David K - 1-11-2006 at 08:59 AM
< Nomads, I received this from Bonni Mackintosh >
Hello all--
I don't think I've ever sent out/forwarded an appeal such as this ever, but Graham and I met Henry and Carol on our honeymoon in Los Cabos in 1995,
and have kept in contact ever since. In case you can possibly help, or care to, I send this along in the spirit of "Nearer my Dog to Thee."
Check out their website link, if you like, to the San Felipe animal rescue program. Thanks for your consideration.
Bonni
From: HENRY & CAROL BLAU
To:
Subject: An appeal for help
Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2006 8:44 PM
Hi there
I'm going to be asking you a great big favor. As you know, we have been heavily involved with animal work down here in San Felipe, and though many of
you have offered and given support, we have never blatantly asked for anything. Now we are in desperate need of your help.
In the small hours of Sunday morning, someone, or more than one person, broke into the San Felipe Animal Rescue Shelter outside of town here. The
twelve foot gate was forced open, probably with a car. The vandals then broke into the mobile home we use for food and medicine and supply storage
and where we keep our youngest puppies with their Moms. After stealing the workers tools, and presumably the hypodermic needles and whatever else
they thought they needed, they then set fire to the mobile, incinerating the 14 dogs inside. It has burnt to the ground.
We are working hard to re-group. A volunteer has already set up a temporary electrical supply. We have had our water cistern re-filled by tanker,
but the pump and storage tank have melted away in the heat of the fire. Our washing machine has been destroyed, our current supply of dry dog food is
still shouldering as I write. Cans of dog food have exploded and the containment cages, both wire and plastic, have been rendered useless.
We have to be thankful that the 100 plus dogs in kennels around the compound have been left traumatized, but unmolested. However, without the water
pressure and hoses to clean up after them all, our work is cut out for us out there. Also, our supplies of bleach and other cleaning material was
also destroyed in the fire.
To rebuild the facility we are going to need a good influx of cash, and immediate replacement of all that was lost (sadly we had just taken delivery
of over $1,000.00 in medical supplies, now all gone but sorely needed).
Now comes the hard part.............. Can you help us with a donation, large or small? (and tax deductible as we are a registered non-profit group in
the U.S). If you want a receipt just put a note to that effect in with your donation, payable to San Felipe Animal Rescue, and mail it to:
Henry & Carol Blau
PMB 135
P.O.Box 9011
Calexico, CA 92232
Thank you so much. If you want to confirm that this isn't bull****, go to http://www.sfanimalrescue.org and you will see that this is also on our website.
Love
Henry and Carol
ursidae69 - 1-11-2006 at 09:14 AM
David, thanks for posting this. I made a donation to the shelter and I will most certainly visit them next time I am in San Felipe. I didn't know
they existed. Very noble cause.
David K - 1-11-2006 at 09:16 AM
You bet... their web site is well presented, too. What a terrible thing to have happened...
msenior - 1-11-2006 at 12:47 PM
We are heading down on Friday night with a 20' box trailer.
If anyone has anything to go give me a call and I'll see if we can hook up.
I'm working with UCI to donate a bunch of animal supplies....
Mike
I'm in Mission Viejo
949-922-5110 cell
[Edited on 1-11-2006 by msenior]
countering cruelty with compassion
djh - 1-11-2006 at 06:47 PM
I just sent a small donation and hope my fellow nomads will do the same. The heartless cruelty of the perpetrators makes the compassion of the good
folks at the SFAR even more valuable to all of us.
I won't sleep tonight thinking of those 14 dogs in the building that was torched... I have cats that I love like family.... and I just cannot
fathom.....
Ok, nomads, this is a virtual "old fashioned barn raising" for part of our community..... pitch in!
What's the byline...? Peace, Love, and Fish Tacos ? ?
Thanks for the post / assist, David K.
djh
Un poco mas por los gatos y perros (sp?)
djh - 1-12-2006 at 07:26 PM
C'mon Nomads. Dig down. Contribute a few dollars - and post a note here to encourage others to do the same.
Cruelty to our fellow humans is bad enough / too rampant, but totally unnecessary cruelty to little animals, locked in a cage, who have no voice - or
way to even ask for help.... that's just the worst of human potential....
Perhaps we can all help a little - and in doing so counter this inhumanity, lift the spirits of the volunteers who do this work, and help them to get
on their feet / paws again.
thx.
djh
Corky1 - 1-12-2006 at 07:52 PM
If you go to the web site you can donate via Pay Pal.
Corky
msenior - 1-13-2006 at 08:00 AM
UTDATE
I ended up with...
A gas dryer
Apx 20 cat carriers
Apx 30 large stainless dog kennals
We will be leaving tonight around 3am and should be at the vets office around 9am.
Hope we don't have a problem at the boarder.....
I still have some room if anyone has something to go down.
Mike
TMW - 1-13-2006 at 08:27 AM
Thanks Corky.
djh - 1-13-2006 at 09:17 AM
Likewise, Thank you Mike!
Lots of Cyber tail-wagging and purrrring for you!!!
You might either (or both) print off the postings here or ask SFAR to Email you a thank-you and explaination to the border folks so they don't ask you
to pay a duty on items donated to help a non-profit... Just a thought to try to make your trip as easy as it is kind.
djh
msenior - 1-13-2006 at 10:02 AM
djh....
I printed the orignal post for help from the forum, it's in english but I hope it helps.....
I just got this from my wife... our vet is helping too....
"I just spoke with Dr. B. He's putting together a care package for us to take down. A box of suringes, meds, etc. and more food."
Mike
David K - 1-13-2006 at 11:47 AM
I sent Bonni a link to this thread so she could see all the good pouring in... Here is an email she just sent me, with a second from San Felipe
following!:
Hi David--
Thanks to you and the kind Baja Nomad folks for your awesome response to this appeal. I got teary-eyed reading postings about how people have jumped
in to help. God Bless you all.
Bonni
Email from Carol (San Felipe) via Bonni...
David K - 1-13-2006 at 11:50 AM
Hi David--
This just came from Carol after I forwarded the Baja Nomad info to her. Once again, thanks so much to all you folks.
From: HENRY & CAROL ****
To: ****
Subject: Re: An appeal for help
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 9:47 AM
What a star you are, thank you for doing that.
Gosh, this is amazing, people are coming forward from everywhere. Our e-mail has been forwarded by friends to friends ad infinitum. I was planning
on closing our mailbox in May when we leave Baja, but I think I'd better keep it open and give the key to S.F.A.R. as this could have contributions
trickling in for ages.
Please post a huge Muchas Gracias to all those wonderful people.
Carol
Bajagato - 1-15-2006 at 10:25 AM
San Felipe and its dogs hold a special place in our hearts as our parents live south of town. We were very saddened by their loss and glad this post
was here, to hear this bad news and reach out and help. We donated today through Paypal (it makes it easy!) Lets all pitch in a little, it will make a
world of difference to their wonderful work they do to help the animals.
Bajaddict and Bajagato
Group vows to rebuild San Felipe animal shelter
BajaNews - 1-23-2006 at 06:27 AM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060123-9999-1m23s...
By Anna Cearley
January 23, 2006
Members of a U.S.-funded animal rescue group that runs a shelter in the San Felipe area of Baja California said they plan to rebuild after a
suspicious fire destroyed their clinic and killed 13 dogs earlier this month.
Members of San Felipe Animal Rescue believe the Jan. 7 fire was intentionally set after someone drove a vehicle through the shelter's front gates,
said Steven Forman, one of the group's co-founders. No one was at the facility when it was vandalized, he said.
A mother dog and 12 puppies died in the fire, Forman said. He said it's unclear whether the group's medicine for the animals was stolen before the
fire was set to the large trailer. The loss is estimated at $100,000.
Outside kennels that housed more than 100 dogs were vandalized, the group said, but those dogs survived.
"We aren't going to miss a beat," Forman said. "We are operating just like we did without the buildings, though we need money to rebuild and secure
the locations."
Forman said they have no idea why the shelter would be targeted. He said the group opened the shelter in a rural community called La Minitas to
minimize possible nuisance or noise complaints.
He said the fire destroyed the shelter's water and electrical systems. The group's members have brought in several small trailers to keep the clinic
open. Forman said they will eventually replace it with a concrete structure, better fencing and a security system.
San Felipe Animal Rescue was started in 2003 by a group of U.S. residents who spend time in the San Felipe area on the eastern part of the Baja
California peninsula. It is registered in Arizona as a nonprofit group, according to its Web site, It says it has spayed or neutered nearly 2,000
street dogs and cats, and has a long-term plan to assist more animals. Forman said the shelter's "no kill" policy means only animals in deep suffering
are euthanized.