HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - Like Dr. Dolittle, Lisa Loyd seems to know exactly how to communicate with her rescue animals and make them feel safe and secure - even after they’ve endured years of abuse.
Along with more than 100 animals, two kids and her husband, Dustin, Lisa lives off a dirt road on 30 acres of land. The family calls home a 1919 two-story, dusty-white clapboard house, while the animals have a few barns and lots of paddocks. Lisa, along with her family, takes care of rescue animals from horses to pigs and goats to dogs and cats. She’s even brought in a rescued llama, a turkey and a few cows.
But now, the Loyds, who own Storm Creek Horse Co. Farm & Rescue, a nonprofit rescue farm, need help, The Hutchinson News reported. Along with a tornado hitting their barn, the couple has had some serious medical issues.
“She’s struggling so much just to run the place by itself,” said Diana Callon, of Hutchinson.
Lisa spends her day caring for the animals, who are often left on her doorstep. It isn’t uncommon to see a starved horse being delivered by law enforcement from Kingman, Kiowa, Pratt or Reno counties. She even had a couple of mares brought in from Marshall County.
“They drove four hours,” Lisa said. “We have a long-term commitment to these animals. All these guys (animals) are our family.”
There is no animal Lisa will not take. She and her son Cody, 16, pour out their love into each broken soul and bring them back to life. Every animal has a name. Cody has his own flock of crippled ducks, and one he’s raised from birth, named Drake.
A couple of years ago, a local family left their farm and a brood of hens boarded up in a henhouse with no water or food. Lisa received a call from the startled realtor asking her to come rescue them. She’s received many of these calls. Currently, Lisa has 43 horses. Once brought back to a healthy state, trained, gelded and cared for, they are able to be adopted.
“We work really hard to make sure their mind is sound and they are healthy,” Lisa said.
Nikki Hsu, of Amarillo, formerly of Kingman, adopted two of Lisa’s mares - Abby was 9, and Ellie May was 13. Abby was abused, with scars across her body. Ellie May was neglected. She was taken off a Reno County farm.
“We are very, very thankful that Lisa was there to take care of these horses,” Hsu said. “She got them healthy. Lisa really does try to match the right horse with the right home, so they don’t end up in a bad situation again.”
Lisa’s husband, Dustin, used to help out at night and on weekends when he was not working his full-time job, but this fall, he was in a serious accident. He broke his femur bone, has a severe concussion, and they just found out that he has blood spots on both lungs.
“If it hadn’t been for people helping us, we would have had to shut down and close the doors,” Lisa said. “It’s hard, but that’s what we do. We’re really blessed by what we do.”
Lisa always relied on Dustin’s job to cover house and food bills. When he worked overtime, the couple used that money for the rescue business. Lisa gave riding lessons to help defray the costs of taking care of the animals. Their plan worked - although always on a tightrope - for 13 years. And then 2019 came.
“It’s a constant juggling act,” Lisa said. “Usually we balance pretty well. But this year …”
Ronan, 7, the couple’s youngest son, was helping a teacher and badly injured his eye accidentally. A tornado tore the roof and sides off their barn, which they need to be fixed before winter. Each night, Lisa and Cody try to put a new panel up, but they have run out of materials.
“We raised $2,700,” Lisa said. “But the money has run out.”
Along with trying to fix the barn, Lisa and Cody are also mending fences, taking out stitches, milking goats, collecting eggs and cleaning pens. Aside from troubles with the barn, the transmission on two of their farm trucks gave out.
Both Lisa and Cody are exhausted, but they are putting the animals first. Making sure each one is watered, fed and most of all, loved. As the two walk around the property, the animals respond to their loving touches and soft voices. Growing up in the country, in Halstead, taught Lisa about taking care of animals. Even back then she would rescue hurt critters.
“We don’t mind bleeding toes or hurt fingers,” Lisa said. “We love our animals.”
Part of helping the animals is figuring out their needs - whether it’s physical or emotional. That’s why Penelope the stubborn donkey is sharing a stall with Frankie, the goat who was teased by his fellow goats. Although each animal does not get along with the other farm animals, the two enjoy each other’s company.
Lisa also makes sure her cats and dogs are spayed and neutered, but this costs money - from $50-$75 each - and they don’t get a break from a veterinarian. She could use help to defray these costs. Just last month, two pregnant cats were dumped in her driveway. Now she has two litters and two momma cats to spay and neuter and give rabies shots to.
The farm costs the Loyds more than $3,000 per month. This includes hay, food and supplements. Whatever they have extra, they use toward spaying, neutering and gelding. But right now, there is no extra money and their bills are multiplying rapidly. Because of the collapse of the barn, Lisa has had to slow down her horse lessons and trail riding business. Her husband is unable to help because of his accident.
“We just really hope they can pull through this,” Hsu said. “The animals need them.”
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Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News, http://www.hutchnews.com
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