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| Destron Fearing Donates Products to Help Save 600 Starving Llamas
Destron Fearing’s LifeChip Technology Saves Camelid Rescue Coalition
Thousands of Dollars
Business Wire
January 27, 2011
SO. ST. PAUL, Minn.--Digital Angel Corporation, an advanced technology
company in the field of animal identification and emergency
identification solutions, announced today that its subsidiary, Destron
Fearing, donated 600 LifeChip Bio-Thermo® microchips and four readers to
help save 600 starving llamas.
On December 3, 2010, representatives of the llama community were
contacted regarding over 1000 starving animals at the defunct Montana
Large Animal Sanctuary. The Southeast Llama Rescue, Northeast Llama
Rescue, Southwest Llama Rescue, Llama Association of North America, Lama
Lifeline Committee, and Animeals of Missoula immediately mobilized
resources to evacuate the 600 llamas found at the sanctuary.
Gary Kaufman, spokesperson for the Camelid Rescue Coalition, said,
"Destron Fearing has ridden in like the cavalry. Their donation of 600
microchips and 4 readers has given us the ability to evacuate llamas
outside of the state of Montana.” He continued, “Destron's unbelievably
generous offer has literally saved the coalition thousands of dollars of
export expenses that now can be used for medical triage needs, food and
transport. Every llama now has a better second chance at life thanks in
no small part to the support of companies like Destron Fearing. They
have earned a special place in my heart and will be my go-to resource
for my private llama needs."
“Destron Fearing is incredibly proud to know that our LifeChip
microchips and technology helped accomplish this animal rescue,” said
Dan Ellsworth, Destron Fearing’s Senior Vice President of Sales and
Marketing.
At this time, Destron Fearing’s LifeChip has been used in the evacuation
of approximately 400 llamas, with the remaining llamas in the process of
being evacuated.
Direct donation for this effort and additional information can be found
by visiting http://www.fortlucasfarm.com/rescue/ or contacting the
Northeast Llama Rescue at NELR, Box 410, Middleburgh, NY, 12122. 
The International Rescue Council needs halters and leads since many of the rescued animals don’t come with this much-needed equipment. The MLA had a collection point at the Missouri State Fair this year and received several halters which were sent on to a rescuer in Massachusetts. More halters were collected at Chautauqua in the Park in Chillicothe, MO, to be forwarded on to a rescue site once Sheila Fugina identifies the needed area. If you have unneeded halters or leads, please contact Ricky Zachow, our MLA representative for the IRC, she will tell you where you need to send them. Also, if you have other equipment that you aren’t using, why not share it with some new llama owner, the FFA, or someone else who is trying to get started in llamas. Sounds like a much better solution than letting “stuff” pile up! rickyzs@aol.com
Llamas Are a Hit At National FFA Convention After growing from the original display in 2005 that covered two booth spaces to the expanded four-booth space in 2009, sponsoring llama organizations this year joined with alpaca groups to occupy a 12-booth space under a 30-foot long Camelid Community banner at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The banner was highly visible from many vantage points inside the huge Indiana Convention Center during the convention’s career fair October 20-22.
Approximately 55,000 students, advisors and teachers attended this year’s convention, FFA’s 83rd such gathering since it was organized nationally in 1928 and the largest ever convention attendance. With aisles on all four sides, the camelid display was its own island, which increased access over previous years and resulted in increased distribution of handout materials. Having a pen of llamas and a pen of alpacas side by side visually answered the most often asked question—What is the difference between a llama and an alpaca? It also provided for great photo opportunities for students and teachers alike.
“You are the most educational display at the FFA convention,” said an Illinois advisor, and a teacher from Virginia said, “You have made the convention for me.” They and others were impressed with the contents of the educational packets they received and also with the interactive fiber activities that drew students and teachers into the exhibit for hands on experiences. A number of advisors were interested in starting camelid projects with their FFA chapters, and many others talked about having individual students working on camelid SAEs (supervised agricultural experience) at their schools.
Fiber activities included felting, weaving, braiding, spinning and loom knitting, and sample kits for kumihimo braiding and soda straw weaving were handed out. A llama packing DVD ran continuously, as did an alpaca DVD focused on youth activities. The supply of the popular, laminated bookmarks tied with llama fiber was depleted by the morning of the last day. A Texas girl referred to them as “awesome, definitely one of a kind”.
Sponsors for the llama portion of the display included the International Lama Registry, International Camelid Institute and the Llama Cooperative. The Llama Cooperative this year was comprised of the following regional and specialty organizations: Southern States Llama Assn., Ohio River Valley Llama Assn., Rocky Mountain Llama Assn., Hoosier Llama & Alpaca Assn., Willamette Valley Lama Assn., South Central Llama Assn., Lamas of Minnesota, Wisconsin Organization of Lama Enthusiasts, Greater Atlantic Llama & Alpaca Assn., Michigan Lama Assn., Illinois Lama Assn., Lamas of the Mid-Atlantic States, Missouri Llama Assn., Pack Llama Trial Assn., American Miniature Llama Assn. and Argentine Llama Aficionados. The alpaca industry was represented by the Alpaca Registry, Inc., and the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Assn.
This new collaborative effort by the llama and alpaca communities proved to be more effective than the individual efforts made by either group and showed a unity of purpose to those who visited the exhibit. In addition, the Llama Cooperative, through generous funding from the Llama Futurity Association and regional llama organizations, is sponsoring a grant for a llama SAE project in 2011.
If your organization would like to be part of this exciting camelid outreach at the next National FFA Convention, contact Barb Baker at bebaker@earthlink.net for more information.
Note: MLA Secretary, Laura Harrawood also attended and helped with the FFA Convention. MLA also sends a donation to help with some of their costs.
State and Regional Organizations Contributing to FFA Llama Display Southern States Llama Association, Rocky Mountain Llama Association, Greater Appalachian Llama & Alpaca Association, Michigan Llama Association, South Central Llama Association, Ohio River Valley Llama Association, Illinois Llama Association, Llama Association of Southern California, Wisconsin and the Missouri Llama Association. Organization of Lama Enthusiasts, Lamas of Minnesota, Lamas of the Mid-Atlantic States, Llama Quest and Llama Association of North America. If your organization would like information on helping to sponsor the llama display at the 2009 National FFA Convention, contact Barb Baker at bebaker@hughes.net or 740-397-1736. Emergency/Disaster Response: ICI Sets up Communication System for Disaster Response and Relief Sheila Fugina, IRC Council (National Lama Intervention & Rescue Coordination Council) (Reprinted from ORVLA Newsletter, August, 2008) As a result of the networking efforts of several camelid organizations, a communication system for disaster responses and relief has been set up on the web site for the International Camelid Institute (ICI). The tornadoes and floods in the Midwest were the more recent impetus to putting such a plan together, but the wildfires and droughts in other parts of the country started the discussions much earlier. Contact information and links have been provided on the site for national, regional, and local agencies involved with disaster preparedness response and relief for both people and animals. A list of owners with immediate needs such as water, pasture, ay and shelter will be posted on the site shortly, as will a list of people offering help (transportation, pasture room, water, etc.) The list will be updated often over the next several weeks a IC receives additional information. Specific concerns and suggestions from camelid veterinarians regarding disaster response and relief will also be posted on the site. Much of the date in several of the reports was compiled by Sandra Wallace and her team members on the Alpaca Owner and Breeders Association (AOBA) Affiliate Congress who then worked the ICI and the IRC Council to get the actual communication system in place. Though the current concern is with the Midwest, the system is intended to provide immediate communication regarding any disaster nationwide. Please inform your members they can go to the ICI’s web site at: www.icinfo.org and click on “Help for Affected Flood Owners” under the “Hot Topics” section for information and help not only for this latest weather related crisis, but also for future disaster concerns.
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