God has blessed me with more than 24 adoptions. At age 52 I have a menagerie, Old McDonald’s Farm for special critters, a zoo, whatever you want to call it: I have 12 dogs, 5 cats, 2 goats, and 5 horses.
Most have special needs and / or a special story about how they came to the ranch. Spuds McKenzie, the RCA dog with a brown spot over one eye, is deaf but has learned to watch me, the other pets and feels the vibrations that my hand signals or foot stomping radiate. One of the goats was once used by a roper for practice.
I’m a six-year squamous (internal) cancer survivor with a huge heart, little money but plenty of room for the rescues at my place. While going through a divorce 5 years ago, I bought a 32-foot travel trailer. I lived in the trailer for four years with 4 cats, one of which I named Peek-A-Boo – thinking it was a female and it was heck to catch playing hide and seek in the barn storage area (hence the name)! Peek-A-Boo has bladder issues and is my $900 cat. Thanks to him everyone is on Hills Science Diet now at $55 a month. I had just paid off most of my bills and decided to treat myself to new dishes and furnishings when he was diagnosed. I promptly returned everything and have not regretted it!
My horses and I have a similar story. We survived domestic abuse together and expensive surgeries. I never have sought adoptions but instead let God place those who need me in my home. When the job market crashed, I lost a well paying job – $50,000-plus a year.
My ranch is called Leap of Faith. Everyday my pets and I walk on Faith. I believe God will give me the money and provide me the two jobs I need to continue to pay the feed bill and keep land underneath their paws and hooves and a roof over our heads. I certainly don’t make what I used to earn with one job but the love from my furry children is more than enough.