Help us help animals for another yr

Pete's Petting Zoo was established in 2009 and is a tribal non-profit within the boundaries of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Reservation in Michigan's Upper Peninnsula.  Pete's was founded by Peter Morin and Diane Morin, retired US military veterans, to give animals at risk of or in danger a safe haven and to provide the Baraga County community and its visitors with an educational and enjoyable resource.   Pete's has never charged a fee and has operated on the basis of a small grant from the Baraga County Community Foundation, which was used to cover veterinarian bills, donations from visitors and the founders' support.  Pete's currently houses 4 pygmy goats, 4 dwarf Nigerian goats, 3 mixed breed goats, 5 mini-horses, a quarter horse, two donkeys, 6 llamas, 2 emus, 9 sheep, 3 pot-belly pigs, 5 whitetail deer and an assortment of ducks, geese, chickens, guinea hens and peacocks.  Each comes with a story; some of abuse, neglect, abandonment or being left orphans, some from good homes that could no longer provide for them.  Many are permanently disabled: a very small mini-horse with a birth defect in one leg and another born with Cushing's disease, as is also true of the donkeys, a blind Canada goose and Noel, the pictured Canada goose whose neck and wing were broken prior to arriving two years ago.  Sadly, Noel died last winter, but he enjoyed his last year and was kept safe, and served to teach people about the outcomes of cruelty, so he helped Pete's meet our goals.  This summer, Jimmy, a whitetail deer fawn still in spots, joined us after his mother was hit and killed by a car.  He was so young that as of July 30, he is still being bottle fed, now every 6 hours as he is starting to eat solid foods.  While timid with strangers, he is at ease with the founders and the other deer.  Had Pete's not been here, Jimmy would not have survived:  he would either have died a slow and lonely death on his own, died due to hunting by predators or would have been "put down".  We will be adding pictures soon.  Pete's has come to a crisis point.  The founders can no longer afford to keep Pete's open with only their own resources.  At one time there were two similar rescues in the area, although neither welcomed visitors.  Both have closed for financial reasons, with many of their residents coming to Pete's.  Resources are stretched beyond capacity, and have been for sometime.  Generosity on the part of benefactors allowed us to save the coop last year with a new roof, and we are hoping we can count on those and other benefactors now.  As a tribal, rather than federal, non-profit, Pete's is not eligible for federal or state grants and is entirely dependent on the support of others who value our kind of work.  Our goal, $40,000, would keep us open for another year as we continue to try to find ways to generate income in an area that has been hard-hit by economic down-turns.  We now sell peacock feathers, gathered when the birds molt, and earrings made with donated materials, exotic bird feathers and donated time.  We are looking at other options, but need help to get the time we need in order to develop and initiate them .  Please, help us continue to be a resource to residents, visitors and, most importantly, the animals residing here.