A message from the sanctuary president

Easter chicks

Summer 2006

"The Rockettes" fell victim to Easter give aways.

Postal checks upon arrival at the Sanctuary.

Amelia E, one of the survivors of a trip through the mail.

Dear Friends,

Do you ever wonder why value is placed solely on monetary items? Why doesn’t all life have value regardless of what it brings at the market? To prove a point, the value of llamas has dramatically decreased in the last few years. I have even seen an ad in a local paper saying, “…if you buy me a cup of coffee, I’ll give you a llama!”

When a home can’t be found for a valueless llama, they are abandoned or worse. Late last winter, Ferdinand and Leonardo were abandoned in Multnomah County. After waiting 30 days in a box stall for their guardians to come back without success, they were headed for the local auction to be sold to the highest bidder for purposes unknown, possibly even as human food.

Fortunately, Multnomah Animal Control Services called us about their plight. Both Ferdinand and Leonardo were intact males and, at times, difficult to handle, often fighting with each other. With help from our veterinarian, the “boys” were fixed, de-wormed and vaccinated. Through our networking efforts, they now live in homes.

On May 12, 2006, a postal shipment of 200 Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red, day old chicks were not picked up at a Portland post office by the person who ordered them from a hatchery located in Philadelphia. It was estimated that 33% of the chicks died in transit.

With no one claiming them, the postal carrier took them to the Dove Lewis Emergency Veterinary Clinic where efforts were made to re-hydrate the chicks and get them started on solid food. Many more did not survive. The Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary received 11 of the chicks, and we continued their treatment throughout the night. Unfortunately, only four survived our best efforts.

It is perfectly legal to ship live animals through the United States Postal Service, but their regulations must be followed. In the USPS publication referring to Perishable Matter:“Live animals must be transported without food or water, because liquids, moisture, and loose foodstuffs can cause damage to the shipping container, other mail, and Postal Service equipment during transport.”

In addition, “Day-old poultry can be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching.” For complete regulations, go the USPS website .

When did live animals start being considered “perishable,” as if you might show the same concern over a shipment of strawberries? Strawberries spoil…do “day-old chicks”? NO! They die! If delivery can be up to 72 hours, when did it become okay not to feed or water an animal for such a long period of time? Especially, small, fragile babies. To top things off, the newly introduced Senate Bill 2395 wants to do the following:

Force the US Postal Service to require certain airlines to transport birds.
Require those airlines to transport birds through connecting cities, not necessarily on direct flights.
Require those airlines to transport birds at any temperature between 0 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more information on this bill and what you can do, please go to United Poultry Concerns’ website .

Does the life of a llama equal a cup of coffee? Do strawberries have more value than a day-old chick? Should day-old chicks be considered a perishable commodity? Don’t we have a moral and ethical obligation to do better? Yes, we do!

With much gratitude,

Wayne S. Geiger, President