Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Dobbs.
Hi Jeff, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
So there I was, digging with an excavator, on a job site and dug up a box turtle. I brought him home and got him hydrated and fed. But he wanted more…as in a friend. i looked up a local turtle rescue and made an appointment to find him a friend. While visiting the sanctuary, I informed the owner that he was “living my dream”. He responded, “well…I have fallen, cant get up, and need to sell”. Bob was in his upper 80’s.
Eventually, we were able to secure a loan and purchased the ranch and took over the animal sanctuary. That was 8 years ago.
We have expanded and now take on all kinds of animals from turtles and tortoises to sheep, goats, Alpaca’s, Emu’s and a host of other animals. We also have branched out to educational tours, and school field trips and high school service hours, Scouts, and a host of other entities. We also have quite the therapy behind the scenes, with BCBA’s, O.T.’s, CASA workers, Pediatric Psychologist all with their own clients. Kids camps and other events, etc. (the list is long).
We are building new pens and such every week and am open almost every Saturday, by appointment, and conduct tours usually at 10AM, 11, 12 and 1pm, (booked vi email through the website).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been many struggles. First of all, I actually knew nothing about animals 8 years ago. I spent 40 years in construction and the only animals I knew anything about, were the guys on the construction sites! LOL
We have also had to secure the ranch from various visitors such as bears, cougars, bob cats, coyotes, various birds, skunks and opossums, rats and mice, etc.
Some of these tortoises are around 250# and translates into a compact D-4 dozer and able to blow right through fencing and “t” posts.
Time has definitely been an issue. Even at 100+ hour work weeks, there is a constant list of “emergency must do today”.
Insurances is a constant challenge and has increased 400% since we have moved in. Electricity has also increased 300%. We are a small non-profit, and when they said “non-profit” oh boy they were not kidding!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I spent 40 years in construction, 15 of those years were in Alaska. 10 of those years I had my own company. My wife is Dr. Dobbs a local pediatric Psychologist with her own practice.
We have combined the animal sanctuary and helping animals with the therapy and have branched out to allowing other groups and professionals utilize the ranch and animals.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
We have had many people come through every week and they love the clean, healthy environments that the animals are living in, they love the vision and the kid / therapy infusion and they often mention how inspired they are to go out and make a difference in their lives and in their communities, and that really inspires us to keep pressing forward.
Pricing:
- -tours are free, donations accepted
Contact Info:
