Donation
Why El Refugio?
Photo Gallery
Creating a Refuge
How to Help
Jennifer Rivera from Rocky Road Outfitters in Utah made a nice donation to SBPA Services, Inc. to help establish El Refugio. Jennifer is the first to offer help in this endeaver, which is sorely needed in San Carlos. THNX for starting the ball rolling, Jennifer!
There are desert dogs that live on the fringe of civilization, not really feral, but afraid of human contact. They live in packs in the dry desert where there is no food or water.
In the hot, dry summer of 2006, Gwen received a phone call informing her that there were two pups starving out in the desert. She was given directions to a location near La Manga and set out to locate the pups and to see how she could help. Gwen didn't find two starving pups, instead she found six, plus a mom and a pack leader.
The group was so thin, hungry and thirsty, Gwen immediately set up a feeding station. Thus, the seed for El Refugio was sown. Gwen began carrying food and water out to the pack every other day. She's been feeding and watering them ever since, Santuario providing the food, Gwen providing the labor.
Gwen explained her involvement this way, "I have watched them grow, learn to recognize my whistle and my car and to wait patiently for my scheduled time of arrival. I have watched them die from illnesses I could not get close enough to treat. I know that some were taken by the coyotes in the area and some succumbed to unknown illnesses. It was difficult to lose them. We became friends."
"There were happy times too. Malcolm, the La Manga pup, was the sole survivor of the second litter. He recovered from distemper and has a neurological disorder that makes him jerk his body. He is also flat-footed. His heart is full of love and gratitude and he lives with McDougal and the other rescued dogs in Santuario."
"McDougal, who lives at Santuario due to illness that prevents his return to the desert, was from the first litter. He is also survived by Hotdog Man (who was trapped, sterilized, vaccinated and returned to the feeding area) and a sister, who we have not been able to coax into the trap yet."
"There was a third litter of two females, Lulu and Lucy, who were trapped, sterilized, vaccinated and returned, but the mom still evades us. Her name is Sula."
"The pack leader, who is the friendliest, I call Oskar. He was also trapped, fixed and returned. He likes to be trapped so he can eat all the goodies."
"Another female has drifted into the pack, a beautiful dark dog who wants to be friendly, but just doesn't quite trust me. She had a litter of five, but only two are left. They all hang around the feeding station."
"The new family is our next target. Perhaps it won't be too long before they are trapped and fixed."
Gwen set up another feeding station, farther out in the desert. In the spring of 2007 she explained, "At the second feeding station is another mom with three 3-month old pups. She is very fearful, but waits for her food with her pups. Hopefully, we will be able to trap her. We are working on trust now."
About all of the desert dogs, Gwen said, "I doubt these animals will ever be able to live in a home situation. These are the type of dogs that need to be in El Refugio. There is not enough life or water in the desert to support them. They are domestic animals and not meant to live in the wild. They are in this condition due to human carelessness, and often many people have no no viable means, or access to medical care, to halt the birthrate of their pets."
Gwen's plan is to create a refuge for animals that live on the fringe. She says, "We are their hope for the future. We have so much, it is time to give back. They are lovely animals and deserve a chance at life."
"We hope to find like-minded people who care about what is going on around them, people who may want to come on board and help us develop this exciting idea and bring it into reality. We're searching for a land donation, a parcel far enough away from the community that it doesn't become a convenient dumping ground for unwanted pets."
As our village grows so grow the needs of the animal population. Until people assume the responsibility for their actions, there will be unwanted births, abandoned and hungry animals. There needs to be a humane solution for this problem. As a concerned community we need to address this issue, educationally and with reality. We at SBPA and Santuario have offered a partial solution with our various programs, but we cannot carry the entire physical and financial burden.
If the community became involved, shared the wealth of knowledge available, discussed means of alleviating the problems and came to a common ground for solving this situation, we might all be able to develop a refuge where unadoptable animals could live out their lives. The need for such a refuge is growing, and the need will increase as our town grows. If the community could come together and pool our resources, we could provide a safe and nurturing environment providing the freedom, within bounds, that the animals need.
We hope that there will be a home for some of them in the future. These are not feral animals, but animals that have been abandoned in the deserts around our town to breed and survive on their own. Santuario spends much of its time rescuing the puppies of these adults and sending them to awaiting homes. Hola Lola is a fine example of this (see her success story at the SBPA website).
As residents/visitors to this country we are in the best position to provide a solution to these problems. Please consider helping us to bring this idea to fruition.
We do need your help. With all the skills, talent and resources available in our community, our pooled resources can certainly come up with a workable and viable solution to this serious animal dilemna.
Is it necessary that all these animals be sacrificed because there are irresponsible humans without compassion, and without concern for the other living creatures that inhabit our planet? People learn by example. We must teach a respect for life, for all living creatures and for the earth itself. It is a legacy we owe to the generations to come.
Join us in this endeavor to provide a refuge for abandoned dogs. We welcome your ideas and your help.
Please email Santuario if you'd
like to receive more information or if you can help.
You may donate to El Refugio through SBPA Services, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax deductible organization. See our DONATIONS page, or you can select the following link and donate using PayPal, now.
