Voyage Tampa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heydi Acuna.

Hi Heydi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started Mercy Full Project Animal rescue back in 2019, I’ve always dreamed to open my own organization to help animals in need in the community, also help families with their pets, and educate the youth about kindness and love for animals, the environment, and all people.

When I started this organization, my main goal was to alleviate the need, and thru my journey, I discovered that there are so many animals in need so I started meeting more and more people every day.

I always say I didn’t do this alone I met amazing families willing to foster and help me get all animals in need to heal for these animals to find their forever homes, and I met many volunteers who still nowadays help transport and fundraise for our goals.

I went from running this organization in my car to renting a storage unit to move kennels and donations to my house garage a house we rented specifically to grow MFP to our facility where we moved in February 2021 and where we are right now.

Our facility is where we host adoption and fundraiser events, we also host our animals that unfortunately don’t have a foster home and where we have all our supplies.

This organization has been the biggest accomplishment in my whole life and I can not wait for what the future has for us.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When something in life is good it’s definitely not easy to obtain. and everything can get accomplished with hard work. So no it has not been an easy journey but it sure has been a fun one.

I can go on for hours explaining the difficulties I had but it’s irrelevant because we overcome them together with my board of members, veterinarians, foster homes, and volunteers.

One thing I can say is it’s hard to say goodbye to animals I obtained when it was too late to rescue them and they died on me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work and live in animal rescue I am very passionate.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Just do it! Don’t be afraid to fall remember to always get back up.