When Hedyi Acuna and Nash Bandayan immigrated to America, they first found each other then they found the passion for giving back to their new home country through Mercy Full Project.

TAMPA, Fla.  — We may be in the month of August, but if you work at an animal rescue, you might call it Dogust.

It’s the month shelters like to remind the public that there are so many cute, furry animals in need of adoption.

When Heydi Acuna and Nash Bandayan first met back in 2017, they had two major things in common, they’re both immigrants, and they love their four-legged friends.

“The first time he came to my house, I had about 19 dogs in my apartment, so right there, he knew what he was getting into,” said Acuna, who immigrated from Colombia in 2009.

Several of their dates were actually spent volunteering with various animal rescues, when they thought, why not start their own nonprofit?

“Every single morning, waking up I say, ‘good morning America,’ good morning to my family, I enjoy life here, and I’m trying to do my best to at least give back to this beautiful country,” said Nash Bandayan, who immigrated here from Iraq in 2014.

Source: Husband and wife immigrants give back, start nonprofit animal rescue ‘Mercy Full Project’