We have a variety of sponsorship options available for those who would like to contribute to the costs of running our farm and our commitment to keeping alive any dog that is happy and healthy, regardless of their ability to earn their keep.
We understand that most people cannot afford the real cost of keeping a sled dog in-situ at our kennel for a year (gold level sponsorship). Hence, we have a variety of sponsorship options available which you are welcome to either give in person or as a present on behalf of someone else. Everything goes back into the farm and dogs and they will appreciate any extra bone that comes their way!
Donations can be set up by direct debit or through paypal.
Level
Sponsorship: €10
Level
Sponsorship: €25
Level
Sponsorship: €50
Donations of this level tend to be put towards a piece of agility equipment which can have a sign beside it with your name on. The agility course is something that we are continuously developing since the young dogs in particular love to have fun on the obstacles in the summer months and with the older dogs we can use the easier obstacles to build trust.
Puppy Sponsorship:
€100 per year / €8 per month
Pups are wonderful. Little joyful bundles of energy and fun. However, having pups is no easy feat and involves greater expense than keeping an adult dog. There is often one pup in each litter that needs a degree of hand rearing using special formulas. Once they are weaned, they need to be fed 5 times per day for quite a few months and they also need a relatively intensive series of innoculations and deworming procedures. They are given quad and rabies vaccinations at 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year and 12 weeks as well as more frequent (and different) deworming treatments than our adults. Added to that, the pups tend to have more problems dealing with the mosquitos during the first year of their life and they need treatments to help them with their resistance to the flies. Hence, your €100 pup sponsorship goes a long way towards covering the extra costs associated with raising our future stars.
Our bronze level sponsors receive an information card about their dog and a sponsorship certificate. They get sent four updates during the year showing the change in the pup as it grows through its naughty lanky teenage stage into its more-or-less final adult form. At the end of the year, you will receive an update on how well the dog is develping into a working husky and what its training needs still are. You will be featured on the website as a proud sponsor of a husky puppy and can benefit from a 25% reduction on the cost of any of our day-length safaris.
Kennel sponsorship: €250
When we make a new kennel, it costs something between €200 and €500 depending on its size and whether it is a 'sick-dog' kennel (which can be accessed by a dog wearing a medical cone), a double cage kennel where dogs can sleep together or a single kennel. When you sponsor a kennel, we make a small plaque for the kennel with your name on it which will remain there as long as the huskies allow the kennel to survive! We will send you a photo of your kennel, your plaque and the happy dog that gets to live in a brand new home.
Senior Canine Citizen or Non-Working Dog Sponsorship: €350 per year / €25 per month
This sponsorship level is targeted at our canine senior citizens - those dogs living out their retirement comfortably on our farm. Most of our retired dogs have minimal veterinary costs and they don't eat as much as our working dogs. They rarely run - except for when, eg, training pups - and they are rarely in fights. Hence, this sponsorship level covers our estimate of their annual food costs: c. €350 / year. The silver sponsorship level also applies to dogs who are living permanently at our farm but are unable to run for medical reasons.
Our silver level sponsors receive an information card about their dog and a sponsorship certificate. They also receive a newsletter-style email update twice a year, with photos, detailing how their dog is doing, the vaccinations they have received, how their training of the younger dogs (if any) is going and what else they have been getting up to during their retirement/life of leisure. You will be featured on the website as a proud sponsor of a retired or non-working dog and can benefit from a 50% reduction on the cost of any of our day-length safaris.
Cage Sponsorship: €500
Cages cost us something in the region of €500 to errect, thinking just of the materials cost and not of the labour. Underneath each cage, we have a long barricade of water-resistent plywood dug into the ground to prevent escapes through digging. Attached to this we have the four basic elements which we construct in pieces so that the cage could theoretically be taken down and moved elsewhere if need be in future. In-between each attached cage, we have 4 by 1 planks which prevent fighting through the wires. This may be on up to three sides of the cage depending on the cage configurations. On the front of each cage we have a piece of 4 by 2 into which bowl holders are screwed so that the dogs can be fed through a hole in the fence and so that they have constant access to water without the chance of destroying their bowls in the process. On top of the fence we have roof supports and a layer of wire to prevent escapes by climbing. Sponsored cages have a plaque with the sponsor's name on it and this donation obviously has a positive impact on the dogs' lives for a long period of time. Although we alternate the dogs between running circles and cages, having additional cages which can be used when dogs have collar sores or need the warmth of an additional dog to sleep beside on super cold days is a big help.
Working Dog Sponsorship: €700 per year / €58 per month
We estimate that keeping a working husky for a year costs about €2 / dog / day (x 200+ dogs!) (thinking only about averaged food and verterinary costs - and ignoring, therefore, associated guide, equipment, infrastructure etc costs). Hence, gold level sponsorship is €700 / year.
Our gold level sponsors receive an information card about their dog and a sponsorship certificate. You will also receive a newsletter-style email update about how your dog is doing, the vaccinations they have received, their general improvement in training or socialisation and photo and video attachments, four times per year. You will be featured on the website as a proud sponsor of a working husky and can participate in one day-length safari of your choice, for free.