Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary

Congratulations to Judy C. She is the winner of the 2020 Honda HR-V. She was very excited on winner. Thank you to everyone who participated in the raffle and all proceeds will go directly towards taking care of the animals.

We realize everyone is eager to know what is happening here on property at the Ark. While we are all as a staff exhausted and overwhelmed as we grieve the birds, we are united in our dedication to the animals and our beloved Noah’s Ark. Yesterday we had 100% boots on the ground team – our keepers were in full force with Trevor, Jessie, Rhaelyn, Peyton, Sarah, and Alicia all working in the habitat and Danielle changing out all the foot baths. Despite being head to toe in full PPE and a very hot and humid day, everyone was cheerful and gave it their all to be sure all the animals were fed, watered, and the grounds maintained.

We promise you that all of our animal residents are healthy and receiving the same top-notch care as always.

We got two new freezers in Evergreen Hall and are staging much of our animal food and supplies there now so that our staff do not have to go into the hot zone to retrieve supplies. This will make things much more efficient and hopefully easier on our team.

We understand everyone wants to get news firsthand – so we will try to send more frequent updates. Right now we have been so busy caring for the animals and getting used to the new quarantine procedures that we have not posted as much as we would have liked. We will be sure to keep everyone updated. Our indoor and outdoor team are just AMAZING. Thank you to everyone who is sending happy thoughts and encouragement – we appreciate it!!

Please please understand that we do not have access to our Facebook account – we can only post news items from our Instagram account so any questions cannot be answered from our Facebook platform until we regain administrative control.

We will be closed Tuesday Aug 23rd - Saturday Aug 27th. We are not accepting
any Community Service during this time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

UPDATE! Tune into Fox 5 Atlanta TONIGHT at 5pm for an interview with Jama Hedgecoth, Founder of Noah's Ark and Allison Hedgecoth, the sanctuary's Animal Husbandry Manager. If you can't make it, the interview will be available online shortly after the Live Broadcast. Thank you for tuning in and helping us

💔 Prayers are needed for Calvin our 33 year old Capuchin monkey🐒 Calvin had a seizure early Monday morning and despite being told by experts that Calvin needed blood work done immediately, newly hired president Shelly Lakly waited over 24 hours before allowing those with the proper skill set to have access to Calvin so he could receive medical attention. At nearly 5pm Tuesday, husbandry manager Allison Hedgecoth was allowed to come out of suspension and with the help of Dr. Thomas, finally examine Calvin. After an initial exam revealed a frighteningly erratic heart beat, Calvin was transported by Hedgecoth and Dr. Thomas to a nearby emergency clinic for an EKG. Calvin crashed on the table and although he did come back to us, his prognosis remains guarded. After her 30 years of FREE service to the animals, Noah's Ark's Board of Directors intend to remove Dr. Thomas as a board member today at noon😿 Please share and contact board members and President Lakly and demand better decision making where the wellbeing of the animals comes first, as it always has under the leadership of the founding family, the Hedgecoths.

https://www.change.org/p/free-noahs-ark

👋 Back again after another removal 💔 Please help spread the word

MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS + INCOMPETENT LEADERSHIP = DANGER FOR HUMANS & ANIMALS!!

Our supporters are like family to us and you deserve to know where your money is going and how it is being spent! Noah's Ark Board Chair Glenn Ross recently hired Shelly Lakly as President and without the approval of the rest of the Board of Directors, decided to give Lakly an annual salary of $144,000. This is well over industry standard, making Lakly the second highest paid employee at any animal sanctuary in the entire country. Even worse, the Board's Compensation Committee never approved or even reviewed Lakly's salary, which is a direct violation of IRS rulings for non profits and a gross misuse of your money! The majority of the Board of Directors are not upholding their fiduciary duties, are straying from the organization's mission statement, and are not adhering to the bylaws.

BUT IT GETS WORSE....

Noah's Ark's Animal Husbandry Manager, Allison Hedgecoth, was suspended and will likely be fired for rescuing 21 wolf dog hybrids who without her help, would have perished. Noah's Ark's new President, Shelly Lakly, turned away the animals because she didn't believe they were wolf dog hybrids and was sure there were sanctuaries on stand by that could rescue the animals before their time ran out in 5 days (proof attached). Lakly has never been involved in an animal rescue situation, nor has she worked with wolves or wolf dog hybrids. Lakly refused to listen to the experts at Noah's Ark and from other facilities (proof attached). Thankfully Allison and her husband, Charlie Hedgecoth, followed the mission of Noah's Ark and rescued the 21 animals, bringing them safely to Noah's Ark where they are being cared for and evaluated. All transport costs for the rescue mission were covered by another facility helping with the rescue, so zero of Noah's Ark's funds were used. Noah's Ark veterinarian and long time Board Member, Dr. Karen Thomas, agreed that the wolf dogs were in urgent need of rescue and fully supported the mission. Now, there is a Board Meeting scheduled this week to remove Dr. Thomas from the Board of Directors.

WHY ARE THE ANIMALS AND HUMANS ARE IN DANGER?

Exotic animal safety expert Tim Harrison from Outreach for Animals shares the founding family's concern for the safety of the humans and animals of Noah's Ark, due to Lakly's decision making and lack of experience. Upon notifying Hedgecoth of her suspension, Lakly ordered that Hedgecoth train volunteers to be able to care for all the animals at the sanctuary by the time her suspension started: in 3 days. The fact that Lakly believes 3 days is enough time to train people to be able to care for some of the most dangerous animals on the planet, including big cats and bears, is terrifying. Upon hearing of Hedgecoth's suspension, veterinarian Dr. Thomas (who does not charge Noah's Ark for her services) was extremely concerned for the safety of the public and the animals and announced that because she, Hedgecoth and her husband, Charlie, work as a team with the dangerous animals at the facility, Dr. Thomas would not be able to serve as the veterinarian during the suspension period and unless Hedgecoth was reinstated, she could not in good conscious serve as the veterinarian for Noah's Ark. NOAH'S ARK IS NOW WITHOUT A VETERINARIAN which violates the Animal Welfare Act strictly enforced by USDA. This means Noah's Ark could loose their license to house the animals. Lakly is aware of all of these extremely concerning facts and her response has been and continues to be "We'll figure it out as a team" or "We'll cross that bridge when we get there".

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Share this post, sign and share the petition https://www.change.org/p/free-noahs-ark, contact your local media, contact Charity Navigator, GuideStar and the Secretary of State! Email Shelly Lakly and the Board Members supporting her to let them know this is NOT acceptable and that you demand better. Don't be surprised if you receive a vague, prewritten email from Board Members or Noah's Ark's volunteer coordinator Danielle Jaelyn Sizemore, as they are trying their best to smooth over any concerns with "nothing to see here, all is well" blanket statements. Ask questions and demand answers! The animals must always come first, no matter what. Employees are putting their careers and livelihoods on the line by speaking up and doing what's right, but they need your help to ensure a safe home for our rescued animals, for the rest of their lives. Thank you, and help us !

Contact Information:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Charity Navigator: [email protected] or (201) 818-1288

GuideStar: [email protected] or (800) 421-8656

Secretary of State: [email protected] or (470)312-2640

When you want to get in that laaaast bit of fun before the weekend is over!
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Macaws are intelligent birds that are well known for their flashy coloration and their ear-splitting calls! They hang out in groups (check) have bright colors (check) and make lots of noise? (check) They’re natural PARTY ANIMALS!
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Tag your party animal friend in the comments!
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Welcome to our Event Rental Space!! 🎉
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We are so excited to share this renovated space with you! Planning a birthday party, wedding, or even a conference? Our Evergreen Hall is the perfect space for you.
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Find more information and fill out our event inquiry form at https://noahs-ark.org/evergreen-hall-rental/
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Did someone say raffle?! 🎉
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You can donate to win this like new car! Each raffle ticket is $100, and all proceeds benefit our rescued animals here at Noah’s Ark! Head to our website: www.noahs-ark.org or stop by in person to buy a raffle ticket. The winner will be selected September 3rd! 🚗
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Happy August!
Start the month out right by taking a nap, 😴 soaking up some rays, ☀️ and coming to visit us this week! 😍
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Did you know we have over 25 animals in our Motley Crew?
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They come from all different backgrounds and all have special needs in some ways. Here at Noah’s Ark, we can provide the specialized care that they need to live their best lives. And lucky us, you get to enjoy their company too!
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