Rescue closing in MO-pls help

[gr8dane]

http://www.rainbowfarms.org

Lori

[mugsy]

Can you give us more info on this? There isn't anything that I could find on the website. I have some no kill shelters that may be able to help, but I need the particulars.

[gr8dane]

This is a very difficult post for Kathy and I to make, but after
much soul searching we have made a hard decision and feel it is time
to bring this to the attention of the rescue community and our
friends. Rainbow Farms has been in Missouri for just over three
years now and we have reached the point of burnout.

We have tried for three years to build a local volunteer base with
out success. Even over this past year while Kathy was working at
Drury University, we have not been able to get any volunteers to
come out on a regular basis. I don't know if we are too far or if
students are too busy to be able to commit regularly, or what. All
I know is it isn't working like I had optimistically thought it
would.

We have tried for over three years (starting before our move to MO)
to build a remote volunteer base. Again we have not been very
successful. For a while now, many months actually, we have dropped
down to just a small handful of volunteers. Our current fund raiser
is a good case in point. We know people have lives outside of
their volunteering for Rainbow Farms, but Rainbow Farms still has
animals to feed and house and Vet. So we chose a project that
required crossposting only and we included the chance for other
rescues and organizations to make money for themselves, with little
effort on their part. We've had very few participants and the event
will be over the 15th of October.

We have tried for three years to build a stong financial base--again
not very successful. A month does not go by that we are not using a
good chunk of Kathy's paycheck to keep us afloat. And if a personal
need arises (like medical or dental bills for us) then we find that
she needs to take on additional teaching to make sure we can pay the
bills. Quite frankly, we are very tired.

We have decided that we need to think about where our energies are
being spent and what we can do to relieve the burnout. We are
putting this to you for your help and support. Upon review of where
we spend the most time and energy, we have determined that the dogs
at Rainbow Farms are the ones who take 90% of our time. In
addition, they have progressively taken up most of our home. We
have dogs of our own, that we get to see and spend time with at
feeding time. Other than that, they are left to their own devices
and to provide their own entertainment and companionship. They also
have the smallest yard to play in and the smallest space to live
in. As you can see, everything we have done here, we've done to
cater to the Rainbow Farms residents. We have been thinking that
one way to relieve some of the stress is to scale back on the dog
portion of RF.

We have not taken in any new dogs for quite some time and there are
only a handful who would be really hard to adopt out. Those would
be: Frankie (Cutaneous Aesthenia), Daisy (blind and deaf) and
possibly Copper, who may just be to old to move. There is no reason
why the rest cannot be rehomed. We have just received a few
adoption applications on two dogs and are in the process of
reviewing them. For once they are actually pretty good. We usually
get an application from someone who wants a blind or deaf dog but
they do not want to fence in their yard..... We have not actively
tried to place the dogs in the past because the time and energy
needed was more than we usually have at the end of very long days.
These are the dogs we have that need to be placed within the next
month or so. We would appreciate any and all help we can get from
you, to make this happen.

Keisha, (LabXWhippet needs last set of xrays and exam from the
Vet.) 5 year old, female, spayed...came to us with a gunshot would
to the spine and in a wheelchair. Has recovered fully.
Riley (LabX--blind) 2 year old black male, neutered. 85-95% blind
from juvenile cataracts.
Helen (Lab--blind) 3 year old yellow female, spayed. Totally blind
since birth. Deaf in one ear due to being hit by a car.
Chance (Lab--blind) Adopted!
Baby (Lab--blind) Adoption Pending!
Jazmine (Great Dane--missing an eye) 4 year old female, spayed.
Mantel color.
Norma (Cattle Dog--deaf) 2 year old blue merle female, spayed.
Born deaf.
Benny (LabX--missing a leg) 3 year old black male, neutered.
Velvet (ChowX--senior) 7 year old red female, spayed.
Precious (White Shepherd--crippled rear legs but mobile) 3 year old
white female, spayed. Ex-puppy mill breeder. Hit by a car at 10
weeks old. No Vet care.

And two dogs that have been living here, though they are not
actually part of Rainbow Farms' program:
Rowdy--5 year old Pointer mix, neutered. Afraid of storms.
Bubba--2 year old Basset Hound who was found during the July 4th
holiday. Afraid of storms.


All of these dogs are housebroken, crate trained and have nice house
manners. And they are all couch potatos. Some of them are just
old. Some of them have minor disabilities and some have what most
would consider major disablities. But all of them have adjusted to
life as a house dog and have had some form of training. They are
all great companions and need a place to call their own. If you
could help us by forwarding this message to any one or group who you
think would be interested or who could help in placing them, we
would be forever indebted.

Sincerely,

Kathy and Becky

Katherine Coy, President
Becky Loyd, Rescue Coordinator
The Rainbow Farms Project, Inc.
www.rainbowfarms.org
becky@r...

[mugsy]

Oh I am so sad. I felt like I was reading the story of our shelter that we had to close this summer. We are attempting to regroup, but the prospects are bleak. We also have no money and no volunteers. I am going to send this to all my rescue people to see if anyone can help. I have to wait until I get home tonight since I am still at school and my address book is at home. I have a new friend that I will also send it to that has more resources in different places. I would take each and every one of them if I could, but, we just lost half of our personal dogs and that devastated me, but will definitely get someone to look at least and forward it around. Good luck!! God speed and you guys will be in my prayers.

[gr8dane]

Thank you and all the special needs furbabies thank you too. Hope they all find a loving forever home

Lori

[mugsy]

I have emailed all of my rescue resources. I hope it helps!.

[mugsy]

Lori,

I have a couple of rescues that are asking questions. I don't know if they are interested or not, but want to know if these guys are legit. Can you tell me what you know about them so I can pass it on? Thanks!