With the abundance of animal lovers that seem to populate Lakeside, newcomers Jeff McGaver and Steve Berg shouldn’t have any problem fitting in.
Last June, the couple moved to the area after selling their 100-year-old Wisconsin farmhouse, which housed a melange of homeless animals. At the height of their animal rescue project, they counted a total of 54, which included two horses, 11 goats, six alpacas, four miniature donkeys, a 350-pound Suffolk sheep named Joan and a dwarf pony named Cookie. Add to the mix a llama named Leonard, a blue-headed parrot named Indigo, an assortment of dogs and cats, and eight egg-laying hens all with their own names.
McGaver and Berg bought the farmhouse in 2008 for two reasons: their love of animals and their decision to buy alpacas. Back when Berg studied fiber and weaving at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, he thought about getting into the business of sheering alpacas and selling the fur for income.
“We hoped to sell enough of the fiber to buy our animal feed,” says Berg. “If we broke even, we’d be happy. Unfortunately, we made no money doing this and our rescue farm quickly shifted from a money-making venture with alpacas to a money-sucking labor of love.”
This, plus other factors, played into their decision to sell the farm. With just the two of them doing all the work, the Wisconsin winters were becoming more challenging, making it difficult for them to care for the animals. On top of that, the cost of vets and feed were weighing heavily on their budget. Plus, being in their 60s, they were starting to look at retirement.
“When the 2016 election hit,” says McGaver, “that put everything for us into warp speed.”
Berg adds: “We were thinking of retiring somewhere outside the country, even before Trump was elected. With the election outcome, we decided we’re not waiting five more years to retire. We’re getting out of the U.S. now.”
During an online search, McGaver discovered Ajijic from stumbling across ‘Jerry Brown Travels’ multiple YouTube videos, produced by Ajijic locals Jerry and Lori Brown.
Says McGaver: “We didn’t know anyone at Lakeside and had never been there, but were intrigued enough from Brown’s videos to book a six-day stay at a B&B in Ajijic. As we were driving into the village, it took us all of 12 minutes to decide that this was the place for us.”
The company that McGaver worked for had downsized, and in February 2017, the day they bought their plane tickets, his job was suddenly eliminated. Berg had already retired from the world of retail. While in Ajijic, they met with a realtor and viewed several homes.
“With all of our pets we knew that renting wasn’t going to be an option,” says McGaver.
Last June, they sold their farmhouse and packed up their Kia Sportage with all of their belongings, including five cats, two dogs and a parrot. Off they headed to Mexico to inhabit their new home in Riberas del Pilar, while Indigo sat between the two of them in the front seat in a hamster cage. Since their bird cage wouldn’t fit, a hamster cage would have to do.
“Indigo speaks ten words and can also do the ‘sexy’ whistle,” says McGaver. “Throughout our five-day journey, he was chatting and whistling away, keeping us entertained.”
Although they were well prepared with their paperwork for the border, they weren’t sure what was going to happen with their animals, so they hired a driver to meet them at Laredo to escort them into Mexico.
After a successful crossing, they were four hours into Mexico when they pulled into a gas station.
“We spotted a young girl feeding a skeleton of a puppy food scraps,” says McGaver. “She saw us and asked if we could take the puppy. I looked at Steve, picked up the skinny little mutt and, even though Steve had emphasized no more animals, he said, “Let’s take her.” Frida is now a healthy puppy who eats everything in sight, including the furniture.”
McGaver and Berg bought their house because of the animals.
“We had to think about what was going to work best for them,” says McGaver. “Our house is open, with plenty of space. Even though we don’t have a grassy yard, we’re always walking the dogs through the neighborhood.”
Now that the dust has settled from their renovation projects, they’re ready to give volunteer time to the Lakeside animals, wherever their help is most needed.
“We’ve toured The Ranch, one of Lakeside’s dog rescue centers, and plan to be be volunteer dog-walkers,” says McGaver. “We’ve also been asked to volunteer at Operación Amor, the local spay/neuter clinic, so we’ll start giving our time there. Because we feel passionate about animal welfare, we want to help out where we can and make a difference in our community.”