August 2006 Sanctuary News
Greetings,
August is finally upon us and hopefully we will not have the hot, brutal weather we had in July.
As I am sure you have heard by now, Moses has returned to Yogie and Friends. He arrived home on July 7th. He is doing wonderful and enjoying his large pen. As expected he was a little unsure when he first exited the kennel crate, but it sure didnt take him long to start romping around in the grass. We expect to introduce him with another lion when he reaches about 100 pounds. Moses certainly exceeded all expectations. He had a few medical crises in the beginning, but he is very healthy and as of this writing weighs about 45 pounds. His personality is fun to watch as he develops more and more each day. We want to thank the folks at Tiger Creek for helping us with Moses and especially to Jennifer Reddington, Senior Keeper. Jennifer did the majority of the work with Moses and I know it was very hard for her to say goodbye to him. Thanks again.
Our animals recently had their annual vet visit. I must say that this went extremely well. The vet was able to easily inject all the animals on the first attempt. It was almost like the cats knew that we were doing what is good for them and I swear they came to the fence in just the right position and posed their back ends for us. It was the funniest thing, but made our time with the vet so much easier. Batman also has had another vasectomy and that went without any trouble as well.
I get several requests for ‘feeding’ tours. Please understand that the majority of our animals are animals that have been rescued out of abusive or neglectful situations. They get more rambunctious during their feedings and they also get stressed when there is a bunch of people around them during feedings. So, we do not feed during public visitations. Thats not to say that once in a while we dont throw them a piece of chicken as a treat when people are visiting, but it is a rare occasion if we do.
I also get calls and requests to bring one of our animals to churches, schools, mall events, and things of this sort. I just got four requests this past week and from very well meaning and intelligent people. A couple were even acquaintances of mine. I dont get angry. Education is the goal. I try and get as much information to people as to why this will never happen. We have never taken any animal off the premises, other than for medical reasons. Not happening. Never have done this and never will. I dont care how small one of the animals is that we have at our sanctuary, it is not going to happen. Do you realize that anytime you move one of these animals out of a pen you have to go to extreme safety measures to prevent all risk of escape or injury to the handler or animal?
Please understand that we are not trying to be ugly or harsh to people when we say ‘absolutely not’. We are not going to risk or subject any of our animals, or their people, to the dangers, noises, and stresses, of a crowded mall or any other place. These animals were created to be in the wild and have been taken out of their natural domain by silly humans. Why would we make their lives worse by subjecting them to this? If you want to see and learn you can come visit us and have an opportunity for a unique educational experience as well as being able to see these wonderful and magnificent creatures in a relaxed environment. An environment in which they can feel safe and secure. You will still have a wonderful opportunity to learn about them, while helping us to continue maintaining their dignity and respect. Our animals never have to earn their living. It is our privilege to provide them a safe and secure home. If you ever go to a sanctuary that lets you touch an animal or have your photo taken with an animal, then you may need to research more and you will realize that they are probably not a sanctuary. A real sanctuary will not permit you to do this. Reconsider ever visiting a place like that.
We have several events scheduled for Yogie and Friends:
August 5 at 5 P.M.
Esteban Guitar Raffle Drawing at Yogie and Friends.
Louise MacDonald of Queensland, Australia is the winner of the Esteban Black Legacy Guitar. Louise and her son, Luke visited Yogie and Friends last summer. Here is what she had to say in her e-mail response: “I am just happy to be able to do something for Yogie and Friends even though I am so far away. I am still in awe of what I saw when I visited last year and if donating the guitar back helps in any way with the care of the cats then I am happy”. Thanks, Louise!
September 9 11 A.M. 4 P.M.
Bake Sale and Fundraiser at Courtyard Coffee, Youree Drive, Shreveport
September 30 8 10 A.M.
Pancake Breakfast, Applebees Restaurant, Bert Kouns, Shreveport. Cost: $5 each
So many people say they want to help us, but they can’t really afford much. But, it doesn’t take a lot of money to help us. There are so many things people can do that help. It’s even the little things that do help us. For instance, Tim and I are outside working in this extreme heat. We take precautions by drinking lots of water and PowerAde. Well, I have access to Barksdale AFB since I am retired from the Air Force. I might go and buy 5 – 10 cases of PowerAde at a time out of my own pocket because we don’t want to take away from the animals. It isnt a big cost, but it does add up. Just think. If one case costs $6 – $7 it can add up. If 10 people buy one case each then that is 10 cases or 120 bottles. That is a donation that helps us and an easy and inexpensive donation for those who want to help. There are other smaller items that you can donate to help keep costs down. Things like chlorine, bleach, paper towels, bottled water, garden hoses, etc. You can buy us a 100 pound bucket of chlorine powder anywhere from $129 – $160. I bought a 100 pound bucket today with a 20% off coupon at Leslie’s Pool Supplies and it cost $103. That was a huge savings for us. Or if you buy bleach at a discount store like Fred’s when they have it on sale for 99 cents you can buy a case for about $6. All this helps. It may seem like a little thing, but if you add all the little things we need it can all add up. No gift is too small and it is all much appreciate. Check out our wish list for our current needs and wants.
Our Volunteer of the month: is Jason Burns from the 608 ACOMS at Barksdale AFB. Jason and his wife have been coming out and helping with mowing and other maintenance at Yogie and Friends. We really appreciate it.
I know I am not saying anything you don’t already know. This has been one unbelievable hot summer and it isnt over. One of the Yogie neighbors lost two black labs to heat stroke. We care for a stray dog that adopted us and lives on the Yogie property and we are constantly giving her fresh, cold water. She won’t let us touch her or we would get her inside. She seems to be smart enough to stay in the shelter we do provide for her.
I recently was grocery shopping when I saw a small dog locked in someone’s SUV. Well, this person parked the vehicle under a tree thinking it was shady enough. I will tell you that I also was parked under the same tree in the shade with all my windows cracked open more than the SUV had. When I got into my car it still registered at 92 degrees. That is too hot to leave a defenseless animal locked up in. Please, just dont do it. It does not take much for an animal to die from heat stroke.
Please remember to take the necessary steps to reduce this stress on your animals. And know that you are the only voice they have and they depend on you.
Please remember to spay and neuter your pets. There are too many unwanted pets as there is and the animal shelters are filled with these animals needing to be adopted. Be kind and take the time to make sure your animals dont end up as garbage. That is not at all kind.
And remember, Wild Animals Do Not Make Good Pets!
Come out and see us soon.
Be good to your animals and their people! Be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jenny
Posted in Monthly Newsletter and tagged 2006 August Sanctuary News, Latest News, Yogie and Friends News
Moses comes home!
Please make a donation for Moses as he has been a very expensive addition to our cat family. We will appreciate it very much as will Yogie and Friends. We have even more new photos of Moses on his page.
Posted in Special Announcements and tagged Latest News, Moses comes home!, news
June 2004 News
Hi again everyone
Well, it is only the first day of June and I think we are in for one hot summer. And because it is going to be so hot we cannot stress enough that you ensure your animals are provided cool clean water, shade, shelter, and any other necessity to keep them safe and healthy. After all, we are the only ones they have to help them. I cannot stress this enough. Please never leave your pets in your vehicle even with the window cracked or open. The inside temperatures will still reach deadly numbers with the windows open. I went out to my car on Memorial Day and the temperature reading was 107 degrees until I started moving. Even 80 degrees or higher your pets will die from heat stroke. Please remember to give all your animals clean fresh water, shelter from the sun and heat, and a safe clean environment to live in. Remember that you are all these animals have and they depend on you
We’ve done a lot of work out at Yogie this last month. Tim poured over 12,000 pounds of concrete (150 eighty pounds bags) by hand in the lockdown pens. This was very much needed. We place the cats in the lockdowns in order to clean and repair their pens. We never keep them in the lockdowns for any extended length of time. Sometimes they even like to go in and lay on the cool concrete. We also use the lockdowns to place larger than normal pieces of food for the animals. So, the concrete is the best material for sanitizing.
We have also upgraded the entire electrical and security systems on the grounds by adding more cameras and extending their coverage, made another small patio seating area for our visitors, and added more safety features to the cat living areas. We are constantly improving on the living areas for the animals. This is what it is all about. The cats!
If you have been out to Yogie and Friends you will have noticed a large red barn looking building on the grounds. I bought this (out of my own personal money and not from the animal funds) for an education building. This building will be used so that when we conduct tours we can educate about each species of animal and give a little history of them before going out to see the animals. It gets so hot and this will provide a wonderful opportunity for information sharing. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get grants for this project. The building is a good thing for us. There will be a small 3 by 5 office and a handicap accessible bathroom in the back portion of the building. The front portion will be for educational, fundraising projects and volunteer meetings. We just need the materials to finish the building. Materials such as insulation, drywall, nails, and the basic guts required to make it a nice classroom. Nothing fancy, just nice. It is coming along and I have to thank Jim Denney for his diligent work with getting the bathroom together. Once the walls and other finish work is done we will be able to allow public restroom access. Call me if you can help with any funding or the materials for this building. We can use the help.
Also, we are in need of building a privacy fence. We need the materials to build a 6-foot privacy fence to create an entranceway to the sanctuary. We estimate it would cost approximately $2000 in materials and we will do the building of it ourselves. It is important for us to separate the parking area from the animal viewing area. This will decrease the noise of vehicles driving on the property and be less stressful to the animals. If you can help with this project, then please call us.
The 1st Annual Children’s Animal Education Fair was held on May 8th at the Expo Hall in Shreveport. Since this was the first of its kind it wasnt as crowded as some expected. I do believe that is was a wonderful start to what will be the beginning of a well-needed educational experience about animals in the Ark-La-Tex. I had the opportunity to meet several people and it was a lot of fun.
Our VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH this month is Sara Lyles from Baton Rouge. Sara will be entering her second year of veterinarian school in the fall at LSU. I met her when I went to speak at the school in March. Sara had the opportunity to observe the cats at times others dont normally see them. She also helped me get the second patio together. She saw the hard work it takes to work with exotics and as a future vet can see what the medical issues will be. We appreciate the input she provided us and hope she can come back again in the future. We wish her luck with her studies at LSU. Thanks again, Sara.
We hope that you will consider Yogie and Friends when giving financially. We need the help and support of the public to care for these wonderful animals. We have received gifts in memory of lossed loved ones and realize that it takes a special person to do this during their time of sadness. Remember that your gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We appreciate what you do when you help us.
The cost of food is ever increasing. The water and electric bills get so much higher for us at this time of year. It is not unheard of for us to have a water bill of $175.00 or more a month compared to $12.00 a month in the wintertime. We have pools for our animals and it is a great source of fun and enrichment for them. We need a great deal of financial support and hope you can help.
If you are willing and able to come and work hard we can use your help. I am needing to train people to collect admission, work tables at local pet stores, do car washes, etc. The majority of the work on the premises will be demanding and physical. Things such as digging and hauling loads of dirt into the cat pens, cleaning the food trays, mowing, weed eating, and other grounds maintenance. Sorry, but we cannot allow anyone below the age of 18 to work on the property. We can use you at fundraisers. Better yet, kids can help by creating ways to raise money for the animals. Shreve Island Elementary School first grade class raised $554.00 this last month for the cats. Way to go kids!
Hope you come out and visit us soon.
Jenny
Posted in Monthly Newsletter and tagged 2004 June News, Latest News, Yogie and Friends News