Whitewater rescue ranch gives home to abandoned livestock animals
WHITEWATER, Calif. (KESQ) - At Lost Creek Canyon Ranch, over a dozen rescued animals are teaching visitors how to properly care for livestock.
"I would say there’s 22 equine, that includes the donkeys. Then we have two emus, three pigs, one mini cow and guinea fowl and and of course, our livestock guardian dogs," Jeanne Oliver, owner of SoCal Mini Horse Sanctuary said.
Oliver has been rescuing animals for nearly two decades, driving as far as Mississippi to rescue a white miniature horse named Ghost.
"They suffer the same problems neglect, abuse, abandonment. People think, 'Oh, they're so cute,' but they get bored. They don't have proper yards for them and then they get neglected," Oliver said.
A large part of the burden is cost. Between livestock feed and veterinary care, Oliver says nearly all of it rising.
Experts estimate the cost of owning a horse in California is between $11,000 and $26,000 annually. Boarding is the highest recurring cost, ranging from $100 to $1,500 monthly.
While most animals will live out the rest of their life there, Oliver says some that are domesticated enough can be adopted out to qualified farms or ranches.
The sanctuary sits on Lost Creek Canyon, amidst 400 acres of hillside land and hidden desert history.
"Beginning in the 1860s, it was a homesteaded property that took place after the Civil War. It went through a number of different hands in the late 20th century, was owned by a very prominent businessman and architect for about 50 years or so. Then he sold it to a world acclaimed cancer researcher, and she in turn sold it to us about six years ago," Rivkin said.
Rivkin says the land also features a hidden Native American village, old gold mines, and a blacksmith forge.
Still, he says rising costs have also hit the ranch.
"Lumber, fencing, concrete and everything we use literally every day here has gone up substantially in the last 12 to 18 months," Rivkin says.
Nevertheless, he says opening the ranch to the community has been priceless.
For more information on Lost Creek Canyon Ranch, https://www.lostcreekcanyonranch.com/.
