Managing a sanctuary with over 100 rescued wild animals is especially stressful in times of natural and manmade disasters. We have contingency plans in place for every conceivable situation, but that does little to minimize the stress when the time comes.

As of the most recent update, Hurricane Dorian is moving NW toward the coast of Florida. The sanctuary is under a tropical storm warning right now. We are as prepared as we can be. The animals are in their safety areas and we are now just holding our breath.

Thankfully, Dorian’s most recent path looks like it will stay offshore and not make landfall…and we hope that the forecast remains accurate. We will still have high winds, but not nearly the devastation that was predicted earlier when Dorian was a Category 5 hurricane and supposed to hit Florida directly.

Of course, the forecasted path of this huge storm can change at any moment. We will remain prepared and will update you if anything changes. Meanwhile, we hope for the best for our friends and family on the east coast and in the Bahamas.

Forest Animal Rescue is constantly purchasing supplies and equipment to help ensure the safety of the sanctuary in emergencies like this. Not only are we regularly building safety areas for the animals, but we also keep trees in and around habitats pruned on an ongoing basis. We are installing a 10,000-gallon water tank with a high-volume water pump for fighting fires and refilling fire trucks at the sanctuary.

With your help, we can stay prepared for whatever emergency arises, whether it is a hurricane, fire or other disasters.

Thank you in advance for your donation to our Disaster Fund.

We had substantial rain, wind and some tornadoes in the area, but all of the animals (and humans) are safe.

The animal habitats are unharmed, but with 80 acres of wooded land, we have lots of trees down and damaged and have some equipment that didn’t do so well.

The 17,000 watt generator at the sanctuary kept the freezers, the well, and everything else running smoothly through power outages.

Unfortunately, the intern/volunteer houses are still without power. The power company says that it may be back on as soon as tomorrow.

What we need:

• Tree service – if you or someone you know does professional tree-trimming, we have some HUGE trees that are damaged and threatening to fall on parts of the sanctuary

• Volunteers to help clean up the debris – If you would like to help and have not already done so, please complete a volunteer application so that you can be added to our volunteer email list. We will be scheduling work days soon.

• New equipment and equipment repairs – We are in need of new chain saws, hedgers, pole saws, chains, straps and anything else that can be used to clean up the mess – as well as repairs to our equipment.

We won’t let this slow us down – we are still working on our Animal Care Building as well as the constant expansion of animal habitats.

Would you like to join us?

There was a lot of wind and rain, but fortunately we had minimal damage.

A large tree limb was blocking the driveway this morning but all of the animals and people are safe and sound. There are a few more bands of thunderstorms that will pass through yet, but the worst is over.

Thank you for all of your calls and emails checking on us – we truly appreciate your friendship and support.

Now to clean up the mess! 80 acres of woods after a windstorm can leave a lot of debris to clean up. Do you want to volunteer?