Leavenworth rescue animal ranch forced to close due to agritourism restrictions

Gov. Inslee has been imposing regulations on businesses across Washington state during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to slow the spread of the virus, but it’s crushing many local business owners.

JodieK, the owner of Refuge River Ranch near Leavenworth, told the Dori Monson Show on KIRO Radio that the ranch is now shut down for the second time due to the latest restrictions on agritourism.

Refuge River Ranch houses 94 animals that are mostly rescues. The animals have special needs, special diets, and often require special medical care.

“There’s some sweet animals here, and how we pay for the care of those animals is we have tours open to the public in small groups, and people will come, and it’s very educational. They learn about the animals, they hear some of their stories, they learn facts and details,” she said. “… It’s not at all like a petting zoo, but they come and they get to love on the animals, feed them treats, and cuddle them.”

The animals love the attention, but people love it too, says JodieK.

Refuge River Ranch had previously been open as they were able to follow the governor’s orders, requiring face masks, keeping six feet of distance, and making hand sanitizer available.

“We were very cautious about everything, so it was really disheartening when we found out that we had to shut our doors anyways, plus we’re open air,” she said. “I’m not sure the reasoning behind it, but it’s the second time this year we’ve been shut down. The first time was really devastating, and we were barely making it. So when I got news of being shut down a second time, I just lost it.”

It’s not just Refuge River Ranch that’s having to close, but nearly all agritourism, JodieK says.

“People can’t have hayrides right now, they can’t have putting zoos, … I just fall under that category with many, many others,” she said.

“It’s my understanding that Governor Inslee thinks that Chelan County and Douglas County were two counties that had a big spike. And so we have been stuck in a lower level that has not allowed us to progress,” she added. “And then on top of it, it’s my understanding that there was a concern that with fall coming and pumpkin patches, and hayrides, and petting zoos, and places like that that, there might be more of a spike.”

While she thinks that’s the reasoning for the tighter restrictions, she said she’s not entirely sure.

“I will say that no one knocked on my door and said we’re shut down, but it was a posted mandate as of Thursday night,” she said. “I did not hear about that until I was going out to do my last tour Saturday night, and that’s the raw footage that you got there. I’m putting on my mic and a friend texted me, I read the mandate, I just burst into tears and recorded that on my way to do my last tour.”

The mandate said you had to be closed Monday, JodieK said, or risk a $10,000 fine.

For Refuge River Ranch, they’re trying to avoid having to move any of the animals. With special requirements for care, fostering is not an ideal choice as JodieK does most of the vet work herself and says she’s not sure if a stranger would know how to care for these animals well.

“Also, I took samples of all their blood, sent it off to WSU. We have a very clean, closed herd so I don’t allow external animals in,” she added. “For instance, if someone wants to bring me a goat to rescue, it goes into quarantine for two weeks until that blood work can be tested to make sure it doesn’t actually infect the rest of the animals here with a disease.”

That means if the animals were fostered out, she would have to retest them all.

“We’re just taking it one day at a time,” JodieK said. “But the worst case scenario would have to take rescue animals and have them rescued a second time. That would create a lot of stress in their lives.”

To support Refuge River Ranch, click “Donate Now” on their website here, or donate to the GoFundMe page for the ranch.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.