Safe harbor farm-rescue

[fishngjb]

Has anyone heard of Safe Harbor Farm, a private rescue founded by RV'ers ? I was in Petsmart yesterday where they were having an adoption fair, which is dangerous for me to attend ! We already have Minnie & Mickey, Toy Foxes, a handful for us in the RV, but always have to look.
These people do great work and are about 30 miles from the Crystal Coast of NC, our home, and I knew nothing about the place.
If you look on their website there seems to be an opportunity for RV'ers to volunteer their time for a weekend, etc. and camp out there while you do. I think it might be neat to go there, maybe with camping buddies and help with the dogs, or any of the many services they need. After that, you can drive 45 minutes to Emerald Isle Beach and kick back and enjoy the coast.
We are planning to sign up for doing something since we are so near, but I thought any RV'ers who are animal lovers as well might get a really good feeling of helping out. Getting these little guys into a "forever home", well, and happy seems to be their goals.
WEBSITE www.safeharborfarm.org
CHECK OUT THEIR HISTORY AND GOALS !

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishngjb Has anyone heard of Safe Harbor Farm, a private rescue founded by RV'ers ? I was in Petsmart yesterday where they were having an adoption fair, which is dangerous for me to attend ! We already have Minnie & Mickey, Toy Foxes, a handful for us in the RV, but always have to look. These people do great work and are about 30 miles from the Crystal Coast of NC, our home, and I knew nothing about the place. If you look on their website there seems to be an opportunity for RV'ers to volunteer their time for a weekend, etc. and camp out there while you do. I think it might be neat to go there, maybe with camping buddies and help with the dogs, or any of the many services they need. After that, you can drive 45 minutes to Emerald Isle Beach and kick back and enjoy the coast. We are planning to sign up for doing something since we are so near, but I thought any RV'ers who are animal lovers as well might get a really good feeling of helping out. Getting these little guys into a "forever home", well, and happy seems to be their goals. WEBSITE safeharborfarm.com CHECK OUT THEIR HISTORY AND GOALS !

that is not a good link to a pet rescue organization. it is a commercial link.
i didn't have any success with google either.
[moderator note; link corrected]

[fishngjb]

So sorry about that. The address is
www.safeharborfarm.org

[fishngjb]

I made a mistake ! It is safeharborfarm.org
not com. Sorry ! Please check it out.

[fultimeRVing]

I'm sorry that this is a late post but just found the thread. Not sure you all, or anyone else, will see this since it is such an old thread but I'll put in my two cents anyway.
My Wife and I work camped at SHF in November 2009 for about 2 weeks. We were planning to be there longer but had to quit and move on due to a difference in opinion and philosophy between us and the owner.
I hate to talk bad about a place since everyone has their own ideas of work camping and volunteering and such so this is just our story and I'll say upfront to go try it and at least as a volunteer if it doesn't work out you just leave.
We volunteered here because we thought it would be a lot of fun working with animals and not having to deal with people for a while or cleaning bathrooms. The RV pads are nice enough and I think she has four sites. We didn't mind the cats all over the place but did have a problem with why some cats were inside and others were outside and so just didn't agree with her on that. She has chickens and although we didn't take any eggs we were told we could have. The eggs had the thinnest shells we had ever seen and the owner didn't want to take advice from us on using grit and oyster shells as a supplement to the chickens food to give them stronger eggs. We have raised chickens all our lives up to moving into our RV although when we are sitting on our property in PA we always buy chickens/hens. We knew what we were talking about and the owner didn't want to hear it.
Our first project, as shown on the picture on the website, was to recycle some old planks and boards to be used as RV porches or walkways; however, within a day we were asked to stop that and do something else. I had gotten into the habit each morning of cleaning out cages and helping with feeding; however, that ended when asked to do something else. Then we started to put up a fence to keep the goats in but we were constantly taken away from that project to do other things although we did finally get it done before we left. My point is that we were used to doing one project from start to finish then moving to another project but we only ever finished that one project all the others were always interrupted by some other priority of the boss.
We were never told how many hours we were supposed to work for our RV site. We believe this was so the owner could work us as much as she wanted and use the guilt that we were getting an RV site. We did track our time and worked more than 30 hours a week.
Back to the goat fence. We wanted to do it correctly and make a strong fence but every time we got started, doing it right, the owner would say, it's just for goats and not put in the money for the fence although it wasn't much money. Even the one guy staying there, who was on the SHF board, agreed with us but was over-ridden for shortcut sakes. We had to clear at least 4 feet of forest back for the fence which wasn't easy but the owner wanted 4 or 5 feet more which would had allowed two tractor-trailers to drive along the fence not just the owners small tractor. We also knew that a recent hire was going to have horses there so we wanted a strong fence but who knows if it is still standing?
All the equipment was broken or in bad disrepair and the owner wouldn't let anyone on the farm's tractor for fear it would be broken, which she broke while we were there.
We didn't agree with her when she wouldn't let a family or couple or person adopt a dog or cat because of the veterinarian they used or wanted to use yet the dogs on the farm were put in a cage, sometimes very small every night and in a run all day (not a big run except for her personal dogs). One dog was painfully shy and frightened of men but after a day or two she loved me but I was not allowed to work with the dog in any way to help her more. She is probably still there. We let our dog walk on an 8 foot leash and except around traffic we don't MAKE her walk right next to us. She is allowed to roam and sniff and do "dog" stuff on the walk, especially on the farm where there was a ton of room. I didn't dare walk the rescue dogs that way, they always had to be trained to walk right next to me on the left side and not do anything except walk. We just didn't agree with treating rescue dogs this way on a farm. They were not allowed to be dogs. We have owned animals all our lives and have not had any die except from old age. The owner even tried to tell my wife how to wash the dogs. We have washed dogs and horses and never any problems. We've even given shots to horses and cows but nothing we did in the past was any concern to the owner.
Sorry to be so negative. I'm sure it is a great place to volunteer for 99% of the people who do so we were just the 1% who loved the work but didn't get a long with the owner who ruined everything for us nor was our work ever appreciated. I would still say if you want to do something different and will be or want to be in North Carolina to try this and then post your results which may or may not be more positive than ours.

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fultimeRVing I'm sorry that this is a late post but just found the thread. Not sure you all, or anyone else, will see this since it is such an old thread but I'll put in my two cents anyway. My Wife and I work camped at SHF in November 2009 for about 2 weeks. We were planning to be there longer but had to quit and move on due to a difference in opinion and philosophy between us and the owner. I hate to talk bad about a place since everyone has their own ideas of work camping and volunteering and such so this is just our story and I'll say upfront to go try it and at least as a volunteer if it doesn't work out you just leave. We volunteered here because we thought it would be a lot of fun working with animals and not having to deal with people for a while or cleaning bathrooms. The RV pads are nice enough and I think she has four sites. We didn't mind the cats all over the place but did have a problem with why some cats were inside and others were outside and so just didn't agree with her on that. She has chickens and although we didn't take any eggs we were told we could have. The eggs had the thinnest shells we had ever seen and the owner didn't want to take advice from us on using grit and oyster shells as a supplement to the chickens food to give them stronger eggs. We have raised chickens all our lives up to moving into our RV although when we are sitting on our property in PA we always buy chickens/hens. We knew what we were talking about and the owner didn't want to hear it. Our first project, as shown on the picture on the website, was to recycle some old planks and boards to be used as RV porches or walkways; however, within a day we were asked to stop that and do something else. I had gotten into the habit each morning of cleaning out cages and helping with feeding; however, that ended when asked to do something else. Then we started to put up a fence to keep the goats in but we were constantly taken away from that project to do other things although we did finally get it done before we left. My point is that we were used to doing one project from start to finish then moving to another project but we only ever finished that one project all the others were always interrupted by some other priority of the boss. We were never told how many hours we were supposed to work for our RV site. We believe this was so the owner could work us as much as she wanted and use the guilt that we were getting an RV site. We did track our time and worked more than 30 hours a week. Back to the goat fence. We wanted to do it correctly and make a strong fence but every time we got started, doing it right, the owner would say, it's just for goats and not put in the money for the fence although it wasn't much money. Even the one guy staying there, who was on the SHF board, agreed with us but was over-ridden for shortcut sakes. We had to clear at least 4 feet of forest back for the fence which wasn't easy but the owner wanted 4 or 5 feet more which would had allowed two tractor-trailers to drive along the fence not just the owners small tractor. We also knew that a recent hire was going to have horses there so we wanted a strong fence but who knows if it is still standing? All the equipment was broken or in bad disrepair and the owner wouldn't let anyone on the farm's tractor for fear it would be broken, which she broke while we were there. We didn't agree with her when she wouldn't let a family or couple or person adopt a dog or cat because of the veterinarian they used or wanted to use yet the dogs on the farm were put in a cage, sometimes very small every night and in a run all day (not a big run except for her personal dogs). One dog was painfully shy and frightened of men but after a day or two she loved me but I was not allowed to work with the dog in any way to help her more. She is probably still there. We let our dog walk on an 8 foot leash and except around traffic we don't MAKE her walk right next to us. She is allowed to roam and sniff and do "dog" stuff on the walk, especially on the farm where there was a ton of room. I didn't dare walk the rescue dogs that way, they always had to be trained to walk right next to me on the left side and not do anything except walk. We just didn't agree with treating rescue dogs this way on a farm. They were not allowed to be dogs. We have owned animals all our lives and have not had any die except from old age. The owner even tried to tell my wife how to wash the dogs. We have washed dogs and horses and never any problems. We've even given shots to horses and cows but nothing we did in the past was any concern to the owner. Sorry to be so negative. I'm sure it is a great place to volunteer for 99% of the people who do so we were just the 1% who loved the work but didn't get a long with the owner who ruined everything for us nor was our work ever appreciated. I would still say if you want to do something different and will be or want to be in North Carolina to try this and then post your results which may or may not be more positive than ours.

welcome to the irv2 forum.
thank you for your honest evaluation of SHF.

[wa8yxm]

I have read a magazine article or two on SafeHarbor animal rescue.. but to be honest that is about all I recall.. The articles were "Positive" in tone.

[jackrobinryan]

We have spent at least 8 or 9 months at Safe Harbor Farm over the last 4 years of RV'ing, mostly doing volunteer work and very little "vacationing".

I did not go to SHF to get a free place to park my RV in exchange for a few hours of work each day. Heck, I never counted my hours after the first week there because I knew I wanted to work as much as I could.

We are animal lovers, especially cats.

We too are strong willed and experienced with alot of different things.

I too have had my share of disagreements with the founder and principal at SHF but...

I will not waste my time bashing someone, who when all is said and done, has dedicated the last 10 years building something from the ground up. And who's entire working life is dedicated to advocating for abused animals. And who personally has funded this expensive proposition in tight economic times. And who probably hasn't had an entire day off in the last 10 years not thinking or working for the animals.

If you want an easy workamping experience, don't even go there.

If you are not flexible don't go.

If you believe in the mission, please give her some help. If nothing else, look at the website, buy some of the items in their wish list and drop a donation by as you travel Rt 17 in Maysville NC.

She deserves a hug, not a beating.

safe travels
jack

[wa8yxm]

I might consider going there.. Grew up on a dairy/swine farm. always had animals around. currently travel with two cats (I do not think an RV is a proper enviorment for dogs, not enough room to run, cats.. Well they seem to make their own room). Both of my cats are rescue cats of one type or another as well.. I prefer them that way. and though one was born as a house cat, but wound up in a rescue situation, the other was born in the wild and truly appreciates the comforts of home. After all. NOBODY owns a cat.

We used to have a cat that had been in an abusive home. Seems the man of the house liked to play football with the cat.. I told his ex wife if he wished he could come by for one more kick.... Then it would be MY TURN.. Some how he never showed up (i'm 6'3" and over 300 pounds.. I suspect he did not want me kicking him)

A friend of mine is ever better at it.. His name is Mac, he works for the Humane society.. He is very soft spoken.. I tend to believe him when he tells what he'd like to do to some of the abusers he meets... I do not wish to type it out though. Suffice the boyfriend who tossed the cats out the 7th story window.. Well if Mac had been there they would have had a soft landing as boyfriend headed down first to catch them.

[givingback57]

Hello everyone:

I've work-camped twice at Safe Harbor Farm, once in 2008 and once again in November of 2009 (I'm pretty sure I know the person who posted about leaving early from the Farm and I agree that he and his wife were not a good fit. Things were better without their nit-picking). Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing the SHF volunteers again when I travel back to NC this summer. I've been following their website and checking out the pictures, and they've done soooo much in the last year. I can't wait to see it for myself.

About staying at SHF... it's a quiet place where people can go to give back, learn a lot about the animals (especially the dogs) and go to bed at night knowing they've made a difference and the world is a better place for them being here. There are lots of projects underway at any time - landscaping, small construction projects, animal care, adopt-a-thons - and the people who live at the Farm are really dedicated. Sometimes it takes a little while to find the best job(s) for an individual and not everyone has the training to work with their dogs on a regular basis, but success usually comes with time.

We agree with everything Jack says (post #8). The last time I was there Lynne (one of the founders) pointed to a dozen different completed projects around the Farm with a big smile on her face. She told me which Workamper or volunteer did the work and where they were from and she said she thanked God for their support. People who put in time & effort to make the Farm what it is are certainly appreciated, many months and even several years after their visit. They may not know it, but they are. Jack: I know I heard your name a few times (grin)!

Lynne & her volunteers are happy to take good suggestions from the Workampers, but no Workamper should arrive wanting to remake the Farm in their image (I think that's what the person who wrote Post #5 should have considered prior to signing up to Workamp there).

Check out their website (yes, it's an .org, not a .com), especially if you are a fan of Cesar Milan. SHF follows Cesar's philosophy and the dogs (who have nice big play-yards to run in) are very well behaved and very happy while they're there). No they are not allowed to run the place. Yes there are rules, boundaries & limitations to what they can do, as it should be. The cats are a hoot, too. They're fat & sassy, and they've got a terrifc home at SHF.

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by givingback57 Hello everyone: I've work-camped twice at Safe Harbor Farm, once in 2008 and once again in November of 2009 (I'm pretty sure I know the person who posted about leaving early from the Farm and I agree that he and his wife were not a good fit. Things were better without their nit-picking). Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing the SHF volunteers again when I travel back to NC this summer. I've been following their website and checking out the pictures, and they've done soooo much in the last year. I can't wait to see it for myself. About staying at SHF... it's a quiet place where people can go to give back, learn a lot about the animals (especially the dogs) and go to bed at night knowing they've made a difference and the world is a better place for them being here. There are lots of projects underway at any time - landscaping, small construction projects, animal care, adopt-a-thons - and the people who live at the Farm are really dedicated. Sometimes it takes a little while to find the best job(s) for an individual and not everyone has the training to work with their dogs on a regular basis, but success usually comes with time. We agree with everything Jack says (post #8). The last time I was there Lynne (one of the founders) pointed to a dozen different completed projects around the Farm with a big smile on her face. She told me which Workamper or volunteer did the work and where they were from and she said she thanked God for their support. People who put in time & effort to make the Farm what it is are certainly appreciated, many months and even several years after their visit. They may not know it, but they are. Jack: I know I heard your name a few times (grin)! Lynne & her volunteers are happy to take good suggestions from the Workampers, but no Workamper should arrive wanting to remake the Farm in their image (I think that's what the person who wrote Post #5 should have considered prior to signing up to Workamp there). Check out their website (yes, it's an .org, not a .com), especially if you are a fan of Cesar Milan. SHF follows Cesar's philosophy and the dogs (who have nice big play-yards to run in) are very well behaved and very happy while they're there). No they are not allowed to run the place. Yes there are rules, boundaries & limitations to what they can do, as it should be. The cats are a hoot, too. They're fat & sassy, and they've got a terrifc home at SHF.

welcome to irv2.
good post.