Membership drive and board meetings Happy winter holidays! And happy new year to all of our rescue family members and member supporters! We are happy and excited to start our new year with some new friendly faces joining us in 2018. Along with seven brand new Direct Horse Care Volunteers, we also have two brand new Board Members, joining our organization. This year is going to be exciting, transformational, and successful for sure. We need everyone's continued support, but we also need new sponsors and donors to help us support our increasing herd with the addition of two new horses, Snow and Sugar, from Oregon. Please help us kick off our 2018 year by joining our organization as a Golden Horseshoe Level Member today! And please consider becoming a Golden Wings Sponsor for one of these lovely ladies this year. Stay tuned for some fun and educational community outreach events coming this spring. We hope to see everyone there!
Southern California fire update Some of you are really struggling with the fire situations in Southern California right now. This has been a challenging situation for everyone. Please rest assured that Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc. is working hard at ensuring that Inclement Weather and Fire Evacuation Procedures are in place and property owners / facility owners are figuring out the best way to manage a potential threat from the fires. Despite freeway closures and poor air quality in some areas, there has been no immanent threat to the Simi Valley area at this time and no announcement has been made to plan for evacuation. But we are preparing for that if it happens.
The latest news updates have stated that the Ventura County Fairgrounds is where all large animals are being taken in case of evacuation. However, we have heard from neighbors who are assisting with hauling that the facility there is full. So we are looking for alternate temporary housing options. One of our fosters who lives and used to board in Oak View, was evacuated from Rancho Arnaz. She is in temporary shelter now and her horses are located in the Humane Society of Ventura County in Ojai, which we also heard was burning. Though it is not burning, the air quality is bad there. We are in touch with her regarding her situation. So far, her horses and she are ok. One of our hay sponsors was also evacuated from Oak View and is staying temporarily with a friend in Oxnard. So far, her family is ok. Our ranch horse, Baby, is in training and boarding in Sun Valley, which is being threatened by the Shadow Hills fire. The air quality is poor, but there have been no evacuations from her facility so far, so we are monitoring that closely. Another horse that we placed with Tierra Del Sol Foundation in Sunland is in a fire threat zone, but again, no evacuations have been called there. So we are monitoring Copper's well-being there. This has been a challenging situation for everyone. Although my daughters are going back to school today, LAUSD has mandated that all Teachers who work in the West and East San Fernando Valley do not go to the schools today. 265 schools have closed due to poor air quality and potential evacuation of the areas near the fires in Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Sylmar, and surrounding areas in between. Therefore, I am home today and tomorrow, monitoring and preparing for any further action we may need to take. The safety of our horses and our people caring for them are of utmost importance. We will take every step necessary to try to protect lives, property, and keep everyone safe. There has been a lot of "panic" on the social media and news channels recently, and it is our understanding that all of the Ventura County fires are 5% contained, but the wind is picking up again and it has been a struggle. There are also Los Angeles City fires which are very strong and active. They are 0% contained. We ask that everyone stay where they are, do not move our horses without notifying us first. And try to remain calm. Prepare for power outages and evacuation procedures. And wait for emergency response personnel to notify us of what we need to do. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concerns and who is helping in this situation. Your support is very appreciated and valuable. With Much Love & Gratitude, Deborah 3 Horses being placed in california Sugar, a 27-year-old mare being placed with AGHR. Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc. (Simi Valley, CA), Villa Chardonnay Horses With Wings Sanctuary (Temecula / Hemet, CA), and Equine Outreach Rescue (Bend, OR) are working together to place 5 horses coming from Oregon to California next week. This effort is going to cost over $1000 in transport, as well as $900+ for health certificates, coggins, and vet prep for transport to CA. At this holiday season, we know things are very tight and budgets are limited, but we all need your support as soon as possible and as much as possible. All 3 rescues are 501(c)3 registered reputable organizations, and your charitable contribution to any of these rescues for the placement of:
1.) Sugar (27 year old mare) - with Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc. 2.) Snow (19+ year old mare) - with Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc. 3.) Tina (11 year old mare) - with Villa Chardonnay Horses With Wings Sanctuary Please make a tax-deductible donation to Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc., Villa Chardonnay Horses With Wings Sanctuary (www.villachardonnay.org) or Equine Outreach Rescue (www.equineoutreach.com) to help us all with this move. Unfortunately, Equine Outreach has lost their land lease and is ceasing operations. We must move these horses by early to mid-next week in order to get it done with a charitable hauler. All 3 rescues need funds to move these 5 horses immediately. Both Animal Guardians Horse Rescue, Inc., and Villa Chardonnay Horses With Wings Sanctuary need ongoing sponsors for these precious mares with special needs. Please consider sponsoring a horse/pony for hay through the winter and into the spring, and beyond. Sponsorships are tax-deductible and very appreciated. Thank you for helping us with this huge rescue endeavor moving 5 horses from Oregon to California within a week time frame. |