2020: A Year of Rescue with Farm Sanctuary


VIDEO 08:24
2020: A Year of Rescue with Farm Sanctuary
Transcript
I'm here with Indigo and her mom, Liberty. They were rescued this-- the beginning of this year from a slaughterhouse. We don't often get to rescue directly from slaughterhouses. But this particular slaughterhouse-- the owner-- one of the things that he does if he ever has a mom and a baby come in, or a mother give birth at the slaughterhouse, he will not-- he refuses to slaughter them.
So yeah, these guys are really special for just a multitude of reasons, you know? One of which, getting to have a mom and a daughter coming together and being able to keep the family together is not something we get to do all that often. They're really special in where they came from. Being an example of having someone in a situation like that-- the owner of a slaughterhouse-- that can still show compassion for these animals and give them a chance for a new life in a place like this at sanctuary. So they're just a really cool little family.
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Ellie came from a slaughterhouse in Ramapo, New York. She had escaped and she was on the run for like, two weeks. She had found her way into somebody's backyard. And they locked her in there and then called us. He had a number on her side. And she was very obviously going to be used for meat.
We would go in there every day, so she got used to us and our presence. And one day she just like, came right up to me. I was like, still as a statue. And I was like, oh my God! She trusts me!
As soon as we introduced Ellie to this group, she blended in immediately. They go from situations of abuse, and then they come here, and their personalities really start to shine.
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We took in a group of 40 red stars. That's all of the kind of red colored hens in this group. They were rescued from a fire that happened at an egg laying facility. And unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of birds in that fire died, but a lucky few hundred did escape. Many of the ones that came here are doing really great. But we did have a number that had to stay in specialized care due to the fire that they had to escape from.
We see every single animal here as individuals. I know that they all have individual health needs. I mean, that's something that they'll get for the rest of their life that they would not have gotten at the facility they were at. Space and freedom, outdoor access, clean food and water, making sure that every one of them has the healthiest life and happiest life possible.
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It was a very unique experience for me. I've been a longtime Farm Sanctuary staff member, a member of the development team. The pandemic prevented shelter staff from making the trip to Florida. And asked me if I could be on the ground throughout the course of the rescue. As soon as we reached the property, we realized that we had our work cut out for us.
There were cage on cage on cage of chickens, living in broken down housing, inadequate food and water. There were pigs, goats, and sheep. It was incredibly smooth to me to be able to meet sanctuaries in my local community, to watch people willing to dedicate everything to help take animals out of such an awful, awful situation. I'm just incredibly honored to have been part of the experience, and to be able to see the many animals that we were able to rescue living out their lives in peace and with love.
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Squid brings me a lot of joy. Just his enthusiasm and his excitement, which is kind of a great influence for others just to kind of see his love for living. He was bred through the FFA. [GIGGLING] And his breeders-- they were going to have a student raise him for show.
Three days after Squid was born, his mother accidentally trampled his leg, which unfortunately, was something that was a little bit more severe than anyone was expecting. She was no longer seen as a healthy animal, as breeders did not know what to do with him. And that's why Squid has ended up here at Farm Sanctuary.
He did see a few vets. And they thought they were going to be able to fix it with a splint. They tried several different things with him. None of it seemed to really work out. And since he's ended up here, we've done the best we can.
And he's really come a long way with that injury. We've been able to put him in a little cart that he is in on and off all day long. He's moving really well now in a much happier life.
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For animals who we rescue and then place into adoptive homes, like Bruce and Evan, it can take time to find that perfect home. And that means considering the space that the adopted home or sanctuary has, the other animals in the herd, the adopter's ability to meet the animals specific needs. And that's what led us to JP Farm Animal Sanctuary in this case. These two boys just had every single odd stacked against them from the beginning, health-wise and situation-wise. And they beat those odds because of compassionate people every single step of this rescue who were helping them along. When their individual needs are met, their personalities are just able to shine through.
For me, sanctuary a waterfalls and like, flowers and oasis. I guess that's the word I'm looking for, is oasis.
To me, sanctuary really means freedom, being cared for.
It's like a jacket, a cozy jacket.
It means safety. It means peace. It means joy.
It's a place of healing and acceptance.
It's a cultural touchstone that helps reinforce people's values, not just across the United States, but across the world.
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VIDEO 08:24
2020: A Year of Rescue with Farm Sanctuary
Even though you weren’t able to physically be here at our Sanctuaries in 2020, your energy and enthusiasm were still felt by all of us—human and nonhuman alike. So, until we can trade in our house slippers for muck boots and reconvene in person, please join us in celebrating all we’ve accomplished, even as the world turned upside down. After all, hindsight is 20/20.


Our Sanctuaries
Watkins Glen, NY
Nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York, the rolling green pastures of Farm Sanctuary’s 275-acre New York Sanctuary are home to more than 800 rescued farm animals.
Los Angeles, CA
Our 26-acre Southern California Sanctuary — home to approximately 100 rescued farm animals — is located on a beautiful hacienda ranch in Acton, just 45 minutes from Hollywood.
Sanctuary Happenings
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Emergency Animal Rescue Fund
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Tune In to the Sheep Barn Cam
Watch NowVisit with our rescued residents from the comfort of your own home through our live cams on Explore.org.
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Statement On Racism and Injustice
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Sustainable Future Curriculum
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Collaborating Against Cruelty
Read MoreFind out how Farm Sanctuary and 5 other animal Sanctuaries came together to help rescue over 100 animals from a backyard butcher in Florida.
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Advocate for Sick Animals
Take ActionPlease sign our petition to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to ban the slaughter of downed animals—with no exceptions.










