WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, there’s fire! Where there’s an overcast day with fog, there’s … fire? Gazing out my window this week, I saw a smoke-caused haze, and now I even smell the fires burning from both the Tunnel Creek and Bear Gulch Fires.
While they’re burning in the Olympic National Forest far south of me (off U.S. Highway 101 southwest of Quilcene and off state Highway 119, where there’s a Level 3 evacuation notice on the north side Lake Cushman), smelling their smoke is a reminder to always have my to-go bags for myself, and animals, packed and ready to flee at a moment’s notice.
A healthy fear of a wildfire burning down my home is the No. 1 reason I’m part of the Clallam County Animal Disaster volunteer planning committee.
I think we’re very close to submitting the plan for county approval. Once approved, it will be an addendum to the county’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. To aid in disaster response, our committee has formed the Clallam Animal Response Team. I’ll keep you updated on both in future columns.
In the meantime, please help CART by taking this Animal Disaster Plan Survey at https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/ civicalerts.aspx?aid=474.
Speaking of hot, local 4-H horse members who did well competing last weekend in Puyallup at the Washington State Fair were Neon Riders Katelynn Sharpe, Kenzi Winters, Elise Sirguy and Paisley Morris along with Showstoppers’ Brooklyn Glavin.
Groom Squad team of Winters, Morris and Sirguy received a blue ribbon and fourth place.
Sirguy and Galvin received red ribbon in judging.
Morris got blue ribbons in stock and hunt seat.
Morris and Sirguy got blue and fourth place for Groom’s squad.
Morris got blue ribbons in judging, Stock Seat, Hunt Seat and placed 15th in judging.
Sirguy and Glavin received red ribbons in judging.
Sharpe placed third in first level English Dressage and a blue ribbon. She also won a blue ribbon in English Dressage Seat Equitation and red ribbon in showmanship.
Well done ladies!
High school teams
Calling all ninth- through 12th-grade equestrians interested in joining the Washington High School Equestrian Team. A team meeting for Sequim and Port Angeles will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at Freedom Farms, 493 Spring Road, Agnew. Questions? E-mail Katie Newton at sequim equestrian@gmail.com. Text/leave a voicemail at 360-775-0350.
Spirit Prize Ride
Today is Backcountry Horseman’s Peninsula Chapter Prize Ride at Sage Horse Camp. While it’s too late to register for a camp site or the barbecue, day riders are welcome to haul in and register to join the ride. For $30, you get four raffle tickets to the prize drawing and an 8-mile scenic trail ride loop on DNR land adjoining Sage Camp. 50 prizes. First prize is a $300 Visa card. Camp is located southeast of Sequim at 2514 Chicken Coop Road. For more information, visit Peninsula Chapter’s Facebook page or call 253-261-6188.
Harsh
Some people can be so cruel to animals. This week, a friend and fellow Animal Disaster planning committee member, Debi Pavlich-Boaz (and Rainshadow Equine Sanctuary Team Rescue owner), shared she was asked to help with taking in, and transporting, 50 cats from a hoarding situation, as well as a member of a Forks rescue asked for help finding another rescue and/or person who could to take in a litter of newborn pitbull/labrador cross pups and their mama. The people who owned them did not want them and said if they weren’t taken away that day, they were going to shoot and kill them.
She picked them up. But her rescue was already full, so she was desperately reaching out for help in placing them.
Overcapacity and overburdened animal rescues are a huge problem today, Pavlich-Boaz said. She and her husband Tony are constantly networking with local animal rescues and businesses, transporting animals and collecting and passing on opened food bags, recently expired food, discount treats, towels, sheets, doggy diapers, collars, leashes, food and water bowls carriers and other donated items.
Everything they take in goes out on the transport adventures and finds a home to support animals.
“A big part of the problem is people not getting their animals spayed or neutered because it’s just so expensive,” she said. Veterinarian fees to spay/neuter often cost more than $500 — too much for many animal owners living on the Peninsula.
A local low-cost spay/neuter organization has a standard eight-page waiting list. She’s asking folks to help shorten that list and donate to two low- or no-cost spay/neuter programs for dogs and cats, Port Angeles’ Pawsitive Animal Impact Rescue (PAIR) and Save to Spay.
“Even if people can just donate small amounts, like $1 to $5. The money can quickly add up to help a lot of animals spayed or neutered,” Pavlich-Boaz said.
Donate to Spay to Save Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic at https://spacetosave.org/donate (or its Facebook page). Donate to Pawsitive Animal Impact Rescue (PAIR) via its Facebook page and in the About section clink on givebutter.com.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also call her at 360-460-6299.
