The incredible people at Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary already push themselves to their limit taking care of rescued farm animals and giving them a safe home. But Hurricane Michael has just made that task all the harder as the sanctuary has now been without power for over five days.

Without power, there is so little that they can do. No laundry has been done for almost a week, any food that needs refrigerating has now spoiled, and to keep the animals safe, they have had to keep them inside due to the bad weather, which is causing them stress. There is no phone service or WiFi, and in fact, the only way the volunteers there can get any word to the outside world is when they drive away from the site. Their Facebook page was updated as one of the staff drove to a vet to pick up some shots for some of their charges.

The barns the animals are kept in are so dark that it’s impossible to do any cleaning, meaning these animals are now susceptible to more disease. As well as this, the staff has to administer medical care by flashlight or in the dark! It is a frightening time for everyone involved, with both animals and humans alike struggling.

The sanctuary has a generator in the pump house, which means when it’s working, the animals at least are getting clean drinking water. But they are at a breaking point, as Ziggy’s cares for 67 animals with 62 of them weighing between 50 and 1,500 pounds, meaning the staff there have no idea what is around them when they are trying to do their best in the dark.

The sanctuary currently has a group from the Appalachian State University staying to help, who are also mucking in and living off-grid unintentionally because of the lack of power!

Everyone working at Ziggy’s loves these animals and is giving their all. But instead of being praised for their efforts, the sanctuary has received messages asking them to take on even more animals, and even ones suggesting they don’t do enough! 

So here’s what we need to happen. The farm needs a generator that is big enough to keep running if another storm comes. If the temperature had been any higher than the 50 degrees it has been following Hurricane Michael, a bigger generator would literally mean the difference between life and death.

With an estimate from Generac of $11,000 for a suitable generator and its installation, Ziggy’s is going to need a lot of generous donations to make sure this situation never happens again. They aren’t asking for frivolous things or life’s luxuries, they are asking for something to help them sustain their farm, and keep these beautiful animals alive and cared for.

We know it is a lot to ask, but these animals need help, and this beautiful Sanctuary needs us to help them in order to do that. Please consider making a donation. Visit Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary’s Facebook page to see some of their truly incredible work and beautiful residents.

Image Source: Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary