Rescue Journal

working on priorities...

Carol · Jan. 24, 2012

anyone who thinks rescuing is fun..ought to come here for a few days. there is a TON of stuff we have to get done this week to get back to where we were before the bad weather hit. so every day i will plan out one area to be totally stripped down to bare, clean, hard packed ground and clean/dry to the floors animal houses...tomorrow we start with the baby pigs and brad's pens.

but here is the thing...these animals LIVE there..and because that is the only home that they have..it will be clean and dry and comfortable...they can count on that. i have set standards for how these animals live..and while we might get caught by bad weather and have to deal with only basic priorities for a few days..when the bad weather ends..we fix where they live..RIGHT AWAY.

for the next week or so every inch of every outside pen, every foot of every house will get stripped to the clean bare bones..every path they walk on..every loafing shed where they rest, every yard, field or paddock where they choose to be..will be scraped down to absolute clean.

while bad weather really sucks..the following resulting clean up sucks even more..but the animals feel so good and comfortable, when it is done.

and that is why we are all here..to make sure the animals feel good and comfortable...that is our job.

Comments

pollyb

Ok ' it'll be sat or sun. unless it snows '' so you know i 'am heading your way this week end & if you need any thing else picked up ' call 604-467 1635 'Polly ''

Debra

I went to Valley feed and bught some rabbit pellets (food), cat litter, something else (can't remember) and have a bag of dog food and dog coats. I will bring in on Saturday .
Carol, how is the bitter stuff doing on the new sofas? Has Mystic been at them?

Renee

Carol I phoned and left you a message if you could check it as soon as possible that would be great. Thanks

Carol

cocoa is doing ok...still has the bladder issues, ear issues, eye issues but seems to be pretty stable and managed with all of those currently. emotionally he is fine...well settled, no concerns.

Maggie

Carol
One of the 1000 Saints asked about Cocoa. Can I share any news?

Carol

polly...maybe by the weekend on one of the mornings? when i am here?

bunny...no one is accusing the barn volunteers of not doing a good job. there is a problem out there right now post-mega snow fall/ frozen hell at saints days that we are working on trying to fix.

laura

No,I will be fine. I will take 3 in the am and then 2 in the pm that way they are not waiting their turn so long....thanks for the offer

pollyb

Hi ' guys ' can you tell me if its ok to bring in the rest of the food ' i have from Bosley's ... I stored it in my laundry room for the duration of snow days'' Let me know 'cheers Pollyb

Maggie

Laura
Do you need me to help transport the five dogs next Monday?

Bunny Horne

Maybe for the week, but on the weekend everyone I saw for the three Sundays in a row I was there were humping their guts out cleaning and providing water. Some of us got back injuries slugging poop to the poop pile. Just sayin.... No one didn't get food or water regardless of the weather on those Sundays. The baby pigs and Brad's home were fluffed on those three Sundays and I personally pulled all the wet bedding that Brad drags to his doorway out of the pen completely and threw it into the riding ring so I could pick it up once I was finished in his pen.

Carol

the sawdust will hold the urine more but if the wet spots are pulled out every day along with the poop, it shouldn't make any difference. i think janice is right..the weather was so bad and we were scrambling just to get water/food to the barn areas and the worst of the mess cleaned up so only superficial/bare basic cleaning got done for the entire week.

Janice Gillett

Me thinks while was I was off only the poop (surface) was being pulled out of there .. ;o((

Ernie

Sorry I'm missing all the fun. Am starting to feel better and will come in tomorrow.

Bunny Horne

I agree it's been disgusting. That's why MO had me completely clean it out and sweep it on the 15th. Is it possible it's the saw dust that is making the bedding deteriorate faster than in the past.
That's the only thing we are doing that is different. I don't recall last winter the cow barn being so bad. Or maybe it's just with the colder weather Percy et al are doing more of their business inside than in the riding ring.
I know when I emptied the building on the 15th Emily came in and waited for all new bedding to be spread so she could lay down.

Carol

mo told me the ammonia stench in the cowbarn on sunday was overwhelming, the cows didn't even want to go in there... hence the stripping...thx so much to ali for putting it to rights again. mo said the cows all ran in and laid down as soon as it was fresh again....but there are still all of the pathways/walkways/in front of the barn/ under cover areas left to do as the snow continues to melt away....and all of that mess gets walked back into the barns until we get it all cleared away. it will take a daily concerted effort for the next couple of weeks to fully clean the barn areas of the residuals we couldn't get at with the deep snow.

Bunny Horne

The cow's house was stripped completely down to the mats on the 15th. It was swept up with no residual bedding left behind and it was completely filled with fresh shavings and saw dust. I know Ali busted her hump in there on Sunday, 22nd. Same with the goat house.

Carol

five??? wow..yay!!!!
yoda, jedi, nicky,trudy and may and then the shitz's are done...

then in priority depending on how many at a time...the poodlish's are next...mini me, squirt, jerry, tina and marie.

then the hairy whatevers...fergus, hilda, bruiser, maybe and andy...(but he needs to sedated a bit before he goes)

nd then we might be done..but i have to think in case i missed anyone!

laura

Speaking of making the animals feeling good....I need you to pick 5 dogs to go for grooming this coming Monday.

Brenda

I'm planning on being at SAINTS this Sunday fianlly - unless the weather deteriorates again - (it's snowing here now)), so will help with extra cleaning.