Karie Jackson-Hall

Booger, born February 2018

“I have a bleeding heart,” says Karie Jackson-Hall, founder of Tapping House Animal Rescue in Trent Hills. The term “founder” is a bit of a misnomer. Tapping House was born due to the evolution of events rather than the result of a strategic decision to launch an animal sanctuary.

Griffin

It all began about ten years ago in Whitby when Karie purchased a purebred Brussels Griffin puppy. Not only was the pup the runt of the litter and the “ugliest thing I’ve ever seen”, but he was deemed unsuitable for sale because he was born with a congenital heart murmur, prognosis unknown. The rest of the litter had already gone to their homes at a cost of $1,500 apiece. “The breeder let me have him for medical costs only,” Karie explains. The patriarch, Griffin, is still with her and has led a contented and robust life despite his condition.

A homeless purebred Black Labrador was next, followed by a couple of cats. Realizing that suburbia was not the most appropriate venue for their growing menagerie, Karie and her partner started looking for a home in the country. They purchased a large rural property in Trent Hills shortly thereafter.

It was a complicated time for them. They had a blended family of two sons and two daughters, now in their 20’s and gone from the homestead. Karie had completed her courses at OREA Real Estate College and enjoyed a brief career as a realtor before becoming pregnant with her son Rayne, now nine. Her partner Mike was also a realtor in the city. He maintained his business for awhile after their relocation, often undertaking a two-hour commute for a brief meeting or, worse yet, a no-show from a potential client. He now works at the Canadian Tire in Cobourg as Customer Service Manager. Karie also works full-time for Campbellford Chrysler as a Sales Consultant. The couple strategize and coordinate their working hours to ensure that their many farm chores are done.

Prince, the Mourning Dove

Tapping House Animal Rescue and Rehab currently houses the property guard dogs, a few cats, eight mini pigs and a Canada Goose named ‘Ducky’ who was the sole survivor of a predator’s raid on his mama’s nest. “He’s imprinted on people,” says Karie. “He has no idea he’s a goose.” Another orphan, a mourning dove, was taken in as a baby and nursed to adulthood with a special diet. “He’s got his full feathers now but we don’t want to release him to the wilds in the winter. We’ll let him go in the spring but he might just stay around unless he meets some other doves. He’s used to riding around on my shoulder.”

Karie with Ducky

Nigerian Dwarf Goats

Also in residence are three orphaned wild turkeys, lovingly hatched by Karie’s brood hen. There is a small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats and a few sheep as well. Although both have now passed on, the place was home to Alpacas for awhile. Tapping House has also given hospice care to dying animals, some under very traumatic circumstances. She recalls one particularly horrific tale about the botched castration of a pot bellied pig. The breed cannot survive the method used on farm hogs due to anatomical differences.

Cute baby pigs have appeal but they could grow to be 150 pounds

Karie explains that rescue efforts are currently concentrated on pigs due to the vast numbers of them being rehomed. This is largely due to popular misconceptions that micro and mini pigs are and will remain tiny, lovable pets. “It’s quite common to see baby pigs being marketed on the internet as 25 to 50 pounds full grown,” she says. “When these cute babies start growing towards their full adult weight of 150 pounds, people don’t keep them.” She cautions that many sites show photographs of the parent pigs who display a manageable grown size. “Pigs can be bred at three months so many of these parents aren’t even close to adulthood.”

Molly, September 2018

Molly is a current resident at Tapping House. She came to them in September, so morbidly obese that she suffered from what is called “fat blindness”, a condition in pigs where facial fat deposits obscure eyesight. Karie explains that she lived with people who cared for her, but they fed her human food including indulgences like pizza and cookies because they believed that pigs could eat anything. Molly has lost 20 pounds so far.

Tapping House Animal Rescue is funded entirely by donations. Some are practical and easy to give, like the huge load of pumpkins that were donated recently by a supportive community. Not only are pumpkins a favourite delicacy for pigs, they are one of the healthiest foods for them to consume. Blankets, towels and any kind of animal food from bird seed to cat food is always welcome.

Fundraising efforts are currently under way to raise $20,000 for a drilled well. Water shortage on the property is a chronic problem and the couple purchase their water at $100 per fill. They still run out on a regular basis since so much water is required to maintain their operation.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched last September. Karie notes that 15% of these proceeds go to service fees from the supporting organizations, GoFundMe and PayPal. As an alternative, she has set up a dedicated bank account for the well project and 100% of donation proceeds go to the cause. The address for etransfer can be found postscript.

Karie and Mike, August 2017

Karie Jackson and Mike Hall officially tied the knot in August 2017 after a long-standing relationship. “We were married in Niagara Falls,” she recounts, “at the same chapel Ellen DeGeneres got married in.” They celebrated their first wedding anniversary and 10 years together last August. Son Rayne loves animals and is happier than a pig in the proverbial at the farm.

Karie and Mike, August 2017

On the creative side, Karie is a mural artist with an unusual element. Although she paints murals on virtually any indoor or outdoor surface, she has a particular affinity for large works on Quonset huts. “If I could do that full time, I’d do it!” she laughs. One of her favourite projects to date was for Haute Goat in Port Hope in September 2015.

Karie with Toady

Although self care can suffer with schedules as crazy as Karie’s, she found the time to train and complete a 42 km marathon a couple of years ago. She dedicated her effort to a fundraiser for Tapping House and enjoyed her personal achievement.

Karie Jackson-Hall radiates confidence and compassion along with an in-depth understanding of the animals she cares for. “I do a lot of research,” she says. There is no end in sight for the Tapping House Animal Rescue and Rehab. These people truly love what they do.

Contacts
The Tapping House Animal Rescue and Rehab on facebook: www.facebook.com\Thetappinghouse
Dedicated account for donations by etransfer: kariejackson@live.ca
Murals and More by Karie on facebook: www.facebook.com/Murals-and-more-by-Karie
Recommended site for information on mini pigs: The American Mini Pig Association, americanminipigassociation.com