His Perilous Journey to PETA

How Victor Castillo Found a Career and a Calling

In 1981, when he left El Salvador to make the perilous journey to the US, Victor Castillo didn’t have much money in his pocket. What he did have were the tools to build a better life: optimism, empathy, and grit.

Planting the Seeds of Empathy

Victor’s mother instilled a strong foundation of compassion in him. “When I was a kid, I found a pigeon and tried to keep him in a cage,” Victor says. “When my mom found out, she said, ‘Son, animals need to be free. Take him out of the cage and let him go.’ So I did. I’ve learned so much from my mother.”

His family planted corn, rice, cotton, and other crops, and Victor built houses with his father, mastering construction skills and learning the value of hard work and a job well done. He also met the love of his life, Eloisa. But unable to make a living and facing political unrest and increasing violence, Victor made the tough decision to leave his home and family.

Reaching the Rio Grande River in the dark, Victor waded in – getting swept downstream by the powerful current. He made it across, but he knew no one, spoke few words of English, and had no job or home. Living hand to mouth and on constant alert for authorities who would deport him, he sometimes went days without any food, sleeping against a tree in the Texas heat. For years, Victor struggled, working for $8 (£6) a day on a cattle ranch and in other low-paying jobs.

Building From the Ground Up

Victor learned that Eloisa had found her way to Washington, DC. There they reunited, married, and eventually became parents to Moises, Antonio, Jaqueline, Irene, Maritza, and Marita. Meanwhile, PETA – needing help with our office building – found a church assistance program that matched refugees with jobs. Victor signed up and got a call from PETA that same day.

His first project wasn’t building but rather guarding a PETA exhibit called Doctor Caligari’s Ark of Pain on the National Mall. He enthusiastically took on the task. Victor’s vigil kept the exhibit safe so we could educate all who saw it about the horrors inflicted on animals in laboratories.

Victor’s work ethic made him a standout for PETA’s Operations Department. And our mission was a natural fit for him. As a devout Seventh-Day Adventist, he already believed that animals are not ours to eat. “The Bible is clear. All animals are created by God, and God instructed us to take care of them,” he explains. “We don’t need to eat any kind of meat, cheese, eggs. We can do better.” Eloisa eventually joined the Operations Department, too, where she worked for nearly two decades.

The Early Bird Gets It Done

In his 38 years with PETA, Victor has renovated, expanded, and improved nearly every inch of the Sam Simon Center (our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters) and other PETA buildings as well. He constructed and tiled the guest rooms where animals rescued from chains, laboratories, and other abusive situations experience their first feelings of comfort and safety. He’s crafted countless desks, shelves, cabinets, and elaborate cat trees beloved by the felines who call PETA’s offices their home. He starts work before the sun comes up, fixing maintenance issues before anyone else arrives.

The Houses Victor Built

Of all Victor’s projects, few have had a more profound impact than the houses he builds for dogs forced to live outside on chains or in pens. Many don’t even have a board to huddle under for shelter. They hold a special place in Victor’s heart – perhaps because he, too, has known hardship. Never satisfied with “good enough,” Victor has improved the doghouse design many times, adding insulation and rubber floors. Over the years, the houses he’s built have made life better for more than 1,000 dogs.

And Victor built a better life for his family, too. He became a US citizen, purchased his own home, and has lovingly renovated it. It has become a hub of happy memories for Victor and Eloisa, their children, and their grandchildren.