A Chance to HELP

When I get the chance, I like to visit A Chance For Bliss, an animal sanctuary in Penryn, California (near where my parents live). My parents and I have become friends with Dee and Woody, the farm's owners, and in the last two years, have done what we can to help them through economic crisis and day-to-day chores.

Dee and Woody take the animals that have been cast aside, left for dead, abandoned. Dogs without eyes, dogs that wear diapers. A blind horse. A mare with a temper problem. A miniature horse found wandering a highway in Lake County. Discarded pot-bellied pigs. Goats, sheep, a couple of bulls. Three pampered "barn" cats (minus an actual barn). They even take in ducks and geese.

Some animals stay for years, some for months, some for only days. The common thread is that every animal that comes through stays until it is time for them to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you might know about Big Cloud (who bit my boob recently), or Spike, the world's coolest donkey (rest in peace, little buddy!). You'll have read about me escaping from the nipping beak of a very mean goose (that girl is FEISTY!), shovelling horse poop, and even going for a lovely ride on Zulu, who was a perfect gentleman...even though he did try to eat the trail a few times.

ACFB is a wonderful place. Every time I go there, I feel like things are right with the world. I love to support them as much as I can, and to promote them to the world at large.

So here's a link. The Pepsi Refresh Project funds all kinds of wonderful ideas--only thing that needs to happen is that the organization get the votes. At the end of May, the top 10 vote-earners will receive $50,000 from PepsiCo. A Chance For Bliss (click this link to vote for them!) is currently 44th. I voted today, and will vote every day this month. And while I'm not a big fan of asking for this kind of thing on my blog, I'm putting it out there for any interested readers: if you register to vote on the site, you have to give your email. So far, I have received NO SPAM and my email has not been used in any way by Pepsi. It's merely a tool for logging in and keeping track of my voting. You can give 10 votes per day, for 10 different projects.

Any support ACFB can get is appreciated. The bad economy hit them particularly hard, and these animals need food and medical care just like people do. If you're an animal lover, check out their web site, and check out Pepsi's Refresh Project, too. It's a great cause!