TRUE NORTH: Running with the Big Dogs
Loíza, Puerto Rico | Series
Documentary, Biography
Adri found her True North, her purpose, healing and finding homes for stray and often abused dogs living on the streets of Puerto Rico. Please help us complete our episode about her work so she can rescue more dogs, grow her organization, and inspire more people to find their own True North.
TRUE NORTH: Running with the Big Dogs
Loíza, Puerto Rico | Series
Documentary, Biography

1 Campaigns | Maryland, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,850 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
29 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Adri found her True North, her purpose, healing and finding homes for stray and often abused dogs living on the streets of Puerto Rico. Please help us complete our episode about her work so she can rescue more dogs, grow her organization, and inspire more people to find their own True North.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
My name is Adri Galler-Lastra. Over 20 years ago, when my mom died of a stroke, I was left with a huge empty hole in my heart. To fill the void, I started rescuing stray and abused dogs in my home in Puerto Rico. The island was overrun with strays who were being mistreated and suffering from lack of care. I couldn't stand to see that neglect any longer.
In the years since my extraordinary team of volunteers has helped me rescue thousands of dogs and find loving homes for them in Puerto Rico and across the U.S. It has been a privilege for me to do the work I do everyday to see these sweet creatures homed and healthy at last. We have built a wonderful community of supportive dog lovers in Loiza and created a "free range" dog shelter right in the city that allows most of our pups to walk freely and socialize with each other.
Recently, Filmmaker Suzie Galler brought her documentary film crew to Puerto Rico to film my story for her new series called True North: Honest Stories of Finding Home about people like me who have found their passion and purpose in life, their True North.
Please join our campaign to raise the funds to finish my episode of True North so we can spread the word about the important work we're doing and help more dogs find the loving homes they deserve.
Your tax deductible contribution will help us sustain and grow our operation and spread the love that Amigos de los Animales has been bringing to pets and their new families for years. And hopefully, we can inspire others to find their True North at the same time!
Once our episode is complete, the True North series of three unique stories will be shared with streaming platforms and distributors and across social media so we can begin to show others how important it is to find their sense of belonging and purpose. Your support of my story, as well as the True North concept, can have impacts far greater than any of us can imagine. Wouldn't it feel great to know that, not only did you help our pups find a place to call home, but you also helped other good humans find the place that makes them feel like they have finally found themselves?
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $9,000
Our beautiful footage will be woven into an inspiring tail - er - tale by our ace editor, the best in show in visual storytelling!
Audio Mix
Costs $2,000
When our story is wrapped in the sounds of pups playing in the PR surf and the island's salsa music we'll all be begging for more!
Color Correction
Costs $800
Our team of highly trained pros know all the tricks to balancing color for the highest quality - and these guys don't mess around.
PR and Social Media Campaign
Costs $1,500
Once this episode is complete, we'll put our best paws forward with a viral campaign that's sure to fetch the love our show deserves!
About This Team
Our True North Team is dedicated to bringing authentic stories that inspire audiences to find themselves and their place of belonging - wherever that may be. Adri's story is one of many more we hope will motivate you to seek your purpose and the place you can call home.
Adri was born in Baltimore, Md and raised there till she was 19 when she moved to be with her mom in Puerto Rico. She lives in Piñones where she converted her home to what is now the Piñones Beach Project Shelter of Amigos de los Animales. After receiving a BA in Music Education from the Interamerican University in San German, Puerto Rico, she went to Los Angeles, Ca to pursue her career as a bassist.
Suzie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who found her True North working in production, marketing, and communications. She began her career working for the major television networks and Disney Studios and subsequently ran two production companies where she produced television specials and on-air ad campaigns for CBS, NBC, Lifetime TV, and many other broadcast outlets. She was commissioned by CBS to produce her first documentary, More Loverly Than Ever: The Making and Restoration of My Fair Lady, and went on to produce a number of biopics before producing two independent documentaries on gender issues: I Am Beautiful and I Am My Mother’s Daughter, which both won critical acclaim. In recent years, she has put her production skills to work for the International Development community, producing videos, events, and publications for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Seth Brown is a director and editor, focused on stories of empowerment and adventure. Led by a curiosity to discover and translate the abstract and often vulnerable reasons why humans do what they do, his storytelling style has won short and long form accolades as well as marketing innovation awards. His most memorable projects have been traveling the country in rebuilt bus, helping launch GoPro’s ‘GoPro for a Cause’ platform, and living in Cuba to capture their underground story of surf.
Abigail is a community organizer and filmmaker who believes that media is an important way to make your voice be heard and spread awareness about the topics about which you are passionate. She studied Government & Politics, Theater, Arabic, and International Development & Conflict Management. In 2017, she won Second Place in the C-SPAN StudentCam Competition for her short documentary, The Crisis and the Fear.
Adam Heyes is a multidisciplinary creative and business developer, working primarily with filmmakers, artists, authors, transformational teachers, and non-profit organizations. Adam has worked with From the Heart Productions for over a decade, helping the organization and its clients with pitch decks, design, editing, film and event production, website development, marketing, course design, and fundraising. He worked extensively with two award-winning From the Heart documentaries, Ground Operations about sustainable farming for veterans, and Take Back Your Power about the dangers of smart meters. Adam graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA’s Honors Program with a degree in Psychology, and holds a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He also runs a thriving heart-centered counseling practice in Seattle.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
My name is Adri Galler-Lastra. Over 20 years ago, when my mom died of a stroke, I was left with a huge empty hole in my heart. To fill the void, I started rescuing stray and abused dogs in my home in Puerto Rico. The island was overrun with strays who were being mistreated and suffering from lack of care. I couldn't stand to see that neglect any longer.
In the years since my extraordinary team of volunteers has helped me rescue thousands of dogs and find loving homes for them in Puerto Rico and across the U.S. It has been a privilege for me to do the work I do everyday to see these sweet creatures homed and healthy at last. We have built a wonderful community of supportive dog lovers in Loiza and created a "free range" dog shelter right in the city that allows most of our pups to walk freely and socialize with each other.
Recently, Filmmaker Suzie Galler brought her documentary film crew to Puerto Rico to film my story for her new series called True North: Honest Stories of Finding Home about people like me who have found their passion and purpose in life, their True North.
Please join our campaign to raise the funds to finish my episode of True North so we can spread the word about the important work we're doing and help more dogs find the loving homes they deserve.
Your tax deductible contribution will help us sustain and grow our operation and spread the love that Amigos de los Animales has been bringing to pets and their new families for years. And hopefully, we can inspire others to find their True North at the same time!
Once our episode is complete, the True North series of three unique stories will be shared with streaming platforms and distributors and across social media so we can begin to show others how important it is to find their sense of belonging and purpose. Your support of my story, as well as the True North concept, can have impacts far greater than any of us can imagine. Wouldn't it feel great to know that, not only did you help our pups find a place to call home, but you also helped other good humans find the place that makes them feel like they have finally found themselves?
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $9,000
Our beautiful footage will be woven into an inspiring tail - er - tale by our ace editor, the best in show in visual storytelling!
Audio Mix
Costs $2,000
When our story is wrapped in the sounds of pups playing in the PR surf and the island's salsa music we'll all be begging for more!
Color Correction
Costs $800
Our team of highly trained pros know all the tricks to balancing color for the highest quality - and these guys don't mess around.
PR and Social Media Campaign
Costs $1,500
Once this episode is complete, we'll put our best paws forward with a viral campaign that's sure to fetch the love our show deserves!
About This Team
Our True North Team is dedicated to bringing authentic stories that inspire audiences to find themselves and their place of belonging - wherever that may be. Adri's story is one of many more we hope will motivate you to seek your purpose and the place you can call home.
Adri was born in Baltimore, Md and raised there till she was 19 when she moved to be with her mom in Puerto Rico. She lives in Piñones where she converted her home to what is now the Piñones Beach Project Shelter of Amigos de los Animales. After receiving a BA in Music Education from the Interamerican University in San German, Puerto Rico, she went to Los Angeles, Ca to pursue her career as a bassist.
Suzie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who found her True North working in production, marketing, and communications. She began her career working for the major television networks and Disney Studios and subsequently ran two production companies where she produced television specials and on-air ad campaigns for CBS, NBC, Lifetime TV, and many other broadcast outlets. She was commissioned by CBS to produce her first documentary, More Loverly Than Ever: The Making and Restoration of My Fair Lady, and went on to produce a number of biopics before producing two independent documentaries on gender issues: I Am Beautiful and I Am My Mother’s Daughter, which both won critical acclaim. In recent years, she has put her production skills to work for the International Development community, producing videos, events, and publications for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Seth Brown is a director and editor, focused on stories of empowerment and adventure. Led by a curiosity to discover and translate the abstract and often vulnerable reasons why humans do what they do, his storytelling style has won short and long form accolades as well as marketing innovation awards. His most memorable projects have been traveling the country in rebuilt bus, helping launch GoPro’s ‘GoPro for a Cause’ platform, and living in Cuba to capture their underground story of surf.
Abigail is a community organizer and filmmaker who believes that media is an important way to make your voice be heard and spread awareness about the topics about which you are passionate. She studied Government & Politics, Theater, Arabic, and International Development & Conflict Management. In 2017, she won Second Place in the C-SPAN StudentCam Competition for her short documentary, The Crisis and the Fear.
Adam Heyes is a multidisciplinary creative and business developer, working primarily with filmmakers, artists, authors, transformational teachers, and non-profit organizations. Adam has worked with From the Heart Productions for over a decade, helping the organization and its clients with pitch decks, design, editing, film and event production, website development, marketing, course design, and fundraising. He worked extensively with two award-winning From the Heart documentaries, Ground Operations about sustainable farming for veterans, and Take Back Your Power about the dangers of smart meters. Adam graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA’s Honors Program with a degree in Psychology, and holds a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He also runs a thriving heart-centered counseling practice in Seattle.