EMERGENCY APPEAL
Updated: Feb 17, 2020
The corona virus has had a devastating effect on everything and everyone in China.
On Wednesday 5th February 2020, Plush Bears Shelter was placed on lockdown by city officials and put under a strict quarantine. This means that the six members of staff at the shelter are unable to leave and that Plush is unable to return to the shelter as she was not there when the lockdown took effect.
There are road blocks, police check points and virus detection stations all over the city, inhibiting anyone from moving around freely to go about business as usual. As much as this is a necessary part of attempts to contain the virus – which we fully support – it is also causing lots of problems for us at the shelter and everyone else in Baicheng. Businesses remain closed, people are unable to work. At every check point, your temperature is taken regardless of apparent symptoms or not and you are told to turn around and return home unless you have strict authority to continue your journey.
The serious issues we currently face are as follows;
The ingredients for our food machine that we use are running extremely low, we only have enough to sustain the shelter for a few more days.
We make all the food we feed the animals at the shelter ourselves using the machine we were fortunate enough to purchase last year. We cannot continue to do this without a delivery of the vital ingredients.
We need to urgently store over 40,000lbs of corn, horse feed, rice and vegetables, nutritional powder. The other issue surrounding the feed is that the motor to our food making machine has broken and the repair specialist is unable to enter the shelter due to the lockdown. We are currently trying to figure out a way of getting the motor out of the shelter at night and past the police road blocks to get it fixed. If we are able to get a delivery of vital ingredients then the shelter staff will make the food the old fashion way using a large cauldron for the time being, it just means the dogs won’t have their usual kibble, it will be more of a wet food, but at least they won’t go hungry.
These animals have been under the care of Plush Bears Shelter for more than two years and they are of course our highest priority!
We are currently looking at a cost of $9,300 to purchase food making ingredients and coal to last the shelter one month.
The coal is fundamental to heat the shelter both for animals and staff, it is currently -18 degrees in Baicheng.
Our supporters will know that we don’t only rescue dogs from the meat trade, we endeavour to rescue any animal that is in need if we are able to. We currently have nearly 600 dogs, as well as cats, donkeys, sheep, horses, camels and foxes. Our shelter staff work extremely hard, long hours in difficult conditions.
We are on this occasion sending you all a direct plea for help during these incredibly uncertain times that we are facing at the shelter.We are hoping to raise $10,000 with the support of all of you.
This money will ensure that we can face this hardship head on and fight to continue what we do, if we cannot succeed with our campaign there is literally no where else to turn and no other possible help arriving
Plush Bears Shelter is only what is it today because of the unfaltering foundation we have laid with the support from all of you.
Thank you for your unwavering support as always!