Animal sanctuary seeks funds.

My dream has always been to give a forever home to unwanted or abandoned animals. I retired in 2012 and used most of my savings to buy the land for the sanctuary. It is named Santuario Cielos Azules, Blue Skies Sanctuary. It is not large. It is not famous. There is no marketing team, film crew, advertising budget or board of directors. All expenses are available upon request.

 Presently there are 9 horses, some rescued at animal auctions where I bid against butchers. There are 5 dogs, all but one abandoned and neglected, some badly injured when they arrived at the sanctuary, and 6 cats, one of them savagely mauled by street dogs. Somehow, Tiger found his way to the sanctuary. All of them are now healthy, happy, and thriving.

My goal is to continue caring for these four-legged creatures without a voice. I always need help with the purchase of alfalfa, hay and oats, cat and dog food, antiparasite and flea medications, veterinarian fees, and the salary of the full-time, onsite caretaker.  

Maybe the next steward of the sanctuary will visit someday. I am not getting any younger. This is a beautiful serene setting with inspiring vistas. A place where one can eat freshly picked fruit from the orchards, savour the honey from the sanctuary bees and enjoy fresh eggs from the happy, free hens while watching the sunrise over the Andes mountains or the sunset over the coastal range. It is 90 minutes to the Andes' foothills and 90 minutes to the Pacific Ocean. I want to install a solar energy system for clean, renewable energy. We have almost nine months of sunshine here.

There are two wonderful onsite caretakers who help me to care for the animals and fencing, but my pension is small, and the expenses are growing. I do not take a salary and my savings are dwindling fast. 

All donors are invited to a free, week-long stay at the main house between April and October if it is not rented. They can meet the animals they have helped and get some rest and relaxation in a beautiful environment. All donors also get my original short stories. It is a way of saying "Thank You" from the animals and me.

I know many of you would help these animals if you had the time and space. I have the time and space but need some help with the costs. As Ram Dass said, "We are all just walking each other home".

If you think you might want to become the next land steward, caretaker and owner of the sanctuary, please let me know. Your regular monthly donation can go towards paying for the property while helping me cover the animal care and expenses.

For the histories of the animals and some videos, please scroll through the 72 updates. Links below the photos.