Meet Alli and Nick (@alli_jaeger). They’re on a multi-month road trip through Central and South America, but their goals are bigger than surfing great waves and camping on the beach: They’re rescuing street dogs in need, fostering them in their truck camper, and finding them new forever homes. Wilderdog is helping them out by providing all the gear they need for the dogs and donating $200 toward each animal’s travel expenses to get to their adoptive families.
The street dog who started it all
Last year Alli and Nick drove an Astro Van to Costa Rica and back with their senior rescue dog, Timmy. A few weeks into their trip they stopped in a fishing village. “Our only intention was to pull over and sleep for the night,” Alli says. “We were completely unaware our lives were about to change.” When a street dog started following them around, they promised not to get attached. “Don’t name her,” Nick implored, simply calling the dog Ella. But in the middle of the night they woke to see Ella in a mismatched fight with three unfamiliar males. After fending off the other dogs, Alli and Nick let her inside their van. They decided to then name her Ola.
The next morning a local fisherman invited the couple out in his boat. Ola tried to follow. When the fisherman said their dog could come too, Alli explained she didn’t belong to them. His reply was simple: “Sure looks like your dog.” Later, when Alli and Nick drove away with Ola—telling themselves it was just to get veterinary care—a group of villagers cheered them on.
Over the next weeks Ola joined Alli, Nick, and Timmy on the rest of their adventure. “Rescuing Ola gave the trip more purpose,” Nick said while reminiscing over their favorite memories. “It wouldn’t have meant so much without her,” Alli agreed. When they came back to the United States, Ola found a forever home all her own. It was hard to let her go—but her adoption allowed Alli and Nick to focus on Timmy at the end of his life. He passed away from a brain tumor in June. “It was like what do we do with our lives now?” Alli recalls.
Expedition Ola:
Alli and Nick have just embarked on their second camper trip through Central and South America, this time with a mission to save as many dogs as possible, calling the journey “Expedition Ola” in honor of the first street dog who stole their hearts.
“We’re not after every dog,” Alli explains, acknowledging many street dogs are fine where they are. (Getting stuck in a shelter wouldn’t be any better than their natural environment.) “We’re after two kinds: the ones that need help, and the ones that want help.”
This is an important point. In different countries and cultures, “domestic dogs” live differently than how we’re used to seeing them in the US. Many are free-ranging village or pariah dogs who, according to Harvard University’s Canine Brains Project, survive on human scraps. These animals evolved to live on the edge of our ancestors’ settlements. They’re often fed by locals, have established territories, and love the ability to roam!
Alli and Nick’s mission is not to mess with the status quo in other countries. They’re specifically looking for dogs who aren’t doing well on the street—whether because of limited resources, too much competition between animals, or personality mismatches that make some dogs better suited to a companion pet lifestyle.
What happens when Alli and Nick rescue a dog
First they try to earn their trust. Sometimes the couple spends hours sitting in the same spot waiting for a nervous street dog to warm up to them.
If they’re in a neighborhood, they ask nearby houses if the dog in question belongs to anyone. They flag down passing cars, too: “We never want to take somebody else’s pet,” Alli says about a common misconception with firsthand rescue efforts.
Then they take the dog for veterinary care. This includes routine procedures you’d expect from a typical brick-and-mortar animal shelter: Spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and a general wellness check. If the dog has more severe injuries—like Cali, who we’ll meet in the next section—they cover those costs as well.
Each rescued dog becomes part of the family
Next is a decompression period. Many organizations rescue dogs—even specifically street dogs—but many of them also funnel those animals into larger shelters. Instead of handing their rescues off to a larger organization, Alli and Nick take full responsibility for them. “They live in our rig with us, go on all our adventures, we cover their medical needs—it’s this long-term foster experience where we really get to know their personalities,” Alli says.
“Shelters are so important,” Nick says. “How can we help the homeless dog epidemic without draining their resources?”
Alli and Nick’s ideal timeline would be to have each dog for a couple of weeks. This serves two important purposes:
- It gives the animals time to settle into their new situation. Going from life on the street to life as an American pet can be a lot for even the most adaptable dogs. By easing into it on the road, Alli says “the dogs become more adventurous and resilient.” Former street dogs enjoy plenty of freedom in the transition as they create a strong social relationship built on mutual trust.
- This foster arrangement allows Expedition Ola to provide potential adopters with a clear idea of each rescue dog’s personality. Alli and Nick learn their pups’ quirks, preferences, and any special needs. This way they can find families who are the perfect fit—and ensure that their street dog’s next home is their forever home.
They keep the adoption process simple
Once an Expedition Ola dog is ready for adoption, Alli and Nick utilize their online network. “We always start by asking potential adopters to tell us about themselves,” Ali says. “Then we’ll tell them more about the dog if it seems like a fit.”
Alli and Nick have full control over who adopts their dogs. Because they fall in love with each rescue, it’s a personal decision. “People see the dogs on our stories and posts, so they get a sense of who they are and what they’re into. We want to find the right fit, and we also want it to be super easy and accessible, because the easier it is to get dogs adopted the more we can help others in need.”
In an increasingly difficult rescue world—many shelters require fenced-in yards, stay-at-home workers, and more—Expedition Ola’s focus on the individual is refreshing. They work with adopters to set a donation fee that works for everyone, balancing adoption accessibility with the need for support of their ongoing mission and transportation costs. “No matter where you are in the country, we’re going to help you get this dog,” Alli says.
Meet Cali, Expedition Ola’s first rescue
Less than two miles after Alli and Nick crossed the border from California to Mexico this month, they came upon a few street dogs. At first they just planned to feed them. They quickly realized the situation was more dire. “Cali might have actually died with the state of her elbow infection and malnourishment,” Nick says, recounting how worried they were when they saw the blood on her frame.
As the pair talks, Cali herself leans into the video. Her eyes are soft, her body relaxed. She nuzzles Alli’s face with a few gentle licks—it’s like she knows we’re talking about her. It’s like she’s eager to show she’s okay now.
“She was so hurt and rigid and scared,” Alli says. They were compelled to help her, and they knew veterinary care was the top priority. “As soon as we finally got her into the truck bed, she just went face down and didn’t move at all,” Nick remembers. I have a hard time believing the dog I’m seeing on the screen is the same poor creature they’re describing—but that’s the magic of rescue, nourishment, love, and patience.
After being treated for her wounds, Cali quickly relaxed into her new home. While she’s wary of new dogs—she’s suffered through questionable interactions on the street—she successfully lives with two new four-legged additions in Expedition Ola’s rig. (Her foster siblings, Cowboy and Luna, also appear from time to time as we chat.) Within a week she started creeping out of her shell, and she only gets more comfortable.
The best news? Cali already has a forever home lined up! Alli and Nick are so thankful for the online community who helped them spread the word.
What’s next for Alli, Nick, Cali, and the rest of the dogs
“Coming to Baja for the winter is a sort of trial run,” Alli says. “We’re working out the kinks,” agrees Nick. How can they optimize their rescue process? Will the dogs get adopted as quickly as they hope? Can they sustain this lifestyle long term?
Alli says her ultimate dream is to drive all the way to Patagonia rescuing dogs. This combines her and Nick’s love of travel with their passion for animal welfare. What better way to spend their time?
In the immediate future, Expedition Ola is focused on transportation for their current adoptable dogs. They hoped Cali would be able to fly to her new home in the United States—but she’s still recovering from her injuries, so an airline health check isn’t possible right now. They plan to gather a few more pups in need before driving back over the border to arrange transportation that way.
As we spoke, I was struck by both Alli and Nick’s openness. Huge grins rarely left their faces. Even when talking about struggles—airline fees, long-term planning, remembering a particularly harrowing experience they had crossing the Nicaragua border last year—they remain enthusiastic. And they remain focused on the dogs.
“We knew our mission wasn’t going to be easy, but that doesn’t help make it any less heartbreaking,” writes Alli in one of Expedition Ola’s first official Instagram posts. “This is what we came here to do and it’s only just the beginning.”
How Wilderdog is supporting Expedition Ola
Wilderdog has outfitted Alli and Nick’s truck camper with everything a dog could need: collars, leashes, food storage bags, dog beds, and more. They’re also donating $200 toward each dog’s travel expenses to help get them to their new forever homes.
“They went off our word and dreams and mission before Expedition Ola even really existed,” Alli says. “For someone to support you when you’re big is one thing. When you’re small like us, it’s another. It means so much.”
The couple says the gear is perfect for their adventurous lifestyle, too. It’s important to get street dogs—many of whom have never so much as seen a leash—used to things like wearing a collar and walking with their person. Simple accessories like bandanas serve a purpose too. “Making the dogs extra cute helps them look more adoptable!”
How can you help dogs like Ola and Cali?
Spread the word
“Right now the best way to help us is to share the dogs’ stories,” Alli says. “The more people see it, the more dogs get adopted.” And that means the more dogs Expedition Ola is able to help.
“We also want to stop the stigma that rescue dogs are somehow ‘bad,’” she adds. “Rescue dogs can be so loyal. Street dogs have already seen and done so much, we find them less fazed by things. They just want to find comfort.” This balance of respecting who each dog is—honoring their individual personalities and tendencies—while refusing to box them into a single label is core to Expedition Ola’s mission. Plus rescue dogs aren’t just bully mixes and scraggly primitive breeds, Alli emphasizes. “If people look at the first three rescue dogs of our mission so far, they’ll see there are the cute fluffy and scruffy kinds too!”
Donate to the mission
Expedition Ola also accepts donations. You can specify what you’d like to cover (for example, an individual dog’s medical bills) if you have a particular area of passion. “We’re doing this because we enjoy it,” Alli says. “We’re happy to put our effort into this, and other people’s support can help us take that further.”
“We have limited resources,” Nick adds, recognizing how expensive it is to pay for medical care and transportation to the United States. “But we do have the time and energy.” If you don’t have the time and energy—most of us aren’t able to hop in our own vehicles and drive down to Mexico tomorrow, after all—but do have some resources to spare, together we can make a bigger impact. The simplest way to donate is through venmo.com/u/expeditionola.
Where to follow along
- Instagram: @alli_jaeger and @expedition.ola
- Tik Tok: @allijaeger
