February 21, 2024

Dear Jonathan,

Greetings! I hope your week is going well. I am excited to open our newsletter today with the following Fox Family Rescue Update from Keepers of the Wild Vice President Lara Kraft. Please take a few minutes to read it, as it is important:

You've probably heard by now that Keepers of the Wild has teamed up with Save A Fox to help rescue 500 foxes from a fur farm in Minnesota. While we wish we could take all 500 of these beautiful, innocent animals and give them a life of love, freedom, and the utmost care, we'd have to open another sanctuary to accommodate them! Since that's not an option, Jonathan Kraft, Keepers' Founder and Executive Director, along with Vice President, Lara Kraft, put on their thinking caps to come up with a plan to rescue as many of the foxes as possible. What began as a commitment to take in a family of six foxes has evolved to include up to an additional 20! 

In an effort to save time and funding, Jonathan and Lara decided to build an additional habitat to accommodate foxes so that a larger group could arrive at once. A family of six can reside in one, and a second family of six to eight individuals can comfortably live in the other. These animals have a long, long journey across the US to make it to the sanctuary. Their safety and wellbeing are our primary focus. Due to the huge scale of this rescue and the winter weather, the arrival of the foxes has taken a bit longer than initially anticipated, but the delay worked in everyone's favor because now even more lives will be impacted for the better. Sometimes, it's more than worth the wait.

These foxes have been kept in captivity awaiting their fate of becoming someone's future fashion accessory without even the most basic of freedoms since birth. The foxes living at the fur farm have been existing in small wire cages built off the ground and the majority of the animals have never even touched the ground with their paws...Ever.

Imagine how transformative their arrival at Keepers of the Wild will be! Natural habitats with plenty of room to run, jump, dig, and relax. The ability to be at peace knowing nobody will harm them and that they are safe and loved. The feeling of being cherished and cared for by professionals who will give them the best quality of life possible, from diets to medical care and all the fun enrichment in between. We can't wait to see the foxes' reactions when they are released into their new world and we can't wait to share their journey and progress with you!

If you would like to contribute to the Fox Rescue, please visit this link and comment "Fox Rescue" in the donation notes.

Thank you for being an amazing friend to the animals. You are appreciated more than words can express!

With gratitude,

Keepers of the Wild Board Member

VIEW THIS EMAIL ONLINE

NAME THE LEMUR CONTEST WINNER!

Meet Ancho! That name was randomly selected from all entries in last week's "Name the Lemur" contest! Our newest rescue, now named Ancho, is from El Paso, Texas. This cutie is a young male lemur who was illegally kept as a pet and was cruelly declawed. He has now found his fur-ever home here at Keepers of the Wild.

Congratulations to Karen E. for submitting the name Ancho, which we think suits him very well! In suggesting this name, Karen said, "He's from Texas, so a chili pepper name would be fitting and ancho chilis are on the milder and sweet side, but with just the right touch of spiciness."

Thank you to everyone who entered the naming contest. We enjoyed all your fun entries so much and appreciate your creativity and thoughtfulness. Come see Ancho on your next visit to the sanctuary!

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: THE GALLANDS!

Keepers of the Wild would like to give a heartfelt "thank you" to Tracey and Gerald Galland, who have long supported the animals and mission of the sanctuary. Their recent contribution allowed us to purchase a beautiful new pre-fabricated "house" for the foxes that will be arriving soon! Thank you for your friendship, faith, and generosity. You make a difference!

Keepers of the Wild has been able to focus on the lifesaving work of its mission since 1995 because of the wonderful people who choose to become the foundation of our organization, for which we and the animals are deeply grateful. 

WE LOVE YOUR FUR BABIES!

At Keepers of the Wild, we love all animals, including your furry family members! Because of the strict safety policies we have in place for the public, the animals in our care, and the animals who are not a sanctuary resident, our facility does not allow any outside animals in the sanctuary and is exempt from the ADA service animal regulations.

That said, we want everyone to be able to visit the sanctuary and have a fun time learning about wildlife and the important work we do. We recognize many visitors travel with their dog(s) and we have always allowed well-behaved pups to stay in the Gift Shop with the host while their human counterparts take a tour.

But, we wanted to do more for our visitors! The Gift Shop garden patio now offers a spacious shaded dog kennel to host your fur baby while you enjoy your time at the sanctuary, knowing your dog is well cared for and safe in the meantime. Fresh water, the option to have your dog walked, and a pet-waste station are also included, all free of charge! 

SMALL AND SOCIAL!

QUICK FACTS:

• The sanctuary is currently home to four sweet female prairie dogs: Kendra, Bridget, Holly, and Crystal. The girls joined the Keepers family in 2018 after being donated by a zoo in Las Vegas.

• Prairie dogs are small, social mammals native to North America. The average prairie dog weighs between only 1.5 and 3 pounds!

• There are five species of prairie dog: white-tailed, black-tailed, Utah, Mexican, and Gunnison's. Kendra, Bridget, Holly, and Crystal are all black-tailed. 

• Prairie dogs are a type of burrowing ground squirrel and they love to dig! The four girls reside in a specialized outdoor/indoor habitat where they can safely dig, burrow, and tunnel to their hearts' content in natural dirt and boulders. They also have access to an indoor den that is temperature-controlled and remains dry, cozy, and safe from any harsh elements or storms.  

• With a warning call that sometimes sounds like a barking dog, prairie dogs get their name from their unique call and small appearance. The root of their name comes from Greek origins which translates to "dog-mouse". Quite appropriate, we think! 

• Prairie dogs live together in small groups known as a coterie. Their young stay with them for about a year, and the adults are very territorial and will work together to run off members of another coterie or to protect their group from danger. 

• As herbivores, prairie dogs like to snack on grasses, roots, fresh veggies, and fruits. Our Animal Caretakers give the prairie dog girls lots of food enrichment opportunities so they can forage as they would in the wild.

• Prairie dogs typically live to be around ten years of age. Kendra, Bridget, Holly, and Crystal will live out their years together at the sanctuary with lots of love and the best possible care!

(Species Spotlight courtesy of Lara Kraft, Keepers of the Wild Vice President, Chairwoman and Media Director)

"Oh, I ate too much!" - Karen K.

"It was a long weekend!" - Michelle A.

(Please allow approximately two weeks for shipping of prizes. We appreciate your patience. Thank you.) ram* s.

If you would like more information about Keepers of the Wild and how you can get involved, please contact us or visit the WAYS TO HELP page on our website. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide so many amazing animals with a fur-ever home, where they always know they are loved!

Keepers of the Wild

13441 E Hwy 66

Valentine, AZ 86437

(928) 769-1800