Costa Rica, Lya Battle is trying to change that story.

  • She runs the Territorio de Zaguates

  • It's a lush haven for stray dogs to either be

  • adopted or live out the rest of their days.

  • - Territorio de Zaguates stands for land of the mutts.

  • My name's Lya Battle, better known as crazy dog lady,

  • I guess.

  • I started Territorio de Zaguates partly because

  • I've always loved animals, all animals.

  • But it wasn't in my plans, it wasn't like I set out

  • to do this.

  • The need for this, I think all over the world is

  • because there's a huge stigma around a dog

  • that doesn't have a breed.

  • They'll let mutts wander on the streets

  • or they'll actually toss them on the streets

  • because they're not breed dogs.

  • The solution isn't euthanizing a dog.

  • The solution is make sure it's not born in the first place.

  • Once it's here, do something good for it.

  • Find a home or if not at least offer him a place

  • where he can be in peace and happy.

  • - [Narrator] Keeping Territorio up and running

  • is no easy feat.

  • They eat $500 a day in food alone.

  • Lya has to work a full time job to keep all the dogs

  • fed and healthy.

  • - Territorio stays about partly through miracles,

  • I think.

  • Keeping this afloat is a huge task.

  • It's a labor of love.

  • You can't pay someone to care for an animal, truly,

  • to remember their names, to be gentle to them.

  • - [Narrator] While this place is a dog heaven, nothing

  • beats getting adopted by a loving family.

  • - [Lya] I say it's like kids at Kindergarten.

  • They love their friends at school, but oh,

  • they all want to go home to Mom and Dad.

  • (upbeat music) (barking)

- [Female Speaker] One core trait in every dog is

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