Yesterday, our barn family experienced something no one should ever have to go through.
As we arrived at Desert Dreamers , Maddox and Alex were the first to step onto the property, and what they found was unimaginable. Every single one of our hens had been killed. Fourteen lives gone. Sweetie and Penny Apple, our beloved 4H club mascots, were among them.
But the loss didn’t stop there.
Alex’s 4H show goat, Jubilee the goat she has poured her heart into this entire year was also killed. She was supposed to check Jubilee into the fair today. Instead, she is grieving a loss that no child should have to carry.
Two dogs were seen on the property. One was captured by the sheriff’s department and animal control. The other got away.
The trauma didn’t end with what they saw. Maddox and Alex both missed their final horse show event yesterday the one they had been preparing for because they were physically sick to their stomachs trying to process what had happened.
Our animals are not just livestock. They are part of our program, our school, and our family. They are how we teach children responsibility, compassion, and connection. And today, our kids are heartbroken.
We are trying to hold it together for them,but we need help rebuilding and protecting what remains.
We still have 9 goats on the property, and right now our focus is making sure they are safe and secure so nothing like this can ever happen again. We also immensely need help with vet bills as we all tried our best to save jubilee. It was not cheap and not something we expected.
We are raising funds to:
• Help Alex purchase a new registered Toggenburg 4H show goat so she can continue her hard work and dreams, help her family with the financial burdens of vet bills.
• Install secure, reinforced enclosures and dog-proof pens to protect our remaining goats and future chickens
This isn’t just about replacing animals. It’s about restoring a safe place for these kids to learn, heal, and grow.
If you know Desert Dreamers, you know what this place means, to the children, to the families, and to the animals who find a second chance here.
Anything you can give helps. And if you can’t donate, sharing this means everything.
Thank you for standing with our kids during one of the hardest moments they’ve ever faced.
Erin Ray