TULALIP — In the insular world of animal shelters, Paul Lewis has been operating in his own niche since opening Forgotten Kingdom Animal Shelter in 2002.
“If it’s not a cat or a dog, I’ll do it,” he said.
One summer he took in 28 roosters all at once, and Lewis said he’s had pet stores that were closing drop off their entire stock.
Forgotten Kingdom is a no-kill shelter.
The shelter, however, has hit a rough patch and might have to close its doors if it can’t raise $6,000.
A fundraiser has been established online at gofundme.com/forgottenkingdom, and on Saturday, Lewis and his mascot, a 5-year-old nutria named Squeak, will be raising money at another animal shelter, All Breed Equine Rez-Q in Marysville, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“At this point, I’m basically just raising funds and buying days,” Lewis said.
Raising $6,000 might keep the shelter open for another six months, he said, when he hopes he’ll be in better financial shape.
The fundraiser at All Breed is to benefit both shelters. Dale Squeglia, president of All Breed, said she needs to raise $10,000 to survive the spring, citing a long list of unpaid bills.
“The hay bill is overdue, grain bill is overdue, and no funding,” Squeglia said.
“I’ve had to turn away many, many horses this winter.”
She has 17 horses; normally she would have closer to 30 at this time of year.
Squeglia said she tried several online fund-raising sites last summer, but nothing panned out.
“We’re one of the few horse rescues left, and he’s the only ‘exotic’ around,” she said. “We’re pretty doomed if we don’t get some funding.”
As an exotic-animal shelter, Forgotten Kingdom takes almost anything. Lewis has approximately 200 animals, many of them small critters like hamsters, rabbits, hedgehogs, snakes and other terrarium pets, plus farm animals. In the past, he’s had llamas, emus and alligators.
The shelter helps the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office when deputies capture an exotic critter. It also boards pets for military personnel on deployment. Affable animals such as goats are donated sometimes to the Forest Park Petting Zoo.
That’s what Lewis hopes to do with Petunia, a 300-pound pig, the largest animal at the shelter.
“She thinks she’s a dog,” Lewis said. “If you go up to her and say, ‘Scratch your belly,’ she’ll roll over just like a dog.”
The more exotic animals get posted to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums database for possible transfer.
Other animals are adopted out as pets, which are the shelter’s principal source of revenue.
“I’m running adoptions full time, trying to save the shelter,” Lewis said. “Nobody donates any more.”
His biggest expense is electricity, which he needs a lot of to keep water pumps running and heat lamps on for the reptiles, which are brought in on an almost-daily basis.
And then there’s Squeak. The nutria’s not going anywhere, because they are a prohibited aquatic animal species that must be euthanized if captured.
Squeak came from an elderly couple whose dog brought the nutria in as a baby.
“They didn’t realize what it was, and when they did, they said, ‘Ugh,’” Lewis said.
The shelter’s permits allow Squeak to stay on as long as he lives, and he’s become sort of a mascot, accompanying Lewis to fund-raising events like the one at All Breeds Equine Rez-Q.
Squeak also acts like a dog, Lewis said, and he admits he spoils him.
“He’s got his own TV,” he said.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
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