Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Gunderson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Stacy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My husband and I took over an already established 501c3 Nonprofit that took in exotic animals that needed a home for a variety of reasons. These are exotic animals, not dogs and cats, or domestics. We needed all kinds of qualifications to do so, and met the requirements. So back in 2008 with 2 small children, we took over Animal Tracks from a friend of ours.
Our goal is to “edutain” people with our incredible Animal Ambassadors from all around the world! For us, it’s not about saving a species, but an ecosystem. If a monkey poops in your house, it’s disgusting, but if a monkey poops in a jungle and a dung beetle happens upon it, a tree can be born!
These animals shouldn’t live in our houses, we need to save wild spaces where they can roam free, but for those that get stuck in captivity, they should be loved. I believe you have to touch a human being’s heart to make them care, and these animals will definitely touch your heart!!!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It started out rough!!! We had 2 small children, 1 and 3 years old, and my husband worked in the movie industry and often had to leave for long periods of time. We were told it would be about $3000 to move the facility to our home in Agua Dulce, $40,000 later of our own personal funds, the move was made!
We virtually knew no one in the beginning, and had little to no help. When my husband would be off on a job it would be me and my 2 children. They would eat cheerios in a stroller while I fed and cleaned as fast as I possibly could. During their naps, I would go in and do paperwork that is always necessary for a young Nonprofit. It was incredibly exhausting that first year. The good news is, I don’t regret a single second of it!
Now, my children are 12 and 14 years old, and I have an army of incredible human beings that care for these animals daily, virtually for love. I myself work for free, we have 6 paid employees, and (pay might be too strong of a word!) as well as volunteers who bring in resources, friends and knowledge that we wouldn’t otherwise have.
One obstacle is that we cannot afford to advertise. We rely largely on word-of-mouth and social media, and we find it hard to get our followers to share us on their social media to help us get the word out. We also experience very slow times of the year where we have very few visitors, and being a 501(c)3 Nonprofit, we rely solely on donations, so it’s super important that we thrive so that we may continue to rescue animals that need us!
Aside from the challenges, I wake up excited to be a part of Animal Tracks everyday!
Animal Tracks – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
First of all, it is often assumed when you work with animals, it’s a hobby. But, it’s a specialized job. We are permitted by two different government agencies, California Fish and Wildlife as well as USDA, the APHIS Department. We have to prove that we have 10,000 hours experience with each species that lives here. I find it funny, that I can have as many children as I like, but can’t have a sugar glider without 10,000 hours proof.
We are a rescue for exotic animals, so unlike rescues that take in dogs and cats, we have to jump through a lot of political red tape, including the occasional bashing from Animal Rights Groups. What they don’t realize, is we are Animal Activists as well, out for the well-being of all species and their ecosystems.
We spend all day everyday with these amazing animals, and share them with the public. This is harder than it sounds, not because of the low pay, or the long hours, but because people see them, and think, if they bought a monkey online, it would be just like ours. What a misconception! All exotic animals bite. They don’t understand selfishness and confinement, or being ignored. Here at Animal Tracks, we spend approximately 10 to 12 hours a day, 365 days a year (they don’t take a day off, so neither do we!), taking care of them. That is the difference!
We are the only animal company in southern California that allows you close contact, especially with our primates! It is about teaching people what is offensive, and what is safe to do with a monkey. I can tell you that a human’s natural reaction are almost 100% completely offensive to a primate.
People think they’re going to come here to play with the monkeys, but it’s actually the other way around! If I had you on a leash and let strangers touch you all day long, it would lead to frustration and possibly anger, as human’s will always take liberties. But, if I had you on a leash, and let you choose what person you wanted to interact with, it would be a whole different day of fun! When a human being smiles, you are asking the monkey for a fight, so the very first thing we teach you is to “lip smack” – which is love in monkey speak… these are just a few of the things you will learn when you visit us here at Animal Tracks.
What sets us apart from others… we can show you naked bathing monkeys! Top that!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have proudest moments every single day! I love the quote “life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”. That happens here all the time! I like to live vicariously through other people’s happiness. I see people cry happy tears because they get to have a moment with an animal that they never dreamt they would or could!
My proudest moment to date, is watching Animal Tracks grow and thrive!
Pricing:
- Public Ranch Tour $35.00 per person by RSVP, Private Ranch Tour $100 per person by RSVP
- Public Monkey Experience (16 or older) $75.00 per person RSVP, Private Monkey Exp (16+) $100.00 per person
- Public Animal Adventure Combo (16+) $100.00 per person RSVP, Private Animal Adventure Combo (16+) $175.00 per person by RSVP
- Public Family Fun Kid’s Tour (geared to kids 5 and under) 2 and under is free, $20 for adults and $15 for kids by RSVP
Contact Info:
- Website: www.animaltracksinc.org
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @animaltracksinc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/animaltracksinc
- Yelp: Animal Tracks
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
