Double JJ Ranch Update
The last two weeks have been very busy ones at SASHA Farm. Here’s a recap of the events of the last two weeks, and where we are now.
First, you alerted us to the situation at Double JJ Ranch. With travel and tourism dollars scarce these days, the once booming tourist attraction declared bankruptcy, and the animals there, from imposing bulls to tiny rabbits, were in danger of being the next victims of this economic crisis. We took action quickly, and so did you. Your generosity and support has been touching and truly overwhelming. We are so thankful for you, our supporters, who are willing to give so generously at a time when we’re all feeling the economic pinch to some degree. You are the reason we are able to help as many animals as we do each year. Thank you so much!
Shortly after we sent out our message, other rescue groups took notice as well. We heard from dog and horse rescues, humane societies, other sanctuaries with resources that surpass ours, and private individual rescuers who wanted to do whatever they could to help. We had so much hope that with so many groups and individuals on the side of the animals, not a single one would slip through the cracks.
We left for Rothbury on Wednesday so that we could spend a day visiting with the animals and, we hoped, the caretakers, before the auction on Thursday. That turned out to be a wise decision. Double JJ Ranch is a huge place, absolutely beautiful, and it took us quite awhile to see everyone and everything. The animals were exactly as we’d hoped, in good shape, well fed and well cared for considering their circumstances. We were very lucky to meet a gentlemen who had been with the ranch for ten years, and who’d worked with all animals in that time. He was an invaluable source of information, especially on the horses. He kindly pointed out which horses were bonded to each other, and when we told him that we represented an animal sanctuary where animals live out their entire lives without being expected to perform or work, he brought over an elderly horse who was special to him and asked if we would give her a home. We assured him we would, and that we would make sure the horse she was bonded to came with her. We asked if he knew of horses or other animals who were being bid on by other caretakers or members of the ranch, and he provided us with that information as well. We were able to pass that on to other groups coming to bid on horses in hopes that they would defer to the people with whom the horses already had relationships. After visiting with the cows–beautiful, gentle girls, many of whom were in advanced stages of pregnancy–we returned to the hotel hopeful that the next day would go smoothly.
That didn’t quite happen, though. The Muskegon Chronicle has an article that sums up the events of the day quite well. So many people filled the room that the auction was being held in that the police arrived to stop more people from entering. Luckily, we had arrived early and managed to stay inside, packed with hundreds of others, for the entire auction.
As of now, the outcome of the auction is still uncertain. One bidder made a tentative offer on the entirety of the ranch including the animals. The offer is less than a third of what is owed to creditors, and it will be up to the bankruptcy court to decide what happens next. It is our understanding that this offer is only a starting point for further negotiations, and there is a chance the whole deal will fall through. The good news is that the animals are not in immediate danger. They won’t be separated, and they are being cared for by people who know and love them. We are being told that the whole situation might take six to eight months to untangle. We have made it clear to the trustee and the attorneys that if at any point they decide that the animals need to leave the ranch, whether their feed and health care starts to cost more than they are willing to pay or the prospective new owners just decide they don’t want them, they are welcome at SASHA Farm. We are prepared to provide sanctuary to any of them for any reason.
While this outcome is disappointing for those expecting new SASHA Farm residents this month, SASHA Farm’s presence there provided an important safety net for those animals. I’m not sure even we felt the full weight of that responsibility until we were packed into that auction room with so many people who were there to buy animals, especially the cows, for horrible purposes. While the wonderful attorneys from the Animals and Society Institute managed to negotiate a “no-kill buyers only” agreement for the horses and dogs, conversations we overheard concerning the cattle were enough to make our blood boil. Rodeo associations were there, hoping to buy the gentle Brahma steer. Rodeos are infamous for their cruel treatment of the animals they use for entertainment. The worst were probably the impatient meat buyers behind us. One of them did an imitation of an auctioneer, then clapped his hands to symbolize a sale, yelled, “Sold! Dead cow!” and laughed menacingly. There were hundreds of people there to buy horses, but had the auction proceeded as expected, SASHA Farm would have been the only friend the cattle had in that room, and we were prepared to literally save the lives of every cow in that herd if necessary. You made that possible. Thank you.
So, what happens now? We wait. We will put the donations you gave for this mission into a newly created Emergency Rescue Fund. Next time a situation like this occurs, or if in six months, these animals once again need us, we will be ready. When Jefferson made national headlines, we had to fundraise quickly. When Hurricane Katrina left thousands of dogs homeless, we had to fundraise quickly. When the Double JJ Ranch animals needed us, we had to fundraise quickly. We want to be prepared next time so that we can focus on the rescue and worry about the money later. Those of you who donated to this mission will be contacted later this week with more information about this fund, and we will continue to take donations to add to it. Just earmark your donation for the Emergency Rescue Fund if you would like it reserved for that purpose.
Once again, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. As this continues to unfold, we will update you whenever we know of developments. We would like to publicly thank the staff at the Double JJ Ranch for taking the time to speak with us so frankly while they were clearly dealing with their own set of disappointments and difficulties. We are here to do what is in the best interest of the animals, and we trust that all involved will work towards that goal as well.
November 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am
Thank you for all you do; it had to be so difficult to be there hearing the words of cruel, selfish and greedy people.
You are all angels for the animals and have hearts bigger than many people can comprehend. I hope to see you at the Thanksgiving feast!
Love, Stacy
p.s. Willa had a wonderful time greeting the crowds of trick-or-treaters who came just to see her!