WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Cleanup is finally underway nearly seven days after powerful winds ripped through an animal rescue in Weld County.
On Thursday, an insurance adjuster stopped by Chris P’s Rescue and Rehabilitation to inspect the damage left behind after Saturday’s windstorm. Once that was complete, Krysta Steinmark and Jason Fixsel said they got the green light to start cleaning up their property.
“We’re trying to have the volunteers come out, clean up so we can assess more damage,” said Steinmark. We’ve got roofs ripped off three different houses. Two other pig houses we just found out have boards missing on the sides. So, these are things we have to redo that we didn’t even see until [now].”
More than 100 animals live at the rescue in Pierce – most of them are pigs. Fixsel said the wind took the barn they were using for rehab and ripped it from the ground, throwing it in to their neighbor’s property. He said the barn was built to withstand 140 mph winds.
Pepper the pig was inside the barn during the storm. “She is losing hair because she was so stressed out from the storm,” said Steinmark. “We’re building a pen for her today, and she’ll be over there with all the other ones that were in this area.”
Animal rescue needs help after windstorm
Debbi Suitor follows Chris P’s Rescue and Rehabilitation on social media. That’s how she learned they needed help cleaning up storm debris. “I saw that they just needed manual labor,” said Suitor. “They can’t even start rebuilding until they get everything cleaned up.”
Suitor and several others showed up at the rescue on Saturday to help remove tumbleweeds and trash brought in by Saturday’s storm.
“Being a non-profit sometimes you’re down to the last dollar so all the support has really helped our spirits,” said Fixsel. “This is our little piece of paradise. It may not look like it right now.”
“Here we are, we’re starting all over again. So, you can consider us The Three Little Pigs right now,” said Steinmark.
Just like The Three Little Pigs, Steinmark and Fixsel are determined to make sure their story also has a happy ending.
Click here to get updates on cleanup and for ways to help Chris P’s Rescue and Rehabilitation.
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