Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
From the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: “Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
Here’s a troll doll who is in the process of becoming real, thanks to the love of one Foxie Chimpanzee:
Today’s day of sanctuary was also sponsored by Juliana Olmstead, along with family and friends, in celebration of her boyfriend, John Barbagallo, on his birthday! Juliana organized a fundraiser for John through Crowd Rise in which all proceeds will be donated to the chimpanzees! Juliana shared this message about today:
“John Barbagallo’s friends and family are sponsoring this day in honor of his 40th birthday. John has been passionate about animal rescue for many years, and his birthday wish was to make a contribution to this amazing sanctuary.”
Juliana, and John’s friends and family, thank you so much! This is such a fantastic idea and we are so touched that you all would come together to do something so special for John and the chimpanzees.
John, thank you so much for your compassion and dedication to the amazing animal beings we share the earth with. We so appreciate you sharing your own special day with the chimpanzees and all of you making a difference in their lives. All of the primates here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest wish you a happy birthday full of pant-hoots and food grunts. Just channel your inner Burrito if you need help with the latter:
We are so fortunate to have two sponsors for this day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees! Laura Gargano is starting the day off in celebration of her mother, Dorothy Gargano, for her birthday! Laura shared this special message about today:
“My mother has always had a love for gorillas and chimps and this helps highlight the plight of so many chimps who still live in labs around the world.”
Laura, this is such an inspired and compassionate way to honor your mother. Thank you so much for making a difference in the chimpanzees’ lives while bringing awareness to all those who are still awaiting their own day of sanctuary.
Dorothy, thank you for sharing your own special day, as well as your passion for great apes, with all of us. We hope you have the most beautiful of birthdays!
A Jody-style celebration involves comfort, joy, and occasionally kicking up your heels:
It takes a lot of trust for two chimpanzees to play together. Many play behaviors are variations on fighting behaviors – chasing, wrestling, stealing, slapping, hitting, etc. – and as play gets more aggressive, it’s easy to misunderstand your partner’s intentions. When the chimps first arrived at the sanctuary, Foxie and Annie would occasionally attempt to play, and it almost always ended up as a fight. They just didn’t have enough trust in one another.
Things sure have changed.
I wouldn’t say that Foxie and Annie are best friends now, but they certainly have come to understand each other more and they even engage in rough and tumble play from time to time without it erupting into a conflict. This morning, Foxie even allowed Annie to playfully steal (and dismember!) one of her Dora dolls. That’s when you know you are a member of Foxie’s inner circle.
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Pat and Dave Heniff in honor of their daughter, Keri, on her birthday! Yep, this is “our” Keri, caregiver and enrichment coordinator extraordinaire here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! Keri’s parents shared this message about today:
“It makes us happy to know Keri is working doing something she loves. We are happy to be able to sponsor a day for the chimps honoring her on this special day. Happy Birthday Keri.”
Pat and Dave, thank you so much for including the chimpanzees as you celebrate your amazing daughter on her special day. It’s so lovely of you to honor her passion while making a difference in the lives of the chimps she holds dear. The humans and the chimpanzees couldn’t ask for a better friend and colleague.
Keri, your compassion, dedication and kindest of hearts are clear in all that you do and I think you must be a blessing to everyone you meet. We are so grateful to have you as part of our family, too. Happy, happiest of days and celebrations to you!
Keri and Jamie:
Our boss, Jamie, sends birthday pant hoots to you and expects you to wear cowgirl boots all the live long day. What kind of celebration would it be otherwise?:
Dear Annie,
You haven’t always had it easy. Your first thirty years on Earth were full of fear, pain, and boredom. A lab cage is no place for anyone. Even now in your sanctuary home, you have your struggles. Being the lowest in the hierarchy isn’t easy.
But we have watched your anxiety diminish and your confidence grow. We’ve watched you make new friends, gain the courage to stand up for yourself, and learn to appreciate your own company. We love how much you love your best friend Missy. We love that as you start your 42nd year, you are still growing. We love that you haven’t let the world harden you. You inspire us all.
Happy Birthday,
Your devoted humans
Annie:
Jamie:
Missy:
Jody:
Negra:
Foxie:
Burrito:
For Jody, comfort reigns supreme. We placed 30 blankets in a big pile in the play room after cleaning today and she was the first to make her way to it. The chimps will usually each take an armful when we do this and be on their way, but today Jody decided to take advantage of a “pre-made” nest. The only adjustment she made was pushing the pile into the sun and then she promptly rolled into, snuggled and stretched to her heart’s content. Just as it should be.
