Adopting two stray puppies you have never met from a tropical island on the other side of the world sounds like a bit of a gamble — but for Mary Stinson, it's been worth it.
On a crisp winter day in the US state of Kansas, she's watching the adorable, floppy-eared additions to her family get their first taste of snow.
The rescue dogs, Raya and Kygo, travelled more than 20 hours on a private charter flight to their new home in Wichita.
Despite the drastic change in climate, the dogs don't seem at all bothered by the cold – they're running around chasing each other and barking happily.
"They're the best," Ms Stinson says, clearly smitten.
It's a happy scene. But not long ago, Raya and Kygo's lives looked very different.
Small island, big problem
Some 11,000 kilometres away, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a growing population of stray dogs is overwhelming the tiny island of Guam.
To locals, they're known as "boonies" — a word also used to describe Guam's thick tropical jungle, where many of the dogs hide out.
Guam veterinarian Dr Mariana Turner said boonies have become a huge problem on the island.
"These dogs, they're not only a nuisance, but they're also a danger to the public sometimes because some of them are getting aggressive," she said.
"It's also an issue for the animals too, because they do get hit by cars. And they're subject to all the diseases that they can get just from being strays."
Dr Turner said the problem had arisen from a combination of unique factors.
For one, Guam is small.
On an island just 500 square kilometres in size, there are believed to be up to 30,000 stray dogs, according to a 2014 survey by Human Society International.
"We estimate the numbers have really only gone up from there," Dr Turner said.
Historically, Guam has not had a dedicated, low-cost animal desexing service, leaving an enormous task to a small handful of overworked local vets.
Without reproductive control, both stray and owned dogs can breed prolifically.
There's also just one animal shelter on the entire island that can house up to 100 dogs at a time, so getting stray dogs off the streets is difficult.
And then there's the military.
Guam is home to two major US defence bases, and when military personnel move to the island, they often bring their pets with them.
The trouble is, when families leave, the only commercial airline flying out of Guam will not transport pets.
"Unfortunately, sometimes they have to leave their animals behind," Dr Turner said.
"Some of those animals get dumped as well."
A huge logistical task
Fed up with the stray dog problem, Guam locals began looking for their own solutions.
And in April last year, COVID-19 presented a perfect opportunity.
"Everybody [in the US] got bored and adopted a puppy," Lauren Cabrera, co-founder of Boonie Flight Project, said.
"Suddenly, people couldn't find puppies to adopt."
Ms Cabrera was fostering two stray boonies at the time because there was no space left at the island's animal shelter.
"I was like, 'maybe somebody stateside [mainland US] will take the dogs'," she said.
As it turns out, there was enormous demand.
"Since then, we've shipped 400 dogs to over 25 states," Ms Cabrera said.
"We pick them up off the street and from the shelter, we get them healthy. We get to know them and we find their home stateside."
Social media has helped the organisation gain attention.
A recent TikTok video showing a dog being rescued after a jar was caught on its head was viewed nearly 15 million times.
"This has helped get a lot of people interested in adopting," Ms Cabrera said.
It's a huge logistical task for the not-for-profit organisation.
Because Guam's commercial airline won't transport animals, Boonie Flight Project hires a private aeroplane to fly the dogs to their new homes.
"We pack it to the brim with dogs and send it stateside," Ms Cabrera said.
The dogs often have short stopovers before reaching their final destination, so they also need to be linked up with foster carers in various cities around the US.
That's where people like Kansas resident Mary Stinson come in.
Since adopting two puppies in April last year, she's been volunteering with Boonie Flight Project.
"I'm basically now taking care of most things that can be done, not on island," she said.
Street dogs or super mutts?
Ms Stinson is an effusive advocate for boonies.
"They're honestly the best dogs," she said.
Referred to as the "super mutts of Guam", boonies come in all shapes and sizes – an eclectic mix of breeds brought in from all over the world.
But some of Guam's street dogs are violent and dangerous, according to Dr Mariana Turner, who has been working on local initiatives to control the population.
She said there have been cases of stray dogs chasing children on their way to school and attacking people who venture into the jungle to catch pigs.
"The packs of dogs will sometimes gang up on the hunters," Dr Turner said.
To make sure they're safe for adoption, puppies rescued by Boonie Flight Project undergo rigorous checks.
Ms Cabrera said they were "very picky" about the dogs they take.
"We require that they are mostly housebroken, that they're good with kids, they're good with other dogs," she said.
Dr Turner is confident in the organisation's safety controls.
"A lot of the animals that they're adopting out in the States are actually still puppies, and so it's a great opportunity to still socialise them and get them into homes," she said.
"Those animals have been temperament tested and make sure they are appropriate for an adoption type scenario."
Ms Stinson said her boonies Raya and Kygo couldn't be a better fit for her family, which is about to expand with a baby on the way.
"The dogs, they're super kid-friendly, they're very cuddly," she said.
And her advice to potential boonie adopters?
"Take the leap because it's really the most rewarding thing."
