S2 Ep 6: Mabel's Misfits: The Pig That Started a Movement | Rebecca Lobb | Bench to Bold

It started with a phone call: a friend leaving town in 45 minutes with a pig she didn't know what to do with. Rebecca Lobb said yes — and that single moment became the spark for Mabel's Misfits, a Waxhaw, NC-based nonprofit built around the animals everyone else overlooks. In this episode of Bench to Bold, Marnie and Alisa sit down with Rebecca to hear the whole story: a summer spent building a hobbit house for two rescue pigs by hand, a wildflower seed campaign getting kids and families back into nature, Boy Scouts building bat boxes to replace mosquito spray, and a lifelong love of animals rooted in early mornings with her grandfather watching dragonflies hatch from Surrey ponds at 4am. Rebecca's vision for Mabel's Misfits goes far beyond rescue — it's about teaching empathy, rebuilding the human connection to nature, and proving that every misfit, animal or otherwise, is worthy of love.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00:46 — What Is Mabel's Misfits? 
00:02:54 — A Life Built Around Animals
00:05:27 — The Pig, the Pen, the Friends With Pallets
00:07:57 — From Mabel to a Full Menagerie
00:12:32 — Fundraising, the Seed Campaign & Becoming a Misfit Member  Rebecca's
00:17:14 — The Grandfather Who Woke Her Up at 4am to Watch Dragonflies Hatch 
00:21:06 — Bats, Bat Boxes & Why You Don't Need Mosquito Spray
00:25:53 — The Science of Animals and Healing
00:28:23 — Taking Animals Into Schools, Scout Groups & Churches
00:31:25 — Why the Overlooked Animals Need a Champion

ABOUT REBECCA LOBB & MABEL'S MISFITS:
Rebecca Lobb is the founder of Mabel's Misfits, a community-based nonprofit in Waxhaw, NC focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming the animals most people overlook — rabbits, reptiles, small animals, and the occasional pig. Originally from Surrey, England, Rebecca brings a deep background in wildlife conservation and a lifelong connection to nature to everything she builds. By day she runs a dog grooming business from home; by 5am she's feeding 23 chickens, two pigs, rabbits, and fish before anyone else is awake. Mabel's Misfits is built around three pillars: animal rescue and adoption, wildlife education for children and communities, and environmental stewardship through programs like the "It Started with a Seed" wildflower campaign. Rebecca volunteers alongside South Charlotte Dog Rescue and is actively partnering with local schools, Scout troops, and community organizations to bring hands-on animal education to the next generation. Follow Mabel's Misfits on Facebook and Instagram, or visit mabelsmisfits.com to donate, volunteer, or become a Misfit Member.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of Bench to Bold. I'm Marnie. And I'm Alisa. And today we are so excited because we have Rebecca joining us from Mabel's Misfits. Love the name. Rebecca, I love everything that you're doing. So thank you for joining us. And uh, we're so excited to have you share Mabel's Misfits with us.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Oh, yes, I'm like, I'm so excited to speak to you guys today. I've been looking forward to this all week. So I'm I can't wait to share my vision with you guys and all of my ideas and crazy stories.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Well, so tell us about so Mabel's Misfits. What is Mabel's Misfits?

SPEAKER_00 0:46

So basically, Mabel's Misfits is um a nonprofit that I started last year. It began with uh a pig that I rescued randomly. I wasn't intending on finding a pig. Um, but a friend of mine said, like, hey, I found a pig, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm going out of town in 45 minutes. Like, can you help me? And for whatever reason, I said, just bring it here, I'll figure it out. And that kind of was a catalyst or was the catalyst of everything that like transpired afterwards. Um, the whole I had already been thinking about doing a non-profit because I work so closely with animals and I help out with a lot of other rescues, like South Charlotte Dog Rescue, things like that. And I wanted to do something really for the animals that everybody forgets about, you know, like the reptiles, the small animals like rabbits, things like that. Animals that really just get overlooked. And when Mabel came into my life, it just it just all fit like it all fitted together. And we decided to call her Mabel because Mabel means worthy of love. And I didn't know that at the time. And as a joke, I kind of like threw it out there and I was like, well, maybe I'll call my nonprofit Mabel's Misfits. And then I was like, oh my gosh, you know, that works. All the all the misfits that are worthy of love. And so as it grew, it has become like a community-based nonprofit. So many people of all different ages and abilities are getting involved, and really all the misfits are getting together, and it's giving people purpose and getting them back into nature and back into working with animals and things. And I just love seeing the smiles that it's bringing to people's lives and faces, and and it all started with a pig, you know.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

But you've but you've always been an animal lover. I mean, I've only known you for you know a few months bringing Coco to get her groomed, and that you've always been a lover of animals, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Yeah, I've from a very, very young age um being with animals um and in nature has just brought so much comfort to me, especially like during like traumatic times. And I used nature and my love of animals really to get through those difficult moments in my life, and they brought me so much comfort. And over the years I've learned so much about nature, especially in the UK, and now I'm applying it to you know US nature, so that's like a big journey for me. But you know, just learning about animals and you know, whether they're tamed and you know, domestic animals or world, like I just I've always had a passion for it, and I want to be able to give other people that experience. I want other people to be able to heal from working with animals, volunteering with animals, caring for animals, and also caring for the environment.

SPEAKER_02 3:52

So, Mabel, all right, so your friend calls you. I'm fascinated because I feel like that could have been me. And your friend calls you, and so I'm it's very relatable. And they're like, I'm leaving in 45 minutes and I have a pig, and uh, probably like 120 pounds, maybe 200 pounds. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

So she was actually probably about this big, this big when when I took her. And you know, everyone said, like, she's a mini pig. There are no such things as mini pigs.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

No, no, I've my children have tried to convince me to get a mini pig. I'm like, yeah, that does that's an oxymoron.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

No, yeah, and it's so pigs actually keep growing up until the age of five. So they do most of their growing between one and three, but they keep growing until they're five, and they can live up to 20 years. And I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I, you know, took her on. I have, I mean, Chat GPT has been my friend. I have researched so much with her. Um, and yeah, I mean, she was this big, and now she's probably at least 200 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

And just okay, so your all right, so your friend calls, or like, hey Rebecca, um, I I have, you know, I'm going out of town. Can you come get this random pig that I found? And you're like, sure, I'll be right there. Like, I I I totally get it. By the way, like I am you, like we are, I I see you, like I get it. So then you get the pig, and then what? And then what happens? And it just, I mean, I I already had Did you stay inside? Does Mabel live in your own house?

SPEAKER_00 5:28

So um I already had a pen that I had been raising ducks in the year previous, and I hadn't torn it down yet. And so I kind of like put her in there. I called a called round to a few of my friends, and I was like, hey, I need to build a shelter for this pig. I need like pig food, like what do I do? All of a sudden I had four or five people bringing pallets, tarps, roofing, everything. We all kind of got together, created like this uh safe environment for her. And um that was it. And then eventually uh I got a call from another friend of mine who said, Hey, there's an there's a piglet that's being abused um at a public event. And I was like, oh gosh, there's another pig. Like, what am I gonna do? And after I kind of like saw everything that was going on with this other animal at this event, I went there and I got that pig. I managed to get this other piglet from this company that was running this event. And so I brought Henry home and um I put them together because pigs are social animals, they need a friend. And this had I'd had Mabel for a few months, so I now ended up with two pigs. Again, I was like, what the hell am I doing? I thought I'm absolutely crazy. Like there was there wasn't a hesitation in my mind. Like most people would hesitate and go, can I afford this? And I was like, I'm going to afford this, I'm gonna make it work. Well, fast forward a little, a little bit, um, I spent the whole of the summer last year building an actual hobbit house for the pigs and a brand new enclosure. I spent the entire summer building like a home out of um ancient techniques and stuff. And I literally have built them a hobbit house. So now they've moved in in there, they moved in their Christmas day. They have a huge enclosure that you know I built with my hands and a couple of friends of mine, and it's just been an adventure, honestly. Like it's been a crazy whirlwind of an adventure.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

That's fantastic. Well, you obviously have a very large heart to take in all the animals that need places. So, Mabel's Misfit. So you were grooming dogs, and you had an idea that you wanted to start a nonprofit. And so tell us about that. Like how suddenly you went from having Mabel and then Henry and then all the other animals that are in your menagerie.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

It's it's almost like it everything's just been, you know, it's meant to be pretty much. I, you know, my day job is I run a dog grooming business. Um, you know, so I'm grooming all day. I'm super, super busy. Um, too busy sometimes, but I work from home, so I'm able to kind of I say I'm able, I manage, you know, everything from home. I have my business going, I have all of the animals. I mean, I have right now I have 23 chickens, and uh nine of those are baby chicks that were surrendered to me. Um, I have like two rabbits, I have fish, all sorts of animals, but they all contribute to what I'm trying to do. So the rabbits, you know, even though I they're for, you know, they're for adoption and I'm looking for homes for them, um, and they, you know, they require medical needs and things. So of course, being a non-profit, I have to fundraise. So that's that's a second job in itself. Um, so I'm very, very busy. But, you know, the rabbits, like their um their waste contributes to the garden that I'm building, you know, because it's great fertilizer. The same thing with the pigs. Um, I'm just trying to really like make sure all of the animals play their part, you know, and they can. We can all we can all basically live in harmony together.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

So, all right, so tell us about a daily, and so when you're not grooming the dogs, you have these animals and you have to feed them. What is that? And are they are so is there like can you um asking for a friend? Hello, that friend is me, apparently. Um, do they need to have special zoning? Um, the pigs or the animals, or how do you how does that work out in your lifestyle?

SPEAKER_00 9:45

So you mean like residentially? Yeah. So I only have animals here that I'm allowed to have. Um the pigs aren't livestock, they're pets. Got it. You know, you know, they're rescues. Um the rabbits don't count, the chickens. Again, I have a permit to keep chickens anyway because I had chickens before. Um, so it all kind of blended in together. Eventually, I would love to be able to purchase a big piece of land and just preserve it, you know, for nature and wildlife and have a bigger facility. And, you know, this is like five, 10 years down the road, you know. I would love to have an education center there to teach people about wildlife, horticulture, caring for animals. You know, there are so many ways that this could go. Uh, but on a daily basis, I get up at the crack of dawn. Well, I try to. I get up, I let the dogs out, I feed them, and then it's like a whole rotation every day. I feed the chickens, the pigs, the rabbits, the fish, the dogs, the cat. And then probably about 15 minutes before I have to start work, I have a cup of coffee, I sit down for 30 seconds, and then I'm back at it downstairs working away with the dogs. And that's every day.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

But I love it. Yeah, that's beautiful. That's a I mean, that sounds really, I know it's exhausting and a lot. So hopefully we can get some people out there to contribute and to help you because that is uh it's a full-time job and you really are tethered to it. You can't leave because uh who how are who's gonna take care of the animals? So, what are they what uh do they have any unique um eating habits or what do you feed the what do you feed everybody?

SPEAKER_00 11:25

So every single animal has their own feed. Um, the chickens have their own feed and treats and whatnot, and the pigs and the rabbits. Luckily, those guys all um can eat like fresh produce. So I have a couple of people that bring me some fresh produce here and there. I always tell my clients, hey, if you're going away or if you've got you know your fridges overrun with vegetables and stuff, like bring it over, don't let it go to waste. You may not eat it, but the pigs will, the rabbits will, you know. We re we recycle everything here. Um, and again, I'm trying to form like this whole um concept of you know that animals can help contribute with their waste to fertilizing the gardens and things that I'm building. Um, so although like I spend a lot of money on feed, it definitely goes back into the whole project.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

That so, how do people find you, Rebecca? How would they what what kind of fundraising are you doing, or how do people know about your philanthropy so that they could contribute or get involved or donate? How do people uh get in touch with you?

SPEAKER_00 12:32

So, right now, obviously, it's very early on. Um, right now I I have a website going, I have um a donation link on there. Um currently I actually have a raffle because I'm trying to raise money so I can start a campaign called It Started With a Seed. And basically, I'm trying and I'm trying to implement this into schools, and I have some meetings coming up with some local um schools and uh school boards and things. Um I'm trying to get these seed packets of wildflowers um distributed into the community with schools, families, other um organizations, basically will raise money for my nonprofit. But when a person buys the seed packets, they'll have a unique uh QR code so they can become a misfit member because I want this to be about everybody, I want to incorporate everybody's ideas, I want everybody of any ability to be involved. So the idea is that once people start um purchasing the seed packets, they can become a Misfit member and I can help guide them on how to grow wildlife gardens in their own backyard. And it doesn't have to be big, it they can be potted potted wildlife areas, things like that. Every little bit that anyone can do will make a big difference because it's a collaboration of effort. Um, but I'm trying to raise money predominantly for my um feed campaign, uh, which will be uh basically a continuation of Mabel's Misfits mission. It's gonna help to raise um money for community uh cleanups, for animal rescue to help towards so many different things. Um, so right now, like that's the priority, and obviously just general, like genuine, um, sorry, general, like raising money to help feed the animals and to get them let their vet care needs, you know, like spaying rabbits, things like that. I mean, I have to do everything by the book, you know. Um, and I have to make sure that when I'm rehoming certain animals, like they're healthy, you know, they're health guaranteed, I've had them spayed and neutered, stuff like that. So it's an ongoing thing. Um fundraising, like I said, is a is a job in itself.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Well, there's so many guidelines. You know, it was like the other day when I called you about Bucky, the deer in my neighborhood, you know, asking if you knew anyone that could take Bucky to save his life because I'm so afraid that, you know, the neighbors or someone is going to, you know, kill Bucky or harm Bucky, or he's gonna get, you know, he doesn't venture, pretty much he doesn't venture out of the neighborhood toward the road, but or hit by a car or anything. And you know, you were so helpful to to let me know that some of those things you just can't do, you know.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

No, and and there are so it would be a felony. Right. There are so many regulations when it comes to wildlife in particular, you know, a lot of people don't realize that if you find um a feather that's from a bird of prey, for example, you can't pick it up and you can't take it home. Because if if anybody of you know, if the authorities found that feather in your home, I mean, you know, the ch the chances are unlikely, but you if they found that feather, you cannot um prove where you got that feather from. And birds of prey are protected federally, so there are so many regulations with things like that, and again, you you cannot um help and and save a wild animal without a wildlife rehabilitation license. Um, because domestic because basically animals become domesticated somewhat, and then they can't be put back out into the the wild, they're gonna struggle. So I again that's another part of my all you know, my nonprofit's mission is to educate people on the things you can and can't do. Um, but there are a lot of things that people can do, you know, when you find a wild animal, you just have to keep it warm, but you don't give it any food or water. Um, and you just have to find your closest wildlife rehabilitation um organization. Uh and they'll come, they'll help you. You just there are so many numbers out there, you just give them a call and they'll send you in the right direction.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

So, Rebecca, where did this love of be, you know, I now I I want to call you Mother Nature, where did this love of nature and wildlife and animals, obviously, you know, we love our pets and we're great pet owners, um, but have not taken it to the level that you have. But where did this love of nature and pets and and giving back, where did it, where did it come from?

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Again, it stems from a from a very young age. I probably say around the age, I don't know, maybe like four or five. And I can remember like certain things like back then. My grandfather was a massive influence in my life. As a child, he would take us um around my county of Surrey and we would work on pond conservation. My granddad would always have a book of wildlife in front of me. That's all I read as a kid. And he oh, you know, he would wake me up at four o'clock in the morning some days when I would stay with them, and we would go down to the pond that he had built, and we would watch dragonflies come out of the water, their nymph climb up a reed and hatch into a dragonfly, and we would spend hours, and you know, the sun, the sun was rising, and was we would see this dragonfly like turn into a this dragonfly nymph turn into this beautiful dragonfly, and and that just amazed me as a child. And he would teach me about um ponds and nature and just how you know we all rely on each other, every animal relies on each other, and there needs to be a balance in nature for all of us to thrive, not just animals, but us too. And I think he just like that was just ingrained in me from a young age, and I just found so much comfort being out in nature and seeing different birds and just making a difference. I just enjoyed it, it was peaceful, and and realistically, this was a time before we were glued to our phones too. And I spent a lot of time over the last few years, like being glued to my cell phone, you know, social media and things. I found when I returned back into nature and I started doing these things, like I felt so much better. I felt lighter, I felt like I was making a difference just on my own property. And then just like I said, like slowly people have become more involved and more interested. And I've just seen it like that the the passion and the the influence just grow, and it it is amazing. Like being out in nature is so so healthy for mental health, for the soul, just it it's invigorating.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

So I have to ask, because I mean I love nature too, but I literally can't stand the sight of a spider or snakes. Do you have that? I mean, are do you have the love for all animals? Are you talking talk a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 19:50

I mean, like, don't get don't get me wrong. I'm a little bit squirmy when it comes to certain bugs and and snakes. Yeah, I mean, I've I've had to learn to be brave around certain animals that I'm not accustomed to. Um, you know, again, moving from the UK to the States, I was not used to snakes. You, I've never I never saw a snake in the UK. Um, so I now I have a snake cook because I find snakes quite often. So I have to, you know, get them out of the chicken coop and stuff. I've I've got that down to an art, but you know, for sure. But it's taken, it's taken time. Um, but the thing is, I've I've come to learn, and again, this is something that I would love to teach other people, is that when you have the right balance in your backyard, nature takes care of itself. You know, when we're not using pesticides and we're encouraging animals like that and and you know, other pollinators and other insects into our backyard, nature kind of balances itself. You know, you by attracting insects into the yard, you attract birds. You know, when you have bird feeders, that attracts birds and they take care of the insects. And and bats, again, like bats can eat up to a thousand mosquitoes in one night. So, you know, we're spending a fortune on mosquito treatments that affect other insects and other animals and plants, you know, on our property and in the environment. But actually, just by encouraging bats and giving them a safe place to roost, basically, will help with the mosquito numbers. You don't have to pay, you know, they're free and you're helping you're helping an animal thrive. Um, so it's just about like, you know, finding the right balance. Obviously, there are some things that you know you can't you can't do without a little bit of intervention, but for the most part, like nature balances itself. And again, like with planting and things, like you can plant so many plants that will help the environment and help problem areas like bugs and things like that. That people dislike so much. Again, like I said, if you have the right balance, you don't see a problem since I've been building my wildlife god. And I'm giving the bugs places to go that are far away from the house. And I'm encouraging the birds and other animals to my property. And everything seems to be pretty, pretty balanced here.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

So can you send some bats over to my house? Because I don't live that far from you. And I have a ton of mosquitoes. I have a pool and I live on a golf course. And I'm allergic to mosquitoes. So I did not know that information about bats. Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to have uh have you send some bats over.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

And and actually, I um I've got the the local Boy Scout troop building bat houses for me. Um so again, I've I've been getting like Boy Scouts and things involved. Um, and they actually have come over here quite a few times to help with cleanups. They cleaned out the creek that runs through the property, they got all the trash out that's come down from town. Um, they've done a spectacular job. But they've been building owl boxes and bat boxes for me, and the hope is to continue to um fund that for them to do because it's an amazing project for them. It gets them their conservation badges, um, it gets them involved. But I would love to be able to distribute those to the community, you know. Like for example, you know, you have a mosquito problem. We could put a bat box up on a tree, you know, away from your property that will encourage bats to come and they'll start taking care of the bugs for you for sure.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

We have to wait till I move. The homeowners association would charge me $100 a day for the bat box. They charge me $100 a day when I put a damn wreath on my front door for Christmas before, yeah, a day before Thanksgiving. So yeah, we want to wait till I move, Rebecca, before we bring bat boxes to the trees.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

But I love the idea of you know, of everything, you know, it does with the it's a delicate balance. I mean, in life, finding the delicate balance is really where success happens and where you feel really, you know, uh healthy and good. But obviously, in in nature and uh, you know, and having nature around us, years ago, I was in the United Kingdom and I went to the new forest. Do you know?

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Have you ever heard my my parents actually live about 20 minutes from there now?

SPEAKER_02 24:27

And you know, a friend took me there, and as a horse person, it was an incre I mean, it was so they have horses, Alisa, that just roam around like it's you just wild. They're wild, they're wild horses, but you're in the city and there's just horses everywhere. And what what part of the UK is this? Uh in the It's in Hampshire. Yeah. Hampshire, New Forest. Two hours from London, I think, about two hours. Yeah. And it's called the New Forest. And it is uh it's magical because I love horses, but it's amazing because you're just they're just wild horses just walking through the streets and existing with uh with everybody. And I it it's uh it's something that I'm I would be curious to know like the people that live in that area, what their health is like and all those things, because I would imagine that their blood pressure and their anxiety and all the things that people have from like constantly, which I do too, you know, but now you're with nature and you just the horses are just white right behind you, and there is nothing better. I mean, as a horse person, I can say this, but like I love the smell of horses. Like, I don't some people don't like it. Like, I think the smell and them being right there. So it would be interesting to see like what the the statistics are on people's um health and wellness in that community where there's just wildlife just running around right next to you.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

Yeah, I mean it's scientifically proven that when you work with animals, it lowers your blood pressure and it lowers your anxiety. Being out in nature, and I don't know if necessarily you believe in the whole frequency, you know, concept that there are different like frequencies around us and things like that, but being out in nature, you're away from electrical equipment, which does affect us, and you're working with your hands and you're touching soil, and there is something so therapeutic about that. Um you know, just like with with horses, like there are certain like smells like farm smells, like or nature smells, like wet rain on on the grass, like it just kind of it just brings back these amazing memories, and um I don't know, it's just it's it's so therapeutic being outside.

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Well, they do a lot of you know work with autistic children with horses, they do.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

It's called hypotherapy. Yes, and yeah, and just because the gait of the horse matches sometimes if there's some uh dysregulation in in what they are. But you know, there's a whole thing called forest bathing. Like, I mean, the whole my parents used to spend a lot of time in in Wyoming, and whenever we would go there in the summers, uh it I could tell like the minute that we would cross over the mountain pass, it was like you just kind of exhale. Yeah, it's just amazing how it does that. And just seeing the mountains and seeing the nature and and being and then having young kids kind of go out there, yeah, it it really, it truly is. But the but the smells of it, the forest bathing, they they make uh sprays that are probably toxic, which I own, but whatever. But I like the idea that that you can that the smells do uh make you feel that you're out in nature and that you're uh surrounding yourself with things that are healthy and the plants and the mountains and the air. There's something so rehabilitating about it. And I know that um that there's programs that uh some places do, hospitals and and uh and for um people that are in the hospital to try to bring some nature to them because when you're in that sterile environment, you definitely have no access. Have you uh I I've been in hospitals where they would bring animals around. Can you bring um can you bring Mabel and Henry to hospitals and do pet therapy with them?

SPEAKER_00 28:23

Um I don't think I could do pet therapy with the pigs because I don't know how it would go getting a 200-pound sassy pig into the back of my car. Um and and Mabel, Mabel's a princess, like she's the queen, you know. She she you know controls everything here. And pigs are so like they're so talkative and intelligent. So when she's upset with something, you know about it. Um but the thing is, is like uh another idea I've had with my nonprofit is you know, I would love to take some of the very well-handled animals to schools, to um, you know, other places like other organizations where I can teach children in a calm, controlled environment how to handle animals, like what care these animals need, because that's another thing we find that kids, you know, for example, kids want a bunny, and a bunny could be a nine-year commitment. And bunnies actually are very they're very um time consuming. You know, they need cleaning, they need to have vaccinations, they need to have their nails clipped, you need to make sure they don't have ear infections, that their teeth aren't getting long. And you often find that these animals are with their own their new owner for like a year or two, and then it just becomes either too much work or the kids lose interest, or the kids are too rough, so the animals become scared, and then you can't handle them because now they've you know they've they've become fearful. And I would love to be able to go to schools or or um even churches or scout groups or um uh you know, Girl Scouts and things like that, and and teach kids and young adults too, how to handle animals properly and how to read animal body language and stuff. And I don't know if that's something that comes natural to me or if it's just a skill that I've developed over the years, but sometimes I feel like I understand animals better than I do people, and I've been like that my whole life.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

Some people are really intuitive just in general and can and have that uh that calling where they can certainly communicate with people, but animals definitely, and you know, I would think birthday parties, when my kids were growing up, we always had some sort of, you know, people, whether it was animal people bringing exotic animals, and but I would say birthday parties for kids is a great place to maybe think about, you know, they could hire you as an expert to come and talk about animal care and talk about rabbits and talk about the chickens, and kids would really enjoy it. And then that's a great way to raise awareness and and raise money too, because yeah, at kids' birthday parties, you're always looking for an activity. Right. Only have so many bounce houses where it's five names. Yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

And I and I feel like with that, you know, obviously there are a lot of mobile petting zoo companies out there, and you know, some of them are fantastic and some of them treat their animals wonderfully, you know. But I always feel almost bad for animals when they're in those kind of environments because there's a lot of screaming kids, there's a lot of um people handling the animals, there's no sanitation between handling different animals, you know. So there's cross-contamination possibly of diseases and and things like that that people don't think about. I would love to, instead of going and like having almost like a an event where I go to these parties and the kids are all excited about the animals and things like that, I would like them to be excited, of course. But I want it, I want to change the mentality of it. So it's more about education and kids learning and understanding how to be quiet around them, how to be calm, things like that. Because I mean, I don't know about you, but I've witnessed several um you know um zoo mobile petting zoos and things like in town events and stuff, and it's crazy. It's crazy. And the animals, a lot of those animals are they must be terrified. Um, and there's always a risk with kids holding the animals and handling them, the animals can get injured and things like that, you know. So I want to teach kids how to handle the animals properly. Um, and I I do feel like learning to care for animals and nature helps us to develop empathy. And I believe that starting, you know, with younger generations and teaching them how to care for other things, it helps them grow into caring adults. And really, that's what like one of the main things I want to implement. I want to teach people and teach young children how to care from an early age and be um empathetic towards others and have a genuine care for other people and other animals and the world around them. And I feel like by teaching children how to care from an early age, I feel like that's possible.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

So I know you have all these big plans for Mabel's misfits, but we have to transport them somehow. Is it in your plans to actually have a mobile um to be able to purchase a mobile um transport vehicle for these animals?

SPEAKER_00 34:00

For the animals, so I mean, obviously, I have my own personal vehicle that I can transfer animals. I mean, I'm not I don't intend on getting any or rescuing any very large animals like livestock. I'm really sticking to the smaller, the misfit animals, the animals that get overlooked, like dogs and cats, you know, they go to the they go to the shelters or animal control or different rescues pick them up. And a lot of people know where to adopt a cat or a dog from, you know, it's more accessible, but animals like rabbits, even rats, rats are fantastic. People don't like them, but they are phenomenal pets for younger children, you know, reptiles, guinea pigs, all those random misfit animals that people don't typically know where to get them from. So they put money into the wrong hands and they get exotic animals from unlicensed uh breeders and things like that. I want it, I want Mabel's Misfits to be a place that people think of like I'm gonna check with them first and see what they have for if I can get a pay. But also, as I do um rescue animals and the pay for adoption, I think it's a great opportunity for volunteers to experience what those, you know, for people that, for example, want to get a rat interested, or they don't even they don't even know about rats being good pets. I can educate them and I can show them like, hey, like the animal, would you like to hold it? Would you like to handle it, see what you think? You can see how smart they are and how to educate them, things like that, and give them that experience before they go ahead and adopt or purchase uh uh kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

I think that that sounds wonderful. Rebecca, thank you so much for sharing Mabel's misfits. I am definitely gonna take a trip out to be welcome in each other. You know, oh my gosh, I cannot wait. You know, yes. Every time I pull in the driveway, I'm like, oh, what can I see today?

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Yeah, there's always something new. There's always something new. Yeah, chickens running around. You see Henry, you see Mabel, you see the rabbit. Coco loves it. Yes, I think that that sounds uh I think that that sounds great.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

And I love your mission. And how again, how can people find you?

SPEAKER_00 36:27

Again, I have my own website. It's www.mablesmisfits.com. Really easy to remember. The website is is being built, but it is active, it is live. You know, they can contact me on there if anyone's interested in getting involved. Because again, I want this to be for everybody. I don't want it to be my nonprofit, I want it to be for everyone. I want every misfit. I don't, you know, I don't have any discrimination against abilities, gender, anything. I want everyone to be part of this and I want it to be inclusive. Um, so everyone feels like they have a purpose, and that's my biggest thing. I want people to feel like they have a purpose in taking care of the environment, taking care of nature, the world around them, and other people. So again, they can go on my website, they can contact me by email, um, they can go on Instagram or Facebook as well. We are actually having uh an event on Earth. Well, Waxall, it's a brand new park. They have a wildlife garden down there. Um and I'm gonna be set up on the 18th, which is next Saturday. Um, and I'm gonna be talking to everybody in the community. We're gonna have a rational to raise money where you can get a portrait, a professional portrait done with Mabel and Henry inside their hobby house. Um I'm gonna have lots of prizes, lots of games and things going on um between one and three in downtown Wackfield. Um, and we're just gonna have a lot of fun. So, again, you can come out and see me if you want to, come and chit-chat. I'm gonna probably take one of my chickens and maybe a bunny with me. I was thinking about Mabel, but she didn't seem too keen. Um so yeah, I'm gonna have a couple of animals with me and just some fun things, t-shirt sales, things like that, um, going on there for a couple of hours. And um, hopefully I get to meet a lot of people that are interested or or or to have no idea and maybe spark an interest or inspire somebody at that event. So feel free to come and see me then.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

That is wonderful. Well, thank you, Rebecca. Welcome in education. Thank you for joining us on Bench to Bold. I'm Marnie and I'm Alisa, and uh we'll see everybody back really soon.