We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamie Wallace. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamie below.

Jamie, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I was a single mother of three kids under the age of five, and my middle child has Autism. He was struggling with major anxiety and overwhelm and I was feeling the weight of knowing how to support him to my best ability.
We were at a birthday party for another child and Jackson went missing. It was two hours later and the police were called when we finally found him in a random vehicle blocks down the road. He was so upset and in the fetal position because someone had said something to him that was untrue and his little black and white mind was horribly overwhelmed and confused and just ran.
It was in that moment that I got online and decided I need help. I started emailing every single organization I could find in the world that mentioned Autism Service Dogs.

It was the next morning when my entire world stopped and shifted with one click. I opened the only response I got back from my desperate plea for help.
They said her name was Angel.

Angel was already a trained Autism Service Dog for another little boy, but that family decided she wasn’t trained well enough, so she was now “discounted”.
I spent the next month and a half find money, gathering supplies, and booking the flight. We brought Angel home six weeks later and nothing has been the same since.
Jackson’s life changed instantly when he met his giant fluffy white Angel. We told him that Angel also had Autism and that she understood what he was feeling. That she would be next to him helping him feel safe at all times. That she was his new best friend.
Angel was trained to prevent self injuring, tether herself to her boy and drop to the ground if he was trying to run or was not safe, she had a touch command to get his attention if he was distracted, and she was overwhelmingly invested in every aspect of Jackson’s emotional and physical health.
Only a couple of months after bringing Angel home, Jackson was a completely different child. He had completely stopped self harming. Angel was predicting breakdowns before they happened by listening to his heart rate and applying pressure therapy to keep him calm. Jackson was no longer afraid to go out in public because he had his new giant best friend by his side. He started looking people in the eye and having conversations with strangers simply because he was excited to share about his new dog and their collective super powers!
Jackson was six years old when he met Angel and his life changed forever, and their relationship is what inspired the concept and mission of Safe in Austin- “Rescue animals, rescuing children”!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Jamie Wallace and I am the founder of Safe in Austin Rescue Ranch, a sanctuary for animals and children that come from abuse or have special needs. The mission happened because of the relationship between my son and his Autism Service Dog appropriately named Angel.
My mission involves rescuing animals of all species, bringing them to my ten acre sanctuary and making them a part of my family. I rescue animals that have a story of extreme abuse, neglect, or have special needs. The different disabilities of the animals in my care including being blind, deaf, having neurological issues, missing limbs, broken spines, paralysis, deformities, needing wheelchairs, using prosthetics, having diabetes, hydrocephalus, cerebellar hypoplasia, anxiety, and depression. My actual mission involves inviting children/families that share in similar stories of survival or disabilities out to the rescue to introduce them to the animals that understand them.
There is this incredible circle of healing that happens when you meet an animals that understands you. Animals already have the inherent gift of unconditional kindness and no judgement, but when you take it even further into actual understanding the connection and healing that can take place can actually be miraculous.
My world is heavy and hard and exhausting most of the time, but I do believe that I get to see something magical happen between animals and children that most people don’t get to witness in a lifetime.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

From day one I was determined that Safe in Austin would never be a place that everyone wouldn’t be able to come and find unconditional love and kindness. For this reason, no one is charge a fee to come and meet the animals. We run off of random donations only. Everyone told me it wouldn’t work, and there was no way to sustain with that model, but it turns out there are not many places where unconditional kindness actually exists and that has taken us pretty far!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Can’t say yes to everything is a hard lesson to learn, and one you have to learn quickly in rescue. There is a point where you have to consider the livelihood of the animals and people you are already taking care of and realize there is more need then any one location can handle. I have to say no to many animals every day and it’s heart breaking, but I have to remind myself that what I am doing is more than enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.safeinaustin.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safeinaustinrescue/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafeinAustinRescue
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@safeinaustin7132