Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Katelyn

In gratitude

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As the Office Manager and a Caregiver for CSNW, I have the wonderful opportunity to not only work with all of you, our amazing supporters, but to see the direct results of all of your contributions toward caring for the chimpanzees. Each and every one of you play a part in this. Whether it is through donations, volunteering your time, sending troll dolls, cowgirl boots, and a myriad of other enrichment items, following the blog, “liking” us on Facebook, participating in our events and campaigns, sharing your love for the chimpanzees and helping to educate others, or just sending us good thoughts, it all counts, it all makes a difference. You add to the collective consciousness of how special the chimpanzees are and what issues both captive and free-living chimps are facing. You are helping to create hope for their future. And you renew my faith in the human spirit every day.

Because of each of you, the chimps are able to have good friends…

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good food…

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and choices.

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Thank you for enabling us to do the work that we do and most importantly for providing the chimpanzees with a home full of the joys, comforts, and love they so deserve. We couldn’t do it without all of you. On behalf of all of the primates here at CSNW, thank you and please know how much each of you are appreciated!

 

 

 

My friend, Foxie

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One of the most common, if not impossible, questions I get about the chimpanzees is, “Who is your favorite?” Impossible! They each are, for their individual uniqueness. To me it’s a privilege just to be in their presence let alone be able to call them my friends. We all have different relationships with each of the chimpanzees, built in their own time and way. Some of the chimpanzees choose to engage with their human caregivers frequently, whereas some of them prefer the company of their chimpanzee friends. And just as with human friends, you find that for whatever reasons you seem to just “click” or bond with certain individuals in a certain way. You’re especially happy to see each other when you’ve been apart, you enjoy just spending time in each others company, you learn from each other, respect each other for who you are, and you laugh together often. Maybe one of you even does pirouettes and back flips when you see each other! For reasons you cannot often articulate, you consider them one of your dearest friends. And so it is for me with Foxie. Sometimes I feel my heart will burst with all the love I have for this chimpanzee woman.

While we all hope that we are making each of the chimpanzees lives better given their life circumstances, we certainly wish they had been able to live the lives they were meant to. When acknowledging that their lives would have been better off not knowing humans at all, it can sometimes be difficult to also acknowledge that this includes me. And while I wish Foxie’s life could have been different, I am so honored to call her my friend.

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In memory of Simone

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Today, tomorrow, and the next day (!!!) are sponsored by Tracy Dunham. Tracy shared this wonderful story about Simone:

“In memory of Simone who came to me because one person saw something in a dog that had a ‘1000 mile stare’ and was so afraid that she crawled instead of walked. She spent her last days walking the beach on the Oregon coast, greeting every human with kindness and listening to the ocean with her head in my lap. Thank you to all the wonderful people who have given the chimpanzees a chance to enjoy life. I would like to sponsor 3 days for the last three days Simone and I spent on the coast.”

Tracy, we are so touched that you chose to not only sponsor 3 days for the chimpanzees, but also to include them in such a special memory of Simone. Thank you so much!

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Thank you so much, Paige!

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Today was sponsored by Paige Powell in honor of the staff and volunteers here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! Paige, this is such a kind and generous thing to do.  I am pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say the honor is all ours.  And we couldn’t give the chimpanzees all that they so deserve if it were not for the care and support of so many amazing people such as yourself.  Thank you so much, Paige, from the humans and chimpanzees alike!

And here is the beautiful cover girl herself, Jody, who was featured in an article on the front page of yesterday’s New York Times! Learn more here!

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For Ned and Noreen O’Flaherty

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Today was sponsored by Joan O’Flaherty in memory of the anniversary of her parents, Ned and Noreen O’Flaherty.  Ned and Noreen shared a love of animals, and concern about conservation and environmental issues, and Joan is certain that they would have loved the chimpanzees.  Joan, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees in such a special way.  It makes my heart happy to know people think of the chimps when thinking of their loved ones.

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Thank you, Tracy!

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Today was sponsored by Tracy Headley who is “celebrating starting summer by seeing a pal.”  Thank you so much for including the chimpanzees in your fun, Tracy! I think your Chimpanzee Pal, Foxie, will be celebrating the start of summer with her pals right along with you!

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