| Proposed Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary & Learning Center Building & Grounds *Updated: 5-05-09* See below for cost breakdown, history of the sanctuary, plans for GREEN construction & operation, and more! |
This building will be built totally GREEN and its operation will leave a minimal, if any, carbon footprint! Which will also keep operating costs down too! • The main building will be approximately 150ft x 50 ft, steel/pole building • On insulated cement slab to retain heat/cooling factor • Fully insulated building - high R factor • The entire south side will be filled with large window/patio door glass high-e panes with the roof overhang at the precise angle to capture the most winter sun and shield the summer sun for maximum passive solar gain • Roof will be steel plus photovoltaic cells • Commercial wind generator will be used • Back up conventional electric hook up • Commercial emergency generator • Fully heated, cooled & ventilated • Fully handicapped accessible • Utilize stainless steel, cement or marlite walls for easy cleaning and durability • Indoor walls to be plexiglass or safety glass as much as possible to maximize viewing ability • Informational signs/plaques for each type of animal • Informational handouts - more detailed- on the care of each type of animal available for free near information desk in a free standing book/card/brochure type 'tree' • Floors cement, epoxy coating for non-slip, and possibly vinyl • Few other smaller buildings for storage • All rooms will have the supplies needed for the animals inside in cabinets, shelves etc. on the walls to maximize space usage • There will be quarantine rooms (2) and infirmary • All waste- animal and food scraps etc. will be composted - resulting compost may also be for sale • Compost will also be used to "grow" worms (red worms, etc) for food for animals (turtles, lizards, hedgehogs, other insectivores) may also sell worms also- for pet food
center, where we will bury and place markers for sanctuary animals passing on; also may sell space for pet owners to bury their animals and place markers, plant trees, other plantings in memory etc. • Need approx 3-5 acres - buildings, parking, memorial gardens, animal exercise areas, etc. • Capacity of over 600 animals • Open to the public 7 days a week from 10 am to 6 pm for viewing only, guided hands-on educational tours available Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays at set times, and during the week by appointment. Great destination for tourists, and field trips for schools, scouts etc. • Suggested donations amounts upon entering, set fee for hands-on tours. We already have committments of final design, building contractor, some skilled and unskilled labor and materials. Large donations will be recognized on plaques, etc. within the building and on the exterior as well. An endowment/donation of $200,000 to begin construction may be acknowledged by naming the facility after the benefactor. Donors may dedicate a room and have their donation acknowledged with a plaque on the door to that room for $5,000. ******* Critter Camp reserves the right to refuse any name that is deemed inapprropriate, offensive, or discrimantory********** Donation acknowledgement will have extra advertising potential as the building will be directly on US Rte 20 between Chicago and Galena which sees a large amount of traffic as well as the thousands of people who will stop and visit the Sanctuary. According to IDOT the traffic on the stretch of US Route 20 we are planning to utilize averages 15,000 cars a day! Of course donors may remain anonymous if desired. * Interested parties may contact us to set up a meeting with our building contractor and other officials* Ongoing sanctuary expenses must be planned for and the income to maintain the sanctuary must also be in place. With approximately 2,000 visitors per year ( a low estimate) donating, taking tours, and becoming sponsors the sanctuary will be self supporting. There will need to be well trained staff at all times the facility is open, as well as before and after closing time - likely 1 paid and 2-3 volunteers at any given time. All staff and volunteer training and all cleaning procedures will be recorded in writing as well as job descriptions and duties. A veterinary technician may also be employed part-time. Will utilize area service organizations such as scouts, 4H, schools, etc. as volunteer groups to come in and clean cages, do fund raising activities and supply drives in exchange for 'free' tours. Roughly $380,000 and some donated materials & labor will make this facility a reality - a very small amount considering the number of animals cared for, as well as the enormous potential for education of the general public and current and potential pet owners. Ongoing annual costs to maintain the facility are estimated at $150,000, of which a large amount will be donated supplies and labor, making the actual monetary amount significantly less. With Critter Camp being the ONLY Exotic Pet Sanctuary of its kind in the United States we are hopeful that this project will touch the hearts of many pet owners and together we will be able to make this much needed safe haven a reality. Approximate Cost Breakdown: Land $80,000 Steel pole building shell 150x50 feet 55,000 Site Prep, Driveway, lot, landscape 16,000 Well, Septic 19,000 Concrete, insulated 46,000 Plumbing 20,000 Electric 17,000 Insulation 15,000 Ceiling, Steel, Drywall 15,000 Doors, entries 15,000 Windows 17,000 Heating & Cooling systems 20,000 Interior Structures 17,000 Furnishings 20,000 Misc. (including security systems) 20,000 Total $382, 000 The animals here were all pets at one time, having been abandoned, abused and/or neglected. Some of the pets were confiscated by animal control departments due to mistreatment, others people simply got tired of. Many came to us with illness, disabilities, and maladaptive behaviors. Often these animals were slated for euthanasia as they had no where to go, no one to care for them. As a sanctuary we do not adopt the animals out, we provide them with a safe, healthy and happy forever home after they have already been through so much. Occasionally we will take in very young animals or pregnant ones, in which case we will carefully screen potential adopters and place these animals in appropriate homes. Such adopters will sign contracts providing that they will return the animals to Critter Camp if they cannot care for them for any reason, no questions asked. The safety and care of the animals is our top priority. Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary is a registered charitable 501c3, tax exempt, nonprofit, 100% no-kill, volunteer operated, and USDA & ILDA licensed organization. We are located about 2 hours west of Chicago and less than an hour from Rockford in the small town of German Valley, IL. Private tours for groups of up to six people are available by appointment only right now, 7 days a week, year-round. Come learn about and pet a fennec fox, sugar gliders, degus, rats, mice, bearded dragons, turtles, a tortoise, ferrets and much more! A donation of $10 per person (in cash or items from our Wish List) is asked for the tour which lasts about an hour and a half, depending on the number of people in the group and the level of interest. We have given half hour tours to parents toting wiggly 2 year olds, and 2-3 hour tours for folks who want to savor the experience and have a lot of questions. We have had folks travel all the way from Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa , Texas, Canada, and even Ethiopia just to meet the animals here! Currently the sanctuary is located in the director’s home and an outbuilding, and there are a couple of flights of stairs to climb to see some of the animals. The house is packed to the rafters with critters! Our plans are to build a stand alone facility within the next few years (possibly even next year!)that is fully handicapped accessible. The new building will be built completely green, utilizing passive and active solar as well as wind power, composting the waste, growing red worms in the compost for food for some of the animals, and many other ecologically sound operational practices. This facility will hold over 600 cast off exotic and unusual pets! Please see our draft plans above! Critter Camp also offers pet care information in general and about specific exotic pets to help people decide if such a pet is right for them before they purchase or adopt it. We also offer resources to help people find all kinds of pets that need new homes. We did not set out to create a shelter or sanctuary in the beginning. Our founder is a single mom who decided to homeschool her two gifted daughters and son with special needs while incorporating their pets into the lessons. They had the usual pets, a dog, cats, hamsters, & gerbils. However they decided to add ferrets and ended up taking in a rescued ferret and his cousin. Then came the hedgehog, another gerbil and parakeet. Before long word got out & people were bringing their unwanted animals. They used these opportunities to learn about the new animals in all subject areas - reading, writing, math, geography, science, etc. When they had nearly 30 animals they decided we had to either stop accepting the homeless critters or make it a full time endeavor and become a licensed shelter. Critter Camp has grown to care for over 200 animals of 29 different species, utilizing about 20 volunteers, and becoming a registered 501c3 non-profit charitable organization licensed by the USDA and the IL Dept. of Ag. They literally live, eat, breathe & sleep these critters! They are in every room of the house, one outbuilding and the apartment in the second floor of the outbuilding. They are stacked three and four cages deep where we can. We have a unique free range set-up for the rabbits (all are spayed and neutered) and the guinea pigs (separated by sex) that gives them about the best lives such pets can ever hope for. We strive to give all of the animals the most appropriate living arrangements that we can. And yes, every single animal gets individual attention every day! Critter Camp is a member of the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence at Rockford College and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. **************************************************************************************************************************** Proposed Sanctuary Budget (as of 4-25-08) Expenses: $60,000 care for 600 animals (average 100/animal) 30,000 ¾ time manager* 60,000 6 part time employees (20 hrs per week each at 10/hr)* 10,000 1 part time vet tech 10 hr/wk* 20,000 utilities, insurance, licensing, etc. $180,000 * all employees may be contractual so as to save payroll expenses Income: $70,000 tours 30,000 sponsorships/cash donations 50,000 donated materials/supplies 30,000 grants $180,000 |
| We have opened a Building Fund! Donations may be made directly to the account at any US Bank! Direct donations to the Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary Savings Building Account. All funds in this account will be used specifically for the new sanctuary building and grounds only. General donations may be directed to our general US Bank account: Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary Checking Account. Donations for operating expenses or the building may also be made through PayPal directed to donations@crittercamp.biz or by mail as well. |
| Total animal capacity: Approx 665 [Small animals such as degus, mice, rats, hamsters etc will be in 3 rows – # cages average 3-4 high by 6-8 long – approximately 20 cages per row, 60 total averaging 3-5 animals each, total approximately 200-300 small animals ( some have to be kept singly , some can be in large groups, this is an average count.) 120 rabbits, 100 guinea pigs, 250 small animals, 30 ferrets, 30 birds, 10 sugar gliders, 10 hedgehogs, 4 fennec foxes, 1 arctic marble fox, 5 kinkajous, 4 iguanas, 2 sulcattas, 100- 200 snakes, lizards, insect, reptiles & amphibians] |
| A Few of the Benefits to the NW IL Region: Unique Attraction Critter Camp is the only licensed, non-profit Exotic Pet Sanctuary of its kind in the US Tourists will come from from all over the world- We already have had visitors from Canada and Ethipoia! 'Green' Facility will bring positive media attention to the area and provide a sustainable model for new businesses Naming Rights to the building and individual rooms are available - see below |
| In addition to Sponsors and Donors we are currently looking for someone to create and donate a digital walk-through mock-up of the proposed sanctuary Contact Us for details! |