Vol. 4, No.
01 February 2008
Llama Rescue
Llama Rescue
Llama
Rescue Stories
by L’illette Vasquez
L’illy Llamas of VeeVeeVille
Boulder CO, USA
Wanted: A Warm, Dry Place to Lay a Lama Head
I write a lot about lama rescue—the one-L “lama” including both llamas and, increasingly, alpacas—why it’s needed, that most “rescue lamas” come from situations where the owners just can’t keep them any longer, of the sad times where we do literally save lama lives. But the stark and bitter truth of lama rescue is that we just don’t have enough homes to take in all the lamas that need us.
Our sanctuaries are filled past the point where we can take in more. Our established foster homes are at their limits. And yet we continue to get calls, to respond to newspaper ads, to offer help and advice. But too seldom now can we offer a new place to live for an animal in need.
Do you have room for
two or three more? Do you have a neighbor with some appropriate
acreage, a bit of shelter and a willingness to join the ranks of lama
lovers? Do you have a little bit of time when you could look for those?
We need you. A lot of llamas and alpacas need you.
A Too-Common Scenario
This is an example of a situation that occurs fairly often. A great couple—let’s call them Becky and John—have, over the years, lived their dream. They have a cozy little house with a nice barn, not new, but just what they could handle. They’d looked into getting horses because their dream house came with some acreage. Instead, they were happily steered toward lamas. For many years, they’ve been in the community, maybe not members of any big organizations, but good people with good friends living a good life.
A great
couple—let’s call them Becky and John—have, over the years, lived their
dream. They have a cozy little house with a nice barn, not new, but
just what they could handle. They’d looked into getting horses because
their dream house came with some acreage. Instead, they were happily
steered toward lamas. For many years, they’ve been in the community,
maybe not members of any big organizations, but good people with good
friends living a good life.
Then things changed. The kids grew up, went away to college, made lives of their own. John got really sick, and the medical bills took a huge toll on the family’s finances. Becky has to work full-time and still care for the animals they acquired in their happier years. She’s tired, and overwhelmed, and has too many mouths to feed, too many lives depending on her. They both struggle just to get through the day. After many sad and painful discussions, Becky and John agree that, for the best interests of the animals they so love, they need to let the llamas go.
They can’t sell them—no market for older, pet-quality llamas. They can’t bear the thought of sending them to an auction house where they might be purchased by slaughter house buyers, and the llamas, though not young, are a long way from the ends of their lives. So they call a legitimate rescue like Southwest Llama Rescue, Inc. (SWLR) or Southeast Llama Rescue (SELR). (Note: More rescue organizations are listed on these organizations’ websites.)
As the Colorado
Coordinator for SWLR, I get the email outlining the situation. I talk
with Becky and John, assuring them that there is no stigma in rescue,
but rather that we can help save their lamas lives and ensure them good
homes. They send me their paperwork to surrender their llamas to SWLR;
I begin the search for foster homes and transport.
And there it stops.
There are no foster homes waiting for these animals. There’s no one in their area who can help move them. Or maybe there’s a potential home in a neighboring state, but no one to take them there. Either way, the llamas lose. Forced to take action, Becky and John take their beloved llama companions to auction, where they have no control over who ends up with them or the future quality of their lives.
This is not an uncommon situation. Aside from the numbers of llama owners who don’t even bother to contact a rescue organization, too many of our camelid rescues have had to close their doors to intakes, thankfully for only brief periods; but the day could come that we simply cannot take in any more.
The Foster Process
The foster process
is pretty simple. You would contact a legitimate rescue, one like SWLR
or SELR. With SWLR, for example, we will send you the paperwork that
you will complete and return to us. You’ll also get lists of facility
requirements and other information you’ll need to become a foster farm.
Someone from our group will come out to visit you and confirm that your
place meets our minimum requirements; and then we figure out some way
to get the animals to you. You’ll be responsible for their daily care;
their pictures will be put on the website adoption pages. If
someone contacts us and wants to adopt a lama in your care, you’d get
“first right of refusal”—so if you’ve taken in some of Becky and John’s
beloved lamas, and you fell in love with old Captain, you’d be able to
keep him instead of letting him go out for adoption.
So yes, there’s a cost to fostering. But there’s a greater cost to the animals that have no foster home to which they can go.
Facility Requirements
Here’s the abbreviated SWLR foster requirements list (see the full list at http://southwestlamarescue.org):
* A fenced pasture that allows for four lamas or six alpacas per acre.
* A knowledgeable, experienced lama mentor who is willing to help you learn the ropes of lama ownership if you’ve not already had
that delight.
* A restraint chute for general care, health treatments and medical emergencies (easy to build, and plans available online).
* A three- or four-sided shelter that provides adequate protection from prevailing winds.
* A local vet who knows how to treat lamas (or is willing to learn, consulting with an established lama vet).
* Access to a trailer if you don’t have your own.
* A basic first-aid kit.
* An off-the-ground hay manger or rack for feeding.
* A sheltered storage area for hay and feed.
* Appropriate feed and water containers.
* A catch pen where the animals can be herded and haltered.
* Pasture cleaning tools.
You don’t have every item on that list, or some don’t quite match? No problem. Do you have friends and neighbors? Kids that need something to do that will get them off the computers and outside? A phone… so you can call one of our groups, and maybe together we can come up with a plan?
If You Can’t, Who Can?
I’m not in a
position where I can take in any more animals myself without detracting
from the care of the animals already here. But that doesn’t mean I
can’t contribute. I can send out articles like this, make phone calls,
put up fliers, research legitimate rescues to be sure lamas don’t end
up in worse situations than where they began. I can talk to people,
even strangers, about the wonders of lamas and the remarkable people in
the lama world. I can find some of those strangers who might be willing
to open their hearts and their barn doors to lamas in need; and I can
act as their mentor while they get started in our world.
Folks, we’re a community. A community of people who love these animals, who admire and respect their contribution to our worlds, and genuinely enjoy the company of other folks like us. Every one of us can help this situation, can prevent good lamas ending up in bad situations, can help save lamas already suffering from neglect. This New Year has just begun. It’s still a great time to make a powerful impact in one little corner of the world. We can’t save everyone, fix everything. But together, working in groups or individually, we can make a lot of good stuff happen.
For
more information on how you can help, contact me or go to one of
these
websites:
http://southwestlamarescue.org or http://southeastlamarescue.org
L'illette
L’illette Vasquez
Southeast/Southwest Llama Rescues, Colorado Coordinator
RMLA Rescue Committee, Chairperson
National Lama IRC Council, Rocky Mountain Area Coordinator
303.747.3809 office
775.256.4860 fax
lillette@veevee.com
by L’illette Vasquez
L’illy Llamas of VeeVeeVille
Boulder CO, USA
Wanted: A Warm, Dry Place to Lay a Lama Head
I write a lot about lama rescue—the one-L “lama” including both llamas and, increasingly, alpacas—why it’s needed, that most “rescue lamas” come from situations where the owners just can’t keep them any longer, of the sad times where we do literally save lama lives. But the stark and bitter truth of lama rescue is that we just don’t have enough homes to take in all the lamas that need us.
Our sanctuaries are filled past the point where we can take in more. Our established foster homes are at their limits. And yet we continue to get calls, to respond to newspaper ads, to offer help and advice. But too seldom now can we offer a new place to live for an animal in need.
Do you have room for
two or three more? Do you have a neighbor with some appropriate
acreage, a bit of shelter and a willingness to join the ranks of lama
lovers? Do you have a little bit of time when you could look for those?
We need you. A lot of llamas and alpacas need you. A Too-Common Scenario
This is an example of a situation that occurs fairly often. A great couple—let’s call them Becky and John—have, over the years, lived their dream. They have a cozy little house with a nice barn, not new, but just what they could handle. They’d looked into getting horses because their dream house came with some acreage. Instead, they were happily steered toward lamas. For many years, they’ve been in the community, maybe not members of any big organizations, but good people with good friends living a good life.
A great
couple—let’s call them Becky and John—have, over the years, lived their
dream. They have a cozy little house with a nice barn, not new, but
just what they could handle. They’d looked into getting horses because
their dream house came with some acreage. Instead, they were happily
steered toward lamas. For many years, they’ve been in the community,
maybe not members of any big organizations, but good people with good
friends living a good life. Then things changed. The kids grew up, went away to college, made lives of their own. John got really sick, and the medical bills took a huge toll on the family’s finances. Becky has to work full-time and still care for the animals they acquired in their happier years. She’s tired, and overwhelmed, and has too many mouths to feed, too many lives depending on her. They both struggle just to get through the day. After many sad and painful discussions, Becky and John agree that, for the best interests of the animals they so love, they need to let the llamas go.
They can’t sell them—no market for older, pet-quality llamas. They can’t bear the thought of sending them to an auction house where they might be purchased by slaughter house buyers, and the llamas, though not young, are a long way from the ends of their lives. So they call a legitimate rescue like Southwest Llama Rescue, Inc. (SWLR) or Southeast Llama Rescue (SELR). (Note: More rescue organizations are listed on these organizations’ websites.)
As the Colorado
Coordinator for SWLR, I get the email outlining the situation. I talk
with Becky and John, assuring them that there is no stigma in rescue,
but rather that we can help save their lamas lives and ensure them good
homes. They send me their paperwork to surrender their llamas to SWLR;
I begin the search for foster homes and transport.And there it stops.
There are no foster homes waiting for these animals. There’s no one in their area who can help move them. Or maybe there’s a potential home in a neighboring state, but no one to take them there. Either way, the llamas lose. Forced to take action, Becky and John take their beloved llama companions to auction, where they have no control over who ends up with them or the future quality of their lives.
This is not an uncommon situation. Aside from the numbers of llama owners who don’t even bother to contact a rescue organization, too many of our camelid rescues have had to close their doors to intakes, thankfully for only brief periods; but the day could come that we simply cannot take in any more.
The Foster Process
The foster process
is pretty simple. You would contact a legitimate rescue, one like SWLR
or SELR. With SWLR, for example, we will send you the paperwork that
you will complete and return to us. You’ll also get lists of facility
requirements and other information you’ll need to become a foster farm.
Someone from our group will come out to visit you and confirm that your
place meets our minimum requirements; and then we figure out some way
to get the animals to you. You’ll be responsible for their daily care;
their pictures will be put on the website adoption pages. If
someone contacts us and wants to adopt a lama in your care, you’d get
“first right of refusal”—so if you’ve taken in some of Becky and John’s
beloved lamas, and you fell in love with old Captain, you’d be able to
keep him instead of letting him go out for adoption. So yes, there’s a cost to fostering. But there’s a greater cost to the animals that have no foster home to which they can go.
Facility Requirements
Here’s the abbreviated SWLR foster requirements list (see the full list at http://southwestlamarescue.org):
* A fenced pasture that allows for four lamas or six alpacas per acre.
* A knowledgeable, experienced lama mentor who is willing to help you learn the ropes of lama ownership if you’ve not already had
that delight.
* A restraint chute for general care, health treatments and medical emergencies (easy to build, and plans available online).
* A three- or four-sided shelter that provides adequate protection from prevailing winds.
* A local vet who knows how to treat lamas (or is willing to learn, consulting with an established lama vet).
* Access to a trailer if you don’t have your own.
* A basic first-aid kit.
* An off-the-ground hay manger or rack for feeding.
* A sheltered storage area for hay and feed.
* Appropriate feed and water containers.
* A catch pen where the animals can be herded and haltered.
* Pasture cleaning tools.
You don’t have every item on that list, or some don’t quite match? No problem. Do you have friends and neighbors? Kids that need something to do that will get them off the computers and outside? A phone… so you can call one of our groups, and maybe together we can come up with a plan?
If You Can’t, Who Can?
I’m not in a
position where I can take in any more animals myself without detracting
from the care of the animals already here. But that doesn’t mean I
can’t contribute. I can send out articles like this, make phone calls,
put up fliers, research legitimate rescues to be sure lamas don’t end
up in worse situations than where they began. I can talk to people,
even strangers, about the wonders of lamas and the remarkable people in
the lama world. I can find some of those strangers who might be willing
to open their hearts and their barn doors to lamas in need; and I can
act as their mentor while they get started in our world.Folks, we’re a community. A community of people who love these animals, who admire and respect their contribution to our worlds, and genuinely enjoy the company of other folks like us. Every one of us can help this situation, can prevent good lamas ending up in bad situations, can help save lamas already suffering from neglect. This New Year has just begun. It’s still a great time to make a powerful impact in one little corner of the world. We can’t save everyone, fix everything. But together, working in groups or individually, we can make a lot of good stuff happen.
For
more information on how you can help, contact me or go to one of
thesewebsites:
http://southwestlamarescue.org or http://southeastlamarescue.org
L'illette
L’illette Vasquez
Southeast/Southwest Llama Rescues, Colorado Coordinator
RMLA Rescue Committee, Chairperson
National Lama IRC Council, Rocky Mountain Area Coordinator
303.747.3809 office
775.256.4860 fax
lillette@veevee.com
