Hi Liz,
This is Mouse. Her mother was rescued from a hoarder in Los Angeles by our friends at Kindred Spirits Care Farm. Soon after, this terribly neglected pig gave birth to four adorable piglets... Mouse was born!
Mouse is a beautiful and curious pig who is so grateful for the compassion and kindness of her sanctuary home.
Mouse and her family lack protection… and they need it urgently!
Despite being rescued, Mouse and her family are still vulnerable. The Chatsworth Hills where they live is also naturally home to native wild predators that inhabited the area well before the sanctuary was established. Currently, the sanctuary lacks the structures necessary to safeguard rescued animals from cougars who are at risk of going extinct.
Every day that goes by while Mouse remains unprotected puts her, her family, and wild animals at risk of coming into conflict...
Nearby Mouse's home is Highway 101, a ten-lane highway carrying Los Angeles traffic. It's a huge road that poses a huge problem. The highway is deadly to animals who live there, including coyotes, bobcats, mule deer, gopher snakes, desert cottontails, western toads, and cougars in particular.
In response, a spectacular initiative led by our friends at the National Wildlife Federation plans to span the highway by building a wild animal crossing at Liberty Canyon. This crossing will prevent animals from being struck and killed, and reconnect habitats fragmented by Highway 101.
In short, the wildlife crossing will prevent the local extinction of cougars and vastly improve the lives of all of the region's wild animals. This is wonderful news for the countless wild animals who call the area home, but...
Did you know? People taking out lethal depredation permits on cougars also contributes greatly to their risk of extinction!
To save cougars and sanctuary animals, we have introduced Cougar Conservancy Founder and Director Korinna Domingo to Kindred Spirits Care Farm Founder and Director Karen Snook. Initial discussions have evolved into the Kindred Spirits Care Farm Barn Project!
Building barns will provide the best possible homes for Mouse and other rescued animals… but crucially, the barns will prevent conflicts with cougars and other native predators.
The total estimated cost to build five mini-barns is just $16,375. The cost of this solution is nothing compared to the heartbreaking loss of rescued animals and cougars.
With your support to build the barns, you can save cougars and Mouse.
Kindred Spirits Care Farm can be a beacon of hope for rescued and wild animals alike by modeling best coexistence practices. This example would crucially provide local communities and sanctuary visitors with effective alternatives to lethal depredation permits to prevent or resolve human-wildlife conflicts.
Everyone benefits from good animal care practices! Lethal depredation permits don't solve the problem, if anything they can make problems worse! Cougars make our landscapes a better place for native wild animals — their contribution to California ecosystems is priceless.
Your donation of $25 today to build the barns will protect Mouse and enable rescued animals to safely coexist with cougars!
Please give what you can now to this lifesaving project.
Marilyn Kroplick, M.D.
President
In Defense of Animals
P.S. Mouse and her rescued animal family are unprotected. We have a plan, and the solution is at hand. All that is left to do is raise the remaining required funds and build the barns. Donate $25 today so sanctuary animals and cougars can safely coexist!
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