By Dustin Sharp
White Owl Animal Sanctuary is slowly recovering after facing recent emergency conditions and is in need of donations, items and financial.
The Sanctuary is an all-volunteer animal rescue and shelter serving the 2.1-million acre Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota.
Winter Storm Dias last month buried the Reservation in approximately 30 inches of snow. It was followed by a blast of high winds that intensified the blizzard conditions to grind local communities to a halt.
The recovery process is crippled by many factors: Limited infrastructure to efficiently clear roads and trucks slowing the resumption of deliveries of goods; and food leaving shelves with limited supplies. Additionally, communities have few job opportunities with an 85% unemployment rate making daily life challenging, not to mention their animal companions.
The Sanctuary endured days without electricity and heat. The water pipes at the Sanctuary ended up freezing before bursting open during the high-wind event right after the blizzard plus plummeting temperatures to -47 degrees F.
It is not uncommon for greater Pine Ridge community to endure days without electricity and/or heat, including running water during Winter weather events.
Your support will help provide funds for the critical work of caring for animals and by supporting the people who care for them. The Sanctuary seeks to address, or procure the following:
• Overhead expenses and daily operations;
• Donations to the food bank, including dog food, and cat food, and pet supplies;
• Plumbing; repair of burst pipes, and resulting water damage to the Sanctuary.
• Insulated dog houses and vinyl sheeting for dog doors to meet the sheer number of incoming animals;
• Self-powered indoor space heaters by InstaFire and 6. Cans of InstaFire six-hour canned heat/space heater.
Assisting families most at risk and in lack of utilities is a worthwhile national project.. One of the Sanctuary’s neighbors is 80+ years old, for example, and lives in an all-electric trailer. She would be one of the first to receive these life-saving supplies.
Greatly appreciated at the Sanctuary will be generous support. Donations can be made online. More can be learned on the Sanctuary by visiting whiteowlsanctuary.org