But that hasn’t stopped the local animal rescue from keeping on, keeping on as it cares for the many critters on its farm, located four minutes west of Moose Jaw on Highway 735.
“We’re hanging in there,” said Louanne Shropshire with Free To Be Me. “We have our animals out here, we’re doing our best to take care of them, keep them happy and healthy and things have gone pretty well. So far everyone is doing good this winter.”
Free To Be Me is a venture based almost completely on showing kindness to animals, especially those that are older and unwanted or have physical disabilities. Its menagerie is as diverse as it is large, featuring your standard farm fair of cows, horses, donkeys and sheep but also including llamas, ostriches, ducks and geese. The animals are cared for by a group of volunteers and receive regular veterinarian care with the goal of giving the older animals a home to live out their lives and rehabilitate injured and sick animals that come into their care.
Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has put a crimp in many of their activities, beginning with the number of volunteers who help out on the farm on a daily basis.
“It was hard, because of the COVID we couldn’t keep all our volunteers and it’s been really difficult that way,” Shropshire said. “But we have a small group of volunteers that have stuck with us and are helping us, we have some people come on weekends and a couple of girls who come out during the week… they learn about animals and that helps us at the same time.”
Fundraising has also taken a hit, with the lone recent project being the sale of calendars featuring the farm’s animals. Fortunately, the allotment of 100 at $20 each sold out quickly and helped cover some costs.
“They were the only fundraiser we could really have this year, but they went really quickly, and that’s really good,” Shropshire said. “We were able to buy some extra bales and that really helped. The bales we had were getting low and we were worried about that but it worked out. Then if we have any vet bills it goes to that as well.”
The Co-op also continues to supply the farm with food for the animals, which has to be picked up, prepared and portioned for different diets and sizes on a daily basis.
The farm’s popular tours were able to resume in August, but in limited numbers.
“Usually we start as soon as it warms up and we’ll do all the schools from April to May and into June, but this year we didn’t have those because everybody was shut right down,” Shropshire said. “Then we have to close up when it’s cold. But if it’s a nice day and someone wants to come out, we’ll entertain the idea… We miss having the people come out, and the animals miss them too, they enjoy having visitors. It’s good for them as well.”
The good thing is, there’s a bright, bright light at the end of the tunnel. Between vaccines and efforts to knock back the pandemic, a return to normalcy is coming and it won’t be long before the farm is rolling along like usual.
“The biggest thing is to get back to normal and maybe get a few more volunteers, keep everything going and keep the animals healthy and well and even be able to accept new animals,” Shropshire said. “Last year we couldn’t take in very many, because of COVID and there not being enough feed or volunteers to take care of them. So we kind of have to pick and choose our battles. You can only help so many, even though you want to help them all.”
And most importantly, spread the message that Free To Be Me is all about.
“We want everyone that these animals are sentient beings, they do have feelings and emotions, and when you’re raising them, raise them respectfully, happily and healthily,” Shropshire said. “That’s what we’re always trying to promote.”
