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| Have You Rescued a Llama Today? |
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| Did you ever kiss a llama? |
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| I used to breed appaloosa colored llamas. What is your llama preference? I know people who like Chileans, Bolivians, Peruvians, packers, classics, heavy wooled, cart driving llamas, sheep guards, etc.. There are dozens of llamas that I would want if I were still enhancing my breeding program but I have taken a different direction. Who wants the "extra males", unproductive females or older llamas? It seems lately that the answer to that question is very few people want them. We all know that the "good ole days" of selling llamas in the five digit price range are over or extremely difficult. I have never raised llamas with the only goal of making money! I am now glad that these magnificent animals are now reasonable enough that we can all afford to own them. After over a dozen years of raising llamas, I have made the easy decision to end my breeding program to do rescue work full time. |
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| In case you are "new" to the camelid scene, there is a surplus of reasonably priced pet quality llamas available all over the United States. For many reasons, there are high concentrations of llamas in many areas of the USA where there are more llamas than people that want to own them. Overbreeding, poor advertising, money-motivated profiteer breeders, basic laws of supply and demand, and a lack of public education are just a few of the reasons why there are llamas out there in need of loving homes. Due to reductions in price, many reputable breeders have held herd dispersal sales. I will never get rid of my llamas because they are unprofitable. If you raise any animal properly, with a few exceptions, it is difficult not to be unprofitable. What direction are we heading in with the llama industry? I believe that our "beloved animals" will become "animal food" if we don't get control of our own destiny. It is a well-known "rumor" that many male llamas are ending up in dog food cans. |
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| I rescue approximately five male llamas for every one female that I pick up. My farm has 165 acres, so my wife and I have a "what is another llama mentality". Some rescues are unregistered, but most are registered male geldings. I could easily rescue 5 to 10 llamas a month in the northeast alone, but I do not have the financial ability to do so on my salary as a teacher. If transportation could be arranged to the west coast, I could easily rescue 30 to 50 animals a month. We currently rescue approximately 100 llamas a year. We are in the process of becoming not for profit and hope to have our paperwork to accept contributions shortly. |
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| The ways that I usually find rescues is by word of mouth, Internet, classified ads and indirectly through livestock auctions. I have worked with humane societies and have had many people contact me directly to find homes for their animals. If breeders would use a sales contract with specific stipulations, many horror stories could be prevented. I currently write in my adoption contract that ALL rescues must come back to Northeast Llama Rescue if they become unwanted or uncared for in the future. |
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| Many breeders say that they don't rescue llamas due to space limitations or overcrowding on their farms. My response to that is they should not be breeding if their farms are "full". I've always had a weakness for llamas without a home. The first llama I purchased years ago was a "neglected rescue". My motto ever since has been "have checkbook, will travel". I have driven hundreds of hours, thousands of miles, in several states to pick up unwanted llamas. Even "free" rescues are expensive and time consuming, but we must all get involved. I buy, pick up, adopt, geld, vaccinate, worm and maintain over a dozen rescue llamas at any given time. I try to find many of them suitable permanent homes, but often can't place some of the animals with physical or mental disabilities. I try to cover my expenses, but I NEVER break even. Before any adoption is considered all rescues must be gelded and be halter trained. Any rescue that is adopted from Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary is done so with a legal contract that says the animal must be returned if unwanted or uncared for. The average "free" rescue llama takes six months to train and over $300- in health care and daily maintenance to rehabilitate. Many rescues take months just to regain trust in humans. The pleasure I get from "saving" animals makes up for my financial losses. I am making a difference, even if it is just one animal at a time. |
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| As noble as I make all of this sound, the rescue work is not always fun. Many of the llamas are unhealthy, untrained and at times difficult to love. When doing rescue work, proper husbandry and quarantine procedures should be practiced as possible. There are "neglected" llamas that need to be rescued! The idea of this article is to get people involved immediately. Adopt a llama or give financial support to someone that does. I have a rescue sanctuary for abused and neglected llamas but we unfortunately lack the funds to have an "open door policy" to any animal in need of a home. Besides for llamas, our Barnyard Sanctuary also takes in hundreds of chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, potbelly pigs, etc. We have went Not for Profit in an effort to expand our facility and resources to help more animals. With your help and support, we will continue to expand and help thousands of unwanted animals in the future. |
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| Let me know if you know of an animal that needs a loving home or if you would be willing to help Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary. |
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| Copyright © 2005 by the Northeast Llama Rescue Association (NELR). No reproduction of any kind, of any of the material on this site (including the photos and graphics), is permitted without the written permission of NELR or in the case of previously published articles, the indicated author. No reproduction of any kind, of the photos on this page is permitted without the written permission of the photographers of jabed.com. |
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