FL Press:Animal lover needs new home for 'children'

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Posted by Desiree on May 01, 2002 at 11:54:32:

Animal lover needs new home for 'children'
By Pamela J. Johnson
Sentinel Staff Writer

May 1, 2002

CHRISTMAS -- Faced with an eviction notice, Christin Burford is doing what any good mother would. She's fighting to keep her family together.

Fretting about the move, she walked into a play area where 8-year-old Bahl-Shoy lay noisily sucking his paw.

"I will not split up my family," Burford said, hugging Bahl-Shoy's face. "And I'm panicked that we won't be able to afford a place big enough."

Burford has her work cut out for her. Her children consist of 60 abandoned or abused wild and exotic animals, including Bahl-Shoy, an 800-pound, male Siberian tiger.

For about six years, Burford has leased one acre in Christmas from Barber Farms Inc. for her brood. After property manager Carl Danny Barber died recently, his family decided to sell the land for development, Burford said.

A Barber family attorney sent Burford a letter terminating the lease and giving her until today to vacate. That deadline has since been extended, although for exactly how long isn't clear.

Moving the animals will be no easy task. Some of them include an Asian black leopard, an American jaguar, a Florida panther, a Bengal tiger, as well as a menagerie of smaller critters such as a red rat snake, a black-tail prairie dog and iguanas.

Her nonprofit wildlife sanctuary, the CARE Foundation -- for Creating Animal Respect Education -- is open free to the public Sundays, but it accepts donations. Other days, she brings some of the creatures to schools and other locations.

The notice, she said, came as a shock.

"Please make immediate arrangements to remove all of the animals, reptiles, cages, fencing and other fabricated animal enclosures on or before May 1," John Thomas wrote in the April 4 letter.

Burford immediately got on the phone and implored Barber's brother-in-law, Edward Carpenter, to give her more time. He told her he would give her a few months, she said.

When asked about how much more time they had to move, Carpenter wouldn't say.

"We're negotiating with them," Carpenter said. "We're working on a reasonable end. I do not care to discuss this."

Now Burford is scrambling to raise the money to move her family of animals into their dream property in Apopka. The organization must raise $600,000 to purchase the 23 acres, where Burford envisions expanding the sanctuary. With more space, members want to build a hands-on area comprised of the smaller animals, a rain forest section and a Florida native section.

But their time is running out. If they can't raise the money, they'll be forced to split up the animals and parcel them out to various licensed volunteers.

Burford, 36, opened the sanctuary after people kept asking her to take in wild animals they bought but sought to unload. It might have been a skunk or ferret that ripped up their furniture. Or someone would buy a pot-bellied pig unaware they can grow to the size of an ottoman.

In the case of Daphney, a female mallard, the lower part of her beak is missing. A woman brought her in when she noticed that the deformed duck was having trouble eating.

Bahl-Shoy, a Russian word for huge, was abandoned by its breeder because he was not white like his siblings. The big cat is one of Burford's favorites.

One recent visit found Burford sitting inside a car tire hanging by a rope. Bahl-Shoy pushed her on the swing with her massive head. Burford rolled her tongue, purring loudly. She said she always speaks to her animals in their language.

Burford has had a penchant for creatures since she was a girl growing up in Warminster, Pa.

Afraid that the worms might get squished, she would bring them home and keep them in a shoebox.

At her sanctuary, she spends hundreds of dollars each month feeding her clan. A butcher in Okeechobee gives her a good deal for the pounds of raw beef the big cats devour daily, and she mixes eight boxes of macaroni and cheese each day for her many iguanas.

When she's short on donations, she bartends and does carpentry work. She runs the organization's office from her one-bedroom apartment in east Orlando.

Inside one cage, Burford stirred green apple chunks with dog food for Lilly the raccoon.

Lilly grabbed an apple slice with her dainty hands and began nibbling. Lilly's cage-mate, Clyde, a mixed-breed dog with an easy disposition, lay watching Lilly eat.

"I love these animals," Burford said. "They are like my children. I want to keep them together."

Pamela J. Johnson can be reached at pjohnson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5171.

Animal lover needs new home for 'children'

Follow Ups:

a racoon and a dog? cage mates? ...more Tmom 05/01/02 (0)
Yikes...that's near me! Mac & cheese is no good :( n/m xta 05/01/02 (0)
Macaroni and cheese for iguanas? o.O n/m Dara 05/01/02 (0)

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: Animal lover needs new home for 'children' : By Pamela J. Johnson : Sentinel Staff Writer : May 1, 2002 : CHRISTMAS -- Faced with an eviction notice, Christin Burford is doing what any good mother would. She's fighting to keep her family together. : Fretting about the move, she walked into a play area where 8-year-old Bahl-Shoy lay noisily sucking his paw. : "I will not split up my family," Burford said, hugging Bahl-Shoy's face. "And I'm panicked that we won't be able to afford a place big enough." : Burford has her work cut out for her. Her children consist of 60 abandoned or abused wild and exotic animals, including Bahl-Shoy, an 800-pound, male Siberian tiger. : For about six years, Burford has leased one acre in Christmas from Barber Farms Inc. for her brood. After property manager Carl Danny Barber died recently, his family decided to sell the land for development, Burford said. : A Barber family attorney sent Burford a letter terminating the lease and giving her until today to vacate. That deadline has since been extended, although for exactly how long isn't clear. : Moving the animals will be no easy task. Some of them include an Asian black leopard, an American jaguar, a Florida panther, a Bengal tiger, as well as a menagerie of smaller critters such as a red rat snake, a black-tail prairie dog and iguanas. : Her nonprofit wildlife sanctuary, the CARE Foundation -- for Creating Animal Respect Education -- is open free to the public Sundays, but it accepts donations. Other days, she brings some of the creatures to schools and other locations. : The notice, she said, came as a shock. : "Please make immediate arrangements to remove all of the animals, reptiles, cages, fencing and other fabricated animal enclosures on or before May 1," John Thomas wrote in the April 4 letter. : Burford immediately got on the phone and implored Barber's brother-in-law, Edward Carpenter, to give her more time. He told her he would give her a few months, she said. : When asked about how much more time they had to move, Carpenter wouldn't say. : "We're negotiating with them," Carpenter said. "We're working on a reasonable end. I do not care to discuss this." : Now Burford is scrambling to raise the money to move her family of animals into their dream property in Apopka. The organization must raise $600,000 to purchase the 23 acres, where Burford envisions expanding the sanctuary. With more space, members want to build a hands-on area comprised of the smaller animals, a rain forest section and a Florida native section. : But their time is running out. If they can't raise the money, they'll be forced to split up the animals and parcel them out to various licensed volunteers. : Burford, 36, opened the sanctuary after people kept asking her to take in wild animals they bought but sought to unload. It might have been a skunk or ferret that ripped up their furniture. Or someone would buy a pot-bellied pig unaware they can grow to the size of an ottoman. : In the case of Daphney, a female mallard, the lower part of her beak is missing. A woman brought her in when she noticed that the deformed duck was having trouble eating. : Bahl-Shoy, a Russian word for huge, was abandoned by its breeder because he was not white like his siblings. The big cat is one of Burford's favorites. : One recent visit found Burford sitting inside a car tire hanging by a rope. Bahl-Shoy pushed her on the swing with her massive head. Burford rolled her tongue, purring loudly. She said she always speaks to her animals in their language. : Burford has had a penchant for creatures since she was a girl growing up in Warminster, Pa. : Afraid that the worms might get squished, she would bring them home and keep them in a shoebox. : At her sanctuary, she spends hundreds of dollars each month feeding her clan. A butcher in Okeechobee gives her a good deal for the pounds of raw beef the big cats devour daily, and she mixes eight boxes of macaroni and cheese each day for her many iguanas. : When she's short on donations, she bartends and does carpentry work. She runs the organization's office from her one-bedroom apartment in east Orlando. : Inside one cage, Burford stirred green apple chunks with dog food for Lilly the raccoon. : Lilly grabbed an apple slice with her dainty hands and began nibbling. Lilly's cage-mate, Clyde, a mixed-breed dog with an easy disposition, lay watching Lilly eat. : "I love these animals," Burford said. "They are like my children. I want to keep them together." : Pamela J. Johnson can be reached at pjohnson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5171.

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