Doug Cook/The Daily Courier
Wynne Zaugg and Amelia Barrett of the Hacienda de los Milagros animal sanctuary take time to inspect one of their equines Wednesday in Chino Valley.
CHINO VALLEY - Wynne Zaugg's mission has always been about rehabilitating maltreated equines that once had no means of defending themselves.
But these days Zaugg, the director of Hacienda de los Milagros, or Home of Miracles - a non-profit lifetime animal sanctuary three-fourths of mile from Road 4 North off Road 1 West - is primarily concerned with keeping operations alive in tough economic times.
The eight-acre sanctuary survives on donations and needs about $300,000 per year, half of which goes for feed, to care for its animals.
In addition to feeding, Zaugg provides minimal farrier care. And since he is on an exempt well, he spends plenty on electricity.
To finish out the year, Zaugg estimates he needs $149,000. Circumstances have gotten so poor that he has stopped accepting any new equines.
"When the animals come here, they stay here," Zaugg said Wednesday from the sanctuary, which has been open in Chino Valley since 1993 after spending its first three years in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.
The sanctuary feeds and nurtures 135 burros; 34 horses, including seven former racehorses; two mini-horses; three mules; two hinnys; three ponies and two llamas.
Zaugg said the largest number of animals he has are burros that passed through the Bureau of Land Management's adoption program. Another big group of burros were forcibly removed from Death Valley, Calif., in the last half of the 1990s.
"They've been through two, three, four or five homes since then," he said. "Some of that's driven by people who didn't know what they were getting into, and some of it, especially this last year, is driven by people unable to afford to keep them."
Amelia Barrett has volunteered at the sanctuary for the past 1-1/2 years. Three times a week, Barrett feeds and refills the animals' water tubs.
"Anyone who is retired or semi-retired and wants to volunteer, we need people brushing and petting horses and burros," Barrett said.
Zaugg said he wants to educate the public about treating equines respectfully. If he must close the sanctuary, Zaugg said the toughest challenge would be finding safe homes for the animals.
"Humans need to learn a lot more about our place in the world - and that's not at the top of it," said Zaugg, a former business consultant who has a law degree.
On Oct. 11, the sanctuary will conduct a fundraiser at Five-M Ranch at 764 W. Road 1 South.
Gates open at 8 a.m. for the event, which will feature Gymkhana horse competitions, including barrel racing and pole bending, as well as raffles, live and silent auctions, and a dinner.
Zaugg said some vendors, including a group of artists from Phoenix, will sell their wares.
He expects most of money to come from an art auction.
The sanctuary has applied for two matching grants from a foundation to complement the donations they receive. One grant will match up to $20,000 from first-time donors, while the other matches up to $10,000 in donations brought in after Sept. 25.
Contact the reporter at dcook@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Why would anyone think it's OK to have so many animals without the means to keep them through any economic condition? It's not ABOUT anyone being nice or wanting to help: it's about the ability TO help and having the intelligence to know when to stop, when to change (adopt them out) and when you are over your head. The animals only know that they are hungry and in no better circumstances than they came from. It's not about feeling sorry for the Zauggs! It's about the animals! That's why this started up in the first place. Question whether you are a saint or your ego is a bit off.
Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008
Article comment by:
Merry
If there could be more stories WITH PHOTOS of animals in need of rescuing, there would be more adoptions. I hope that SOMEONE who sees this dear horse, and can tame him in, will adopt him and give him lots of love -- and food.
Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Article comment by:
tony hutson
Wynne does a great job and I am pleased to see him getting coverage. Hope it spurs folks to help out and also attend the fundraiser
rdj74kp
Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Article comment by:
A friend
Wynne needs everyones help! If you have some money to spare-Please Help! He is a saint in the Equine world and a very nice man! He takes care of those animals and cares deeply for each one.... Each of those burros and horses have names and he knows each and every one of them. The poop is scooped daily and it is one of the cleanest places I have seen with that many animals in one spot! Send in your donations folks and keep this wonderful rescue going.
Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Article comment by:
Dude from Dewey
Thank you John Huff for giving a website for us to look at. I have many contacts in the feed industry and will see what I can do to help. Once again the courier dropped the ball on giving out info for this worthy cause. It seems to be a trend.
Posted: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Article comment by:
Jeff Logan
I have been there as well to help out a couple of times and this is an awesome place that gives you a feeling of doing something worth while. It is also a fun time for the family and I think more parents should bring their children and help out. Feeding the mules is a lot of fun!
Posted: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Article comment by:
John Huff
Thank you for doing an article about this worthy sanctuary. We have contributed money and time at the sanctuary for a number of years now. If you want to contribute more information can be found at http://www.hdlmsanctuary.org
