I am fundraising for my dear friend Chris Ratzka and her husband, Bill Van Remmen. They were away from home on Jan 21st when they got the devastating news that their house had burned down. Something went wrong in the electrical wiring, and most of the house burned to the ground. What remains is a total loss.

Their dogs Louie, Riley, and Roxy were inside, along with cats Benny, Mama, and Baby. They are grief-stricken about the loss of their beloved animals. Chris has always been an animal lover, and has rescued and found homes for so many since she was a child. Now her own are lost to her forever. This is Roxy and Riley, sisters, sleeping on Chris' bed as they always did, and Louie riding with Chris.

The house was a total loss, so they were left with just the clothes on their backs. Their farmhouse was insured, but they had made their home so lovely, with carefully restored vintage furniture, stained glass windows, antique farm decor, and so many personal touches that are not replaceable. With the high cost of lumber and construction material these days, they know they won't be able to rebuild the home they lost with the insurance funds.

They are mourning the loss of cherished photos and items, things Chris' family had brought over from Germany, etc., but especially their pets. Together we can help them rebuild and remove some of their immediate financial worries. Please donate whatever you can to help them! They are renting 2 rooms right now and hope to be moving into a larger space in March. A friend has taken in their flock of chickens for the time being. Chris plans to give 10% of the money raised to help other people who suffered a loss like this, because there aren't many resources available to people in this dire situation.

This is a link to the news story about it. https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/three-dogs-two-cats-killed-in-racine-county-house-fire