Phi Theta Kappa members from Northeast Texas Community College and Trinity Valley Community College volunteered at Black Beauty Ranch, a world-renowned animal sanctuary near Murchison Texas, which cares for nearly 650 domestic and exotic animals on over 1,400 acres. The residents at Black Beauty Ranch were saved from research laboratories, law enforcement seizures and cruelty cases. Others have been rescued from roadsize zoos or were former victims of the exotic pet trade. Still others came from public lands where they were threatened with extermination by the federal government. Bison and cattle, horses and burros, antelope and apes, reptiles and tigers: All have permanent, safe homes at the ranch.
Phi Theta Kappa members helped in a variety of ways. Some dug out weeds along a fence line, others moved dirt to build a ramp for geriatric hogs, while a third group worked in the commissary preparing special food items for primates and coatimundis. Lunch was enjoyed overlooking scenic Moo Meadow. After providing needed help at the facility, the volunteers took a tour of the Ranch. Thoroughbred horses wandered near the van. A trip into an electrified fencing area, allowed the students to see exotic animals such as bears, tigers, and a lioness.
