First-of-its-kind rescue in Tenino helps alpacas

The Cross Creek Alpaca Rescue opened its doors in 2009 as a one-of-a-kind business.

The nonprofit rescue began after Sharon Bond bought her first alpaca. The economy was sluggish and the need for an alpaca rescue was clear to her: Many people had entered into the alpaca business with no exit strategy; others were simply struggling financially, making proper care difficult.

So Bond decided to step in and the rescue operation opened its doors in a rented barn.

“We didn’t really realize until a couple years later that we were the only alpaca rescue in the country,” Bond said.

Although a few other rescue organizations have popped up since then, Bond said her organization is specialized.

“We have spent most of our money making it workable for alpacas,” Bond said of the work she does with co-founder Jacklyn Glover. Both had experience with horse rescues, so knew how rescue operations were managed.

The duo found their niche in a rescue that was rare but needed.

Since January, Cross Creek has saved about 300 animals. Bond said often the rescue does not bring the animals to Tenino, but instead they find the animal a matching home and deliver them straight to that person’s property.

But currently, the rescue is housing 28 alpacas, eight more than its comfortable capacity.

“As far as the animals go, we try to do everything we can for them,” she said. “The animals always come first.”

Cross Creek earned a name for itself after organizing a rescue operation in Polk County, Oregon, where about 180 alpacas were saved from neglect and starvation. “That’s what really put us on the map, so to speak, to really get the word out that there was indeed a problem,” Bond said.

Since that rescue, the organization has been getting more phone calls. “Before we were getting the smaller amounts, now it’s much bigger,” Bond said.

Rescue volunteer Chris Gennai began volunteering regularly at Cross Creek in 2011. He was raised on a farm, so he had a lot of sought after experience raising animals, working on fences and preparing fields for animals.

“Since then, I have helped pretty much in any project that has come my way,” Gennai said.

“(Shari and Jackie) are such a pleasure to work with,” he said.

“It’s inspirational to longer-term volunteers like myself.”