Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Rebuilding Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

By Louis Desmond 

Rancho Cucamonga, CA - Saturday morning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition traveled to 8545 Buttemere Road, Phelan, Calif. to announce to the Almquist family that in seven days, they will have a new and improved home, and so will the dozens of animals they have rescued. Currently, the family lives in an aging trailer and is struggling to uphold their animal sanctuary.

The Almquist family mission has been to protect and care for the wildlife community. Only a few years into their marriage, Joel and his wife Chemaine decided to build Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, a place where abused or neglected animals can live in a peaceful and loving environment. Forever Wild provides a home for a variety of animals including, nine tigers, three sulcata tortoises, three parrots, 10 alligators, four servals, four Mexican beaded lizards, two Siberian lynx and one Egyptian cobra. You can visit their exotic animal santuary's website here at http://www.4everwild.org.

The Almquist family never wishes to turn away animals in need, but their monthly care expenses have become overwhelming, and they are unable to expand or improve their facilities. To maintain the sanctuary, Chemaine works tirelessly within their community, recruiting volunteers and donations, and Joel even holds a second job. 

While the Almquist family has been busy creating a safe home for so many animals, their own home has nearly fallen apart.  They live in a doublewide trailer that lacks heat or air conditioning, has leaking pipes and large gaping holes throughout the floors, and is held together by duct tape.

For all the dedication and hope the Almquist family provides for the wildlife community, it was time for Ty Pennington and his team of designers to build this deserving family their own sanctuary and a better state-of-the-art animal facility.

Along with Pennington and the designers, a coalition of regional builders and suppliers has stepped forward to donate their time and materials to this project.  They include, Murphy Construction Company from Hesperia, SC Homes, Inc. from Newport Beach, Steeno Design Studio from Hesperia, and David L. Manwarren Corporation from Rancho Cucamonga. With the help of the Building Industry Association (BIA) Baldy View Chapter and hundreds of volunteers and workers, this team will build a new home and wildlife sanctuary for the Almquist family. The family during this time will be on vacation in Costa Rico.

“The BIA is excited to roll up our sleeves and work side by side with the hundreds of dedicated volunteers to help the Almquist family realize their dream of a new home and a better facility for the animals they care for,” said BIA Baldy View Chapter CEO Frank Williams.    

The construction of the new home is set to take place in just seven days with each day representing what would normally be a month of work in a typical home construction schedule.

Schedule
Jan. 31     Door knock

Feb. 1     Braveheart/demo 

Feb. 2 to 6     Construction

Feb. 7     Unveil of new home

Feb. 8     Press conference

Media/Spectator Parking
8545 Buttemere Rd
Phelan, CA 92371 (Adjacent to house)

Parking for spectators opens Monday, Feb. 2
7a.m. to 7p.m.

For more information about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE) in San Bernardino County, visit the BIA Baldy View web site at www.biabuild.com/extreme.

About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its 6th season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Anthony Dominici is the executive producer; and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The show airs on Sundays (8:00-9:00 EST), on the ABC Television Network.

About The Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association
Since 1938, the Building Industry Association (BIA), Baldy View Chapter has remained committed to providing Inland Empire families with access to the "American Dream" of homeownership. ?
The Baldy View Chapter, which oversees the San Bernardino County region, is a member of the California Building Industry Association, a statewide trade association representing nearly 6,000 businesses, which include homebuilders, remodelers, subcontractors, architects, engineers, designers, and other industry professionals.
The chapter also advocates for local legislative and administrative reforms that promote the building industry. For more information visit www.biabuild.com

Photo: Diablo

Photo credit: Christina Bush, Animal Magnetism Wildlife Photography