Meet Nicole Navarro

We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Navarro recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Growing up on a thirty-acre horse farm in Western Pennsylvania, I learned to appreciate and respect animals, both wild and domestic from a very early age. My surroundings and environment nurtured that love and I was encouraged to explore the woods surrounding the farm and local parks.

Although life sent me in a different direction, away from animals, for years, it all came full circle when I found the opportunity to volunteer at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm in Key West, Florida in 2017.

It is there that I met two foxes, Lana and Rocky, and that meeting would effectively change her perspective and her purpose in life. After spending two years volunteering at the farm and spending most of that time learning about these elusive animals, I networked with fox rescues around the country and quickly realized the need for qualified facilities to be able to take in foxes that were being legally surrendered by fur farmers in the United States.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am the founder of a non-profit organization in Key Largo, Florida called Pawsitive Beginnings. I founded this non-profit in March of 2020 after having spent two years volunteering with animals at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm in Key West, FL. I have always been passionate about animal welfare, rescue and advocation, and once I realized that there was a need for qualified sanctuaries to be able to provide long-term care to foxes being rescued from fur farms, I created this non profit.

Pawsitive Beginnings is a unique fixture in the Florida Keys as we are the only fox sanctuary. We are not open to the public, but the community has truly embraced us and now advocates for these foxes as much as I do. Many do not realize that fur farming is still alive and well here in the United States and although the number of farms seems to be decreasing, this cruel practice is still taking place in modern society.

The seven foxes that call Pawsitive Beginnings home were all rescued from fur farms in the Midwest by another organization and then transferred to me here in Key Largo. I provide lifelong care to these animals which includes top of the line veterinary care as most of them have physical defects as a result of their time on fur farms.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Since founding the non profit, and now looking back, the three qualities that have kept me grounded in success have been remaining true to who I am by setting clear boundaries with others, being transparent with our donors, and staying humble.

The knowledge I gained prior to the non profit, volunteering with foxes at another facility truly gave me the confidence to believe I could start caring for these amazing animals on my own.

My advice to anyone that might be struggling with finding their purpose or figuring out how to navigate life if they have started working on their passion project would always be to remember where you came from and do not allow any outside influence to deter you from your goals.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for like-minded individuals who believe in our mission to work with. I do not like being the focus of anything related to the non profit. The spotlight belongs to these animals who have a story to tell and a species to advocate for.

Since I remain “off camera”, so to speak, anyone that has an interest and a voice for what we are doing and also believes that real fur should never be used in fashion, is welcome to reach out to me to see how they could be of service.

Contact Info:

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