Hi, my name is Aryia Letellier, and I’m 20 years old. I run Black Flag Refuge, a small sanctuary near Toledo, Ohio that I built from the ground up. I care for a growing family of over 20 rescued chickens and cats, many of whom were cast aside, left to suffer, or told they wouldn’t survive. But they’re still here. And so am I, fighting every single day to give them the lives they deserve.

In 2025, I rescued a baby chicken named Wren who had tragically lost both of her feet to frostbite in her previous home. A vet told me she should just be euthanized, but I knew she still wanted to live. I went against the advice and chose to fight for her. Wren lived over 6 months, and later passed to unrelated heart issues that she was born with, but she got to experience the most spoiled, joy-filled life you could imagine. She even walked and ran around just fine on her own!

A couple months later, I found four chicks dumped in a parking lot. One of them, Pumpkin, contracted Marek’s disease, a viral condition that is said to be a death sentence. Most give up on birds with Marek’s. But I didn’t. I learned everything I could, poured all my energy into helping her, and, against all odds she survived. She couldn't walk, but she lived with love, enrichment, constant care, and even had her own little wheelchair.

I also care for Peep, another survivor who overcame unthinkable challenges to become one of the most expressive, spirited chickens at the refuge. So many of these animals were written off. People (including vets) said they wouldn’t make it. But here they are, alive and thriving, because someone finally believed in them.

That someone is me.

I do everything here myself. I feed, clean, build, medicate, comfort, and stay up through the night with the sick or scared. I don’t put a price on their lives. When an animal is in need, I do whatever it takes, even if it breaks me financially.

Despite working full-time as a contractor in the construction industry, I can’t keep up with the growing veterinary bills. Emergencies have cost me thousands. Right now, I still need to pay for vet visits, and there are more bills coming. Some of the chickens in my care have endured the worst hardships imaginable, and when they did, I stood by them and fought through long nights, tough decisions, and moments I never thought we’d survive. We made it through the storm. But now I need help getting back on my feet.

Your donation will help cover:

Veterinary bills (including ongoing care for special needs animals)

Nutritious food and treats

Bedding, cleaning, and daily supplies

Coop and cat house repairs and upgrades

Enrichment and mobility tools (like Pumpkin’s custom chicken wheelchair)

I want to keep giving them everything they need. Their safety and well-being are my purpose, my mission, and my greatest pride. They didn’t choose the lives they were born into, but I’ve made it my responsibility to give them the lives they should have had all along.

So today, I’m asking for your support. I’m reaching out on behalf of every life at Black Flag Refuge, over 20 souls who depend on me.

If you’ve ever believed in second chances, in compassion over convenience, in fighting for the ones no one else would… then please, help me keep this going. Even the smallest donation can make a life-changing difference.

❤️ Be part of something real. Something hopeful. Something that proves love can save lives.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

- Aryia Letellier

Black Flag Refuge

@blackflagrefuge on Instagram & Facebook