There are many people who want an animal to share their home and life with. Right now – in times of Corona and home office – the demand for dogs, cats and other pets is steadily increasing. However, the awareness of the responsibility that one has to take on and the many tasks that one has to face often fall by the wayside.
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Likewise, very few think about what will happen to the animal when normal working life returns or the living conditions should otherwise change. Some of these animals end up with 33-year-old Adri Rachelle from the US state of Georgia, who opened her heart and gates to animals that were left behind and thus set up the “Wild Things Sanctuary” animal rescue station.
When she started the campaign a few years ago, it was only a few animals that she took in. In the meantime there are already 162 animals (and the trend is rising) that may have found their last home with Adri. And this includes not only dogs and cats, but also cows, pigs, emus, lizards, snakes and any other animal that crosses Adri’s path and needs help.
She herself says about the establishment of the animal rescue station that after a few years of animal rescue it became clear to her that “it is not just a hobby to help animals in need, but my true calling”. So she quit her old job and made animal care her full-time job. While it’s a lot of work, Adri doesn’t necessarily see it as such. “Looking after almost 200 animals, of course, means that I am on my feet seven days a week from morning to night. No vacation, no days off. Still, I love every minute of it and it pays off because the animals are fine. “
“The animals also do me something good and give me so much in return. If I just wanted to meet their basic needs, that is, food, water and a clean enclosure, then I would be done with everything in a few hours. But I never wanted it that way and that’s why I don’t do it that way. It is certainly very demanding, since many of the animals that come to me are either very old, sick or severely neglected, but it still pays off. “
Financially, too, it is not always easy to start such a project. In the beginning, Adri was completely on her own, selling most of her belongings to build the animal rescue station. “Because we are still a very young rescue center, there is hardly any donation income. There is also another big factor that sets us apart from other animal rescue stations: we will never open to the public. Of course, this also means that there is no income, but many of the animals have had very bad experiences with people, which is why I don’t want to force something like that on them. “
Anyone thinking about starting such an animal rescue center should be aware that all savings must be invested in it. “I spend around 1,000 euros a month (converted) on food for everyone. The veterinary costs fluctuate every month, but calculated over the whole year you can expect around 8,500 euros. The whole construction campaign of the last few years has cost around 45,000 euros. ”Furthermore, one always has to plan for an emergency: An animal becomes sick or injured or something has to be repaired. But for Adri it’s worth every penny.
The young American has uploaded a video to YouTube in which she introduces all the animals and tells how they came to her. For example, she bought many of the animals from farmers who no longer had any capacity and should have slaughtered the animals. Still others, however, contacted Adri with the request to help them and their animals, as they could no longer take care of them. One of her goats, she recalls, had to be bottle-raised by the farmer. After that, the man couldn’t bring himself to slaughter the animal and asked Adri for help.
She got one of her parrots from a woman because “the responsibility was too great for her to look after an animal that can easily live to be 50-100 years old.”
The Great Dane that lives with her was given to her by the previous owners when she was young. “After a few months, the owners realized that the dog was getting bigger than expected,” she says, slightly irritated. However the animals come to her, it is important to Adri that people know: Please think before you get a pet! Because many of the animals that live with her originally come from other families as pets.
However the animals came to Adri Rachelle – it’s nice that they have now found a real home. An admirable life’s work that Adri has taken on, and a big “thank you” to her from probably all animal lovers out there.
If you want to support Adri Rachelle and her animal rescue station, you can send her donations via this link.
Thumbnails: © Instagram / adrirachelle ©Instagram / adrirachelle