Old Souls Animal Rescue gets a new home
Old Souls Animal Rescue and Retirement Home finally have a new place to call their own and we have the scoop on this new location given to the rescue by the Yuma Jaycees Foundation.
“We were looking for the day that someone like Old Souls would come along. A service that is needed. A service that i know is going to be growing and then having growing pains, not to mention “neighbor pains,” said Greg Gardner, the Secretary for the foundation.
Growing indeed, as Old Souls Animal Rescue and Retirement Home was just granted 9 acres of land by the Yuma Jaycees Foundation. A non-profit that believes in bettering our community, the Yuma Jaycees believes ‘Old Souls’ is a vital part of Yuma that deserves a new place to call their own.
“We decided that we wanted peace in our lives, get out of there and have a bigger place for our animals,” said Isaac Rivadeneira, Operations Director of Old Souls.
You might recall a couple months back, the legal battle between Old Souls and their neighbors. As neighbors complained of their rescue being a health hazard and eye sore to the neighborhood. Last year the rescue was forced to close down after being denied a special use permit by the county, which would have allowed them to house more than five canines on their property. The land donated will now help Old Souls further their mission in helping hospice animals.
“It’s going to enable us to build a better facility, a bigger facility so that we can house all of our animals comfortably.”
The board of the Jaycees Foundation voted unanimously in favor of donating the land that is now currently being leased by a farmer. The land is right off of East County 14th Street.
“This is a place for them to come and spread out. We still have two parcels left. The hope is that they grow and grow and grow and one day the other two parcels may be, imagine what they could do with 17 acres out there,” said Gardner.
Other animals of Old Souls like their cats, goats, horses and pig will all be moving to the new location. Construction will begin once the county grants them with a permit, which shouldn’t be an issue now that this patch of land isn’t around any surrounding neighborhoods.
“It makes me feel like the community is definitely behind us in what we do. I think the community knows that there is a need for us here in Yuma,” said Rivadeneira.
If you want to know more about this collaboration or how you can help out. Old Souls and the Jaycees are planning a pasta dinner this Saturday, June 9th at 4 p.m. at the Jaycees clubhouse as their first joint fundraiser. The public is welcome.
https://www.facebook.com/OldSoulsRescue/
