Len gets his Lenai!
/Sunshine on Len’s shoulders makes us happy!
Helping each of our residents enjoy life to the fullest is a big part of what HEEFS is all about. And that is particularly important for our differently-abled residents, like Lenny. After losing the use of his back legs to arthritis, and other health issues, Len could no longer enjoy his favourite activities of lying in the sun or gazing up at the moon. Of course, even though we did everything possible to bring the outside in to Len so he could still experience as much of his former life as possible –such as foraging for his food, one thing was always missing…and that was actually having Len physically outside. Len is able to scoot around his stall more comfortably than ever since the installation of SoftStall, but heading outside would have been impossible with the uneven ground and muddy bog surrounding the barn. Over the years we thought of so many ways to try to move him, but none of our ideas would have worked to get Len outside without causing him distress or discomfort. So, we continued to do everything we could to keep him stimulated and happy inside.
But all that is about to change. Len is getting an outdoor space which we like to call his “Lenai”. Thanks to the installation of SoftStall, not only will the space available be super comfy, but Len will be able to move himself, by scooting, to his outside Lenai.
A Lenai is born
Before even touching the barn structure itself, we had to work on the outside area. We started by eliminating the bog that was located immediately behind the main barn. The mud was removed, drainage was installed, then gravel was added. Finally, it was topped with a porous material. This top layer will allow proper drainage while still being comfortable for our pig residents.
Doorway to heaven
The next step was getting doors installed. We made two 4 foot openings in the back of the barn and Dutch doors were installed. These will serve as additional entry and exit points for our mobile residents. An 8 foot opening with a large sliding door was created to be Lenny's doorway. Installing the one door for Len was fully funded through incredibly generous donations to Len’s Secret Santa during our Holiday Magic Fundraiser and the quotes for the project came in under what was projected! Then the amazing people at The Mason Group and SoftStall donated a portion of the supplies and labour. This left us with extra funding which the HEEFS Board approved for use to create the other two doorways in the barn.
Sitting on the floor of the bay
Our next step is to install the fencing, gates, and SoftStall outside so Lenny can finally move himself to a fully outdoor location. Right now we have a temporary wall set up so his door can be opened and he can enjoy the sun while still sitting inside. In fact, all of our barn residents are now enjoying an incredible amount of natural light inside the barn thanks to the three new doorways!
Thank you for being a friend
None of this incredible barn renovation would have been possible without the extremely generous support of our donors, our contractors, Masonry Group (@jasonthemason_mg) and the wonderful people at SoftStall. We simply cannot thank you enough!
