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1976-2025 marks 49 years of renewing spirits... yep, that is how long Ittledoo has been involved with animal rescue.

PLEASE SHARE! ❤️

Charlie and I have welcomed to Ittledoo Farm, Rescue, and Sanctuary desperate senior pooches and farm animals from as far away as California, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New England, and even just across town. Under our roof, you will usually find five, six, and sometimes seven or more happy pups, all at one time lost, abandoned, displaced by life events such as death or divorce, and unfortunately, sometimes abused and maimed. They all arrive here with a sad story and all too often, a lot of baggage...

The goal is to make them as well as can be, as happy as can be, and for them to know they are now loved and safe as they live out their days with us. Our mission is to make special days special and to offer safe harbor to animals in need!

It has started to look like we might not make it to 50 years of continuing our "good works" effort to rescue homeless dogs and barnyard critters, most often seniors with special needs, as things beyond my control have upset this apple cart (they have turned our lives into apple sauce!). There is only so much I can do right now, so we need your help.

I had been doing well managing our little sanctuary until the rug was pulled out from under me recently, so to speak! No blame here... just the madcap collision of events both unfortunate and destiny. Charlie has been self-employed for most of his career. That can sometimes present pitfalls that might catch up to you. Such is the case with Charlie right now. He works hard, even though he "retired" many years ago. He LOVES his work AND the folks he works with AND his customers. But... he is in such poor health that he is struggling to make it through the day. If he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. He cannot continue suffering this way, as he needs BOTH knees replaced, a shoulder repair, and he is now going through treatment for bladder cancer. He does not have disability insurance, so I am trying to get him into a position that he can at least get those knees fixed as soon as possible and have funds to cover expenses during his recovery and rehabilitation.

And I myself am a little over 2-weeks post-op from my second shoulder replacement with restrictions that keep me out of the barn and away from many household tasks. Every day presents a challenge and this could mean big changes to everybody and everything living here at the farm if we don't act quickly.

And thank God for Thomas! He volunteers here at the farm and is making things happen! But still, some things in the barn are getting ahead of us. And February is often a disastrous month for us because of the cold and we spend so much more on heating fuel. And February is my birthday month (whoop-dee-do!) which also means I have two vehicles to register. Ka-ching!

We will need to make serious decisions as we face these challenges if we cannot raise backup funds for Mr. Leete, who is Master Barber Extraordinaire. And we are already turning away critters that need a soft landing. We have rehomed a few, and I am determined to fulfill the final promises made to those remaining here at Ittledoo.

I always try to be Mr. Realistic/Mr. Positive in my day-to-day life, but I am at a loss right now and struggling. Charlie is overwhelmed, he can literally hardly walk or stand because of the pain...

Yet life goes on, and the bills still come in, and the pain worsens with his every step, and then your tomorrows start to look bleak, and the next day looks even darker...

So I decided I am doing a fundraiser and am praying we meet our goal and Charlie can get his legs and his life back. Bottom line is Charlie needs to fix his health issues. They are serious. He has put this off for far too long. And his pain has become unbearable. He wants to work, he needs to work, he loves his work. His work is what keeps him going...

So I am trying to raise the funds that will help carry him through his downtime post-op (usually 6 weeks), and then we will take it one day at a time (if we make it that far).

Please, make no mistake... we have made this work for decades, but it takes BOTH of us. Charlie is in a bad way, and I am trying to fix HIM and his situation.

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