Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Dusty Cavaliere

A SECRET HIDEAWAY

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It’s autumn – my favorite time of year for cattle care. Honey, Betsy, and Meredith graze in the upper pasture where the leaves turn red, the cattails wilt, and the grass is brittle gold.

Don’t tell anyone but some days I wish I could stay up there all day, hide away.

I’d kick back with the girls and do cow stuff – like gossip around the mineral trough,

itch on the cattle scratching brush,

search for more snacks in the sidekick,

nap beneath the shady pines and listen to the chimps pant-hoot far below the hill.

And if no one missed me in the chimp house, I’d stay all night. I imagine the stars are fantastic, the milky way bright. I’d find the perfect spot nestled between Betsy and Meredith (Honey likes her own space). We’d listen to the coyotes howl, the deer leap over the underbrush, and the night birds dive in the pond.

Where’s your secret hideaway?

Meet Caregiver, Dusty!

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Hi everyone – my name is Dusty. I’m not a new caregiver to the sanctuary, but I am new to writing the blog (outside of my one-time volunteer guest appearance).

My passion for animals began when I was a child caring for my dog, Peanuts, and my guinea pig, Squeaky. I dreamed of being a vet however my career took me down a path in the technology industry. To stay close to animals I volunteered with the Snoqualmie Valley Pet Food Bank, Conservation Northwest’s citizen wildlife monitoring program, and Seattle Humane.

I never imagined I’d care for chimpanzees but in 2016 I moved to Cle Elum and began volunteering at the sanctuary. I fell in love with the chimpanzees, the cattle, and the beautiful property and in 2024 joined the staff as a part-time caregiver.

During my time volunteering in the chimp house, I’ve also had opportunities to help with other projects. One year I made Easter baskets which our dearest Jody loved. I learned to wrap Christmas presents without using tape! I promoted the sanctuary at local farmer’s markets, helped build Ryan’s Lookout, the new outdoor perimeter fencing, and fire wised the property along with past resident Ellie the Elk (a.k.a. Buttons) who now safely lives at Woodland Park Zoo.

Volunteering brought so much purpose and joy to my life – if you are interested here’s how you can help!

As a part-time caregiver, my goal is to support the rest of the team where needed most – to give them days in the office for projects, time to do intros with George, precious vacations, and now assistance with writing the blog.
What will future blogs look like from me? Well . . . I think my co-workers would say I have a quirky sense of humor (hint, hint) especially after they found out I was behind the Human Enrichment Calendar caper, which they all blamed each other on for months (I enjoyed that very much). I hug new appliances, plan parties that include bananas on a stick which Willy B loved and Honey B not so much and The Rock cardboard cutout which Lucky eventually pushed over a cliff. And then there are the infamous spooky dolls – which will be a story for another time.

At the end of the day, I love the chimps and cattle with all my heart. And I look forward to sharing my view into the sanctuary with authenticity, creativity, and joy.