Farm sanctuaries are not the same as ‘city farms’. They are places of safety and refuge, for farmed animals that often have been abused or neglected, others take in animals from farmers who have had a ‘change of heart’ and decided not to send animals for slaughter.
Over-breeding of all barnyard animals for the meat, dairy and egg industries leads to these creatures needing homes, if they do get rescued.
Farmed animals have legal rights. Most farmers welcome a friendly word. Or if no joy, you can report concerns.
The long-term answer to over-breeding is eating more plants. For now, farm sanctuaries play a crucial role in giving farmed animals a second chance, to live peaceful happy lives for the rest of their days.
The Benefits of Helping Farm Sanctuaries
Unlike city farms or zoos, farm sanctuaries usually operate on a shoestring budgets, for the sole purpose of ensuring that rescued animals live peaceful happy lives.
No longer seen as ‘commodities’, some farm sanctuaries focus on one species, others take in many creatures from cows and pigs, to sheep and goats, to chickens and turkeys.
Most people who run farm sanctuaries are volunteers, and welcome fellow volunteers and donations to pay for feed, bedding and veterinary care.
And of course rent for the land. Many farm sanctuaries are closed to visitors for the benefit of the animals, but often run educational campaigns alongside, to inspire people to eat more plants, when they read the often heart-warming stories of rescued animals.
Often local farm sanctuaries have inspiring stories to tell. Cows that have been rescued from neglect form loving bonds with carers, and pigs who had never felt grass, now play freely. In the USA, one chicken loves music, but ‘marches off in disgust’, if visitors sing to her out-of-tune!
The long-term benefits of farm sanctuaries, are to encourage everyone to see barnyard friends as creatures to have empathy for, over seeing them as ‘things’ raised for profit.
People who visit farm sanctuaries (or even support them and receive regular updates) all say that they end up feeling more compassion to our animal friends, which is especially important when raising the next generation.
Ultimately, farm sanctuaries are ‘beacons of hope’ for animals that have often been through hell, and now deserve a better life. Some even arrive here, after jumping off trucks en-route to abattoirs.
Reach out to farm sanctuaries near you. The volunteers that run them do amazing work, which makes a real difference to some of the most abused creatures in society.
Ways to Support Farm Sanctuaries
Enter the words ‘farm sanctuary’ at Find That Charity, to bring up a list of registered farm sanctuaries to donate to. There are many listed. So if you wish to volunteer locally, just add your county name to the search request.
Obviously all farm sanctuaries welcome financial donations (you can give anonymously if preferred through Charities Aid Foundation, remember to add Gift Aid if you’re a taxpayer).
easyfundraising is a good way to raise funds for free. It works with over 6000 brands (from ethical zero waste ones to popular brands like Amazon and Argos).
Basically once registered, you choose your cause (in this case a local farm sanctuary) then that company donates, each time you buy something that you were going to buy anyway.
If you buy a phone online, it works the same – but the farm sanctuary will receive £5 profit from the phone, over the retailer. This service covers everything from train tickets to air fares and from refurbished laptops to insurance.
So it’s a no-brainer way to raise vital funds. Just shop from the site or app, and each retailer pays a set fee or percentage, depending on their policy. Donations are sent to the charity every quarter, and using this service does not affect loyalty points.
Many farm sanctuaries also welcome quality donated goods including animal feed, bedding materials, eco (unscented) cleaning products and veterinary supplies. Some sanctuaries also welcome blankets and towels (no tassels) and old newspapers, ask what your local sanctuary needs.
Buy organic clothing to help farm sanctuaries!
Ask your local farm sanctuary if it would appreciate a donation to buy MudControl slabs, the premier brand used by farmers and equestrians, to turn muddy dangerous land into safe places eto pass through, or eat hay. They are used with sand for easy installation.
Obviously all farm sanctuaries would welcome trained volunteers like vets and veterinary nurses, or anyone with skills in animal husbandry. But also they welcome volunteers who can offer other skills like cleaning, feeding the animals and building shelters.
If working as a volunteer gardener, use no-dig gardening to protect wildlife. If gardening alongside animal friends, learn more on pet-safe gardening (many plants grown for other creatures are toxic – like fruit pips/seeds, nuts, elder, borage and mushrooms).
Do research before planting food, hedgerows or trees near livestock (or equines and donkeys) as many plants (including yew, privet, laurel, buckthorn and holly) are not safe. Learn of trees/hedges to avoid near horses (including yew, oak and sycamore).
A Few Lovely Farm Sanctuaries to Support
Some farm sanctuaries of note in England are:
Surge Sanctuary is set in 18 acres in the rural Midlands. It was founded by a group of friends from animal welfare organisation Surge.
Residents include lambs saved from becoming Easter lunch to pigs rescued from abattoirs – some animals even used to live on building sites). The shop sells pretty no-bone china mugs and illustrated calendars, to raise funds.
The Farm Animal Sanctuary was established nearly 40 years ago, when the founder saw sick and diseased animals offered for sale at a livestock market. She bought 60 of them and gave them urgent vet care, and the sanctuary has cared for hundreds of animals since.
The sanctuary costs £2500 a day to run and their funds are running out, so please sponsor an animal and leave a legacy in your Will. Its patron is Joanna Lumley.
Goodheart Sanctuaries gives home to over 300 rescued animals in 92 acres of rolling countryside between Worcestershire/Shropshire.
All residents have safe cosy places to sleep, and freedom to explore pastures and woodland (there are two large pools for waterfowl). This sanctuary’s shop sells no-bone china mugs featuring rescued residents!
Worcestershire’s Farm Sanctuaries
Worcestershire has several farm sanctuaries, where abused/neglected barnyard friends receive loving homes. All struggle financially.
- Baah-land has over 100 happy residents, and is run on a shoestring budget, by dedicated volunteers.
- The Farm Animal Sanctuary does wonderful work. One pig resident was found by workers on the M42, likely fallen off a trailer, on route to an illegal slaughterhouse.
- The sanctuary has its own lottery with a first price of £25,000. It’s also raising money on JustGiving to buy the farm it runs from (now for sale) to avoid having to transport the animals somewhere else.
- Goodheart Sanctuaries is home to over 300 animals in 92 acres of rolling countryside. There are also two large pools, for rescued waterfowl.
- Hillfields Animal Sanctuary offers refuge for 300 animals, who live out their days free from fear, neglect or cruelty.
Free Welfare Guides for Farm Sanctuaries
Whether you want to set one up (or already run one), The Open Sanctuary Project is a fantastic website where you can find care guides by species, all given by experts to help. You’ll find over 500 articles (including for other rescued creatures like parrots and donkeys).
An American Farm Sanctuary to Inspire
Farm Sanctuary is a safe haven for abused and neglected animals on both US coasts. Founded by former actor Gene Baur, who used to do ads for McDonald’s), the sanctuary began after he and others rescued Hilda, a ‘downed lamb’ left for dead on a heap.
Today this charity rescues thousands of animals, inspires visitors to go vegan and campaigns for both education and better welfare laws for farmed animals.
Both sanctuaries are home to cows and sheep that have ‘ran for their lives’ from slaughterhouses, pigs raised by schools for ‘future farmers’ and animals rescued from backyard butchers.
Hey Friend Foundation was inspired by Farm Sanctuary, started by Gene’s friend Tracey Stewart and her husband (the well-known TV presenter Jon Stewart). This menagerie of rescued animals are overseen by the resident ‘security expert’ – a peacock who honks when new people arrive, when not inspecting surrounding bugs!
