Dollar Drive
Dear Friends,
In 2003, I gave up everything to devote myself to animal rescue; I left my home, my job, my hobbies, and my friends behind, came to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and started saving animals, one at a time. I worked for the local school district, remodeled a house, and took a job cleaning bathrooms at a state park to pay the bills, and I'll keep doing whatever it takes to keep the animals in my care safe, healthy, and happy.
After years of hard work, Olympic Animal Sanctuary is now a permanent home to several dogs, cats, and reptiles that would have otherwise faced euthanasia, or worse. And I've saved my share of injured deer, raptors, and seabirds as well -- animals that were returned to live out their lives in the wild.
With the support of a handful of volunteers, I've taken the next step and registered the Sanctuary as a nonprofit corporation in the state of Washington, and as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, public charity with the IRS.
Now I need your help. So far I've operated the Sanctuary out of my own pocket and the sweat off my back, but as this project grows, I can't do it alone anymore. We need donations for animal food, supplies, equipment, and building materials. We're new to the fundraising scene, so we're not asking for much -- just $1! I'm sending this request to everyone I know, asking them to donate just one dollar and watch how we put it to use. If you don't like what we do with the money, you're only out a buck, but I think you'll be happy with the way your money is spent, and you'll want to continue supporting us in the future.
Of course, if you want to give more than one dollar, no one's stopping you, but I know that one dollar is something that almost everyone can spare, and those dollars add up. There's no limit to the good we can do for animals if people like you take the time to send just one dollar, and ask your friends and family to do the same.
But while I know that almost everyone can spare a dollar, I also understand that you might want to know more about what we do before you'll make even a tiny donation to our Sanctuary. Please keep reading.
First, you may be wondering what a sanctuary is; the word is thrown around a lot, but I define it as a permanent home for animals that have been abused, neglected, obtained or imported illegally, or have simply exceeded their owners' capabilities to care for them. Sanctuaries provide the highest level of care to their animals, including proper nutrition, veterinary care, and enrichment programs. They are closed to the general public, and they do not buy, sell, trade, or breed animals.
Most of Olympic Animal Sanctuary's current work is in the rescue and care of non-adoptable dogs. The dogs at the Sanctuary can not be placed into normal homes for various reasons: some were used for illegal dog fights; some killed other animals or injured people; some were simply misunderstood and reported to the authorities as "vicious," when in reality they were simply afraid of people after years of abuse; others are feral dogs, or wolf or coyote hybrids, not suited to the typical 'dog's life.'
Whatever their reasons for being here, the dogs have found a wonderful home at the Sanctuary, where they are fed a healthy, all-natural diet, and they enjoy plenty of interaction with people and with their own species. Even former fighting dogs learn to get along with each other here. You could say that we take in broken dogs and fix them; I like to say that people made them monsters, and we help them to become dogs again. Even after they have been rehabilitated, the dogs remain at the Sanctuary, as they form close bonds with each other and with their human caretakers within the framework of pack life -- we've made them into a family and we're not about to break them apart.
Unlike a kennel or animal shelter, the dogs at the Sanctuary only go into their crates to eat; the rest of the time, they enjoy almost an acre of outdoor space and nearly 5,000 square feet of indoor play area; they are broken up into compatible play and sleeping groups, and they all get together for supervised socialization time. The experts told me I couldn't do it -- dogs like these and would never get along, and I shouldn't even try -- but I've proven them wrong, and the animals have reaped the benefits of pack life.
Construction has begun on a series of room-sized enclosures that will house reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Wherever possible, we've tried to include live plants and water features to enhance our designs. Similar enclosures will serve as sleeping quarters for the Sanctuary dogs. Each of these enclosures costs about $1,500 to build and outfit with proper lighting, heating, and plumbing.
Our plans for the future are to continue working with 'broken' dogs, and to expand our work with wildlife. A thriving black market trade in wild animals has created the dire need for animal sanctuaries to house and care for them when they are confiscated by the authorities or their owners no longer want them. In years past, I've worked with other animal sanctuaries to rescue wild cats, bears, and wolves, and I'm eager to get back to saving these beautiful animals when Olympic Animal Sanctuary has the facilities and the budget to do so.
Sorry if this sounds like an impersonal sales pitch, but I really need your help, and this is the best way I can think of to get my message out to as many people as possible on a limited budget. Your donation of just one dollar can make such a difference. Click here to go to the donate page.
Update: October has been a very busy month at Olympic Animal Sanctuary; Click here to read the Rescue Log.
Steve Markwell -- Executive Director
Email: steve@olympicanimalsanctuary.org
Phone: (360) 374-2596
Mail: Olympic Animal Sanctuary
1021 Russell Road
Forks, WA 98331
Posted on November 1, 2007
