Sanctuary Tails

Outrage at Conklin Dairy Farm Abuse

by Susie

I am outraged , as many of you are, by the video released earlier this week by Mercy For Animals, exposing  the horrific abuse of dairy cows and calves. Thousands of people are calling for this farm to be shut down and the perpetrators to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  As soon as I saw this video, the first question that came to mind was “How can we save these cows and calves?”  We hit the phones and sent a letter to local authorities involved in the investigation, including the Union County Humane Society, to see if we could help in any way.

I am pleased to report that we are now working together  with the Union County Humane Society to try to bring the cows and calves brutally abused in this video to safety.  We do have an uphill climb ahead of us, though, as current Ohio laws make it difficult to seize the animals, but rest assured that we are doing everything we can to move this case along.  More to report next week!

Animal Photo of the Week: Indigo

 

It’s hard to believe that Indigo was once confined to a tiny, filthy cage in the backyard of a meth dealer’s home. Discovered during a police raid, he and another chicken, Jade, were the only survivors by the time help came for them. Severely neglected and starving, the pair were thankfully lifted out of these cruel conditions in the nick of time and brought to the safety of our California Shelter. Today, Indigo leads a far different life. In this Animal Photo of the Week, photographer Connie Pugh captures our handsome rooster friend in all his glory – stretching out his beautiful wings and just being free!

Animal Photo of the Week: Olivia & Son

 

We hope you’re sitting down for this Animal Photo of the Week, because it’s a stunningly cute one! Born a short while ago at our New York Shelter, this little bundle of joy receives a warm welcome from his doting mother, Olivia, just moments after entering the world.

A victim of severe neglect, Olivia was recently rescued along with five other goats, including four others in late-term pregnancy, and brought to Farm Sanctuary, where caregivers have been providing them and the new babies with loving care.

See more photos of the newborns and find out how you can help give them a bright future.

True Love on the Farm

 

By Susie

In 2002, Cocoa Bean was rescued along with 21 other sheep and goats from a severe neglect case in Wisconsin. Before she came to our New York Shelter, she suffered a bone fracture that was left untreated and had healed improperly, leaving her with a crooked back leg. She also has a very common virus, known as Caprine Arthritic-Encephalitis, which has settled into the joints of her front legs and makes her a bit slower on her feet. Due to the condition of her legs, Cocoa Bean had difficulty keeping up with the younger goats in her herd, and became a bit of a wallflower. We wanted to do everything we could to make sure this sweet lady was comfortable and happy at the shelter, so we moved her to the sheep barn, where our gentler sheep and goats reside. Yet despite her new and comfortable surroundings, she continued to be a loner.

That is, until she met Joey. Joey was just a baby when he arrived at the shelter. He was found wandering loose in a busy intersection in Brooklyn, having likely escaped from one of New York City’s many live markets. Though there were several goats in the sheep barn when he arrived, Joey immediately latched on to Cocoa Bean, and began following her everywhere. Despite their age gap, they formed a very special bond, and have been inseparable ever since.

A couple of times, Joey has strayed while Cocoa Bean napped — only to have her wake up in a panic crying for her pal, who of course went right to her side to console her. Recently, we took Cocoa Bean to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals for diagnostic testing and Joey was agitated and “off” the whole time she was gone. But as soon as she returned, Joey cheered right up and the two resumed their usual routine, like the lovebirds they are.

In her advanced age, Cocoa Bean spends a lot of time lying down and relaxing, but Joey doesn’t seem to mind. Every night, Joey and Cocoa Bean sleep curled up next to each other with their heads crossed, and we know that these two share a love that is true.

Animal Photo of the Week: Terrin

 

Happy and free at Farm Sanctuary, most of our rescued pigs are very active and love to explore the outdoors, root in the dirt, graze on wildflowers, and wade in the pond. But like most animals, they do love a good nap and many choose to while away lazy afternoons nestled in the straw. When it comes time to settle in, the pigs first make comfy beds by picking up flakes of straw in their mouths and moving them to create big puffy piles. In our Animal Photo of the Week, photographer Jo-Anne McArthur captures Terrin in the act of building her nest, a tuft of straw lingering on her cute snout, before lying down for sleep. Ah, to be a rescued pig is a joy indeed!

Life with the Bridge Club

 

by Susie

Although the typical lifespan of a sheep ranges from eight to 12 years, many of those who live at our New York Shelter are in their early to mid-teens. These older sheep live in a special area where they can take it easy and don’t have to worry about keeping pace with the more vivacious youths in our flocks. In the comfort of what we call “the Bridge Club,” they gather with peers their own age and receive the specialized attention and healthcare they need.

As is to be expected with elderly mammals, a few are losing their eyesight as they age. One of the sheep, Sabrina, is now blind, but has adapted very well and continues to enjoy a very high quality of life. Like many Bridge Club members, she has been with us since her rescue in 1997 from a situation of severe neglect on farm in Albany, N.Y. Although she hardly made a peep in her youth, she is now extremely vocal. When she finds that the flock has gone ahead of her, she calls to the other sheep and only quiets down once she catches up to them.

Sabrina also has a lot to say whenever she hears us preparing feed. The seniors of the Bridge Club have few to no teeth, so they’re on a special diet. In addition to the soft hay they eat in the winter and the grass they graze on when the weather is warm, they are fed a mash of Timothy hay pellets and sweet feed, which they love. In fact, mash is Sabrina’s favorite thing — not counting her best friend Zelda!

Zelda was rescued in 2003 from a farm in Canisteo, N.Y., where she was used for breeding and endured extreme cruelty. Since joining the Bridge Club, she and Sabrina have become best pals, and the two are often seen sunning side-by-side in the afternoon or huddled together to sleep at night. Both are being treated for arthritis, which is another common ailment among sheep their age. We keep them as comfortable as possible so that they can fully enjoy their days together. And since they love spring and summer, these two are especially thrilled right now, spending lots of time together outside. We are so happy that these lovely ladies are living out their golden years here with us on the farm, and their love for one another is a joy to see.

Top photo: Sabrina (left) and Zelda (right)

Animal Photo of the Week: Loretta and Harrison

 

In honor of Mother’s Day, this week’s featured animal photo depicts the loving relationship between a mother cow named Loretta and her son Harrison. Rescued together in 2008, these two have stuck together through thick and thin, maintaining their strong bond despite the fact that Harrison is now grown! Here, these sweet bovines relax in their pasture, relishing in the beautiful day and the incomparable company of one another. Loretta is a wonderful mom, indeed, and just one of the many inspiring individuals who make Farm Sanctuary such a precious place. 

Peggie Hen Beats the Odds

 

by Leanne 

Every day, Farm Sanctuary receives numerous calls about animals in need of refuge. When they come in, we respond to the best of our ability, providing placement assistance through our Farm Animal Adoption Network or offering shelter and rehabilitative care at our sanctuaries. Welcoming new residents into our family is an exciting affair for all of us at the farm, and the day we met Peggie was no exception.

When our California Shelter got the call about this sweet hen over the winter, our hearts immediately went out to her. A woman from the Placerville area had found Peggie stuck in a backyard fence, helplessly dangling from one of her feet. Thankfully, the woman gently removed the hen immediately after discovering her and took her to a veterinarian, where she received emergency care. After Peggie was stabilized, her kind rescuer contacted us for help and we agreed to take her in. 

All newly-rescued animals who come to our shelters receive a thorough health check upon arrival, and, at that time, we determine their immediate healthcare needs and a course of action. When Peggie showed up with her badly-injured limb, she was a very a sad sight to behold. The dead tissue on her damaged leg had spread above her ankle, and, after taking her to see our avian veterinarian, we learned that her foot could not be saved. But while this news saddened us, there was still hope for Peggie.

Due to her small size, our new little friend was an excellent candidate for surgery to remove the affected tissue and save the remainder of her leg. So, with a past record of success in giving birds like her a second lease on life through surgical procedures such as the one she needed to survive, we elected to amputate the lower portion of her leg. 

I am pleased to report that, since the surgery, Peggie has been doing splendidly! She is not only able to move around easily, but can also usually be found busily searching out seeds in the straw to eat or finding the best places to sun herself. She has joined our special needs flock of chickens and turkeys who, like Peggie, have beaten the odds. It’s amazing how far this mighty little hen has come since she arrived, and we look forward to witnessing the next part of her journey!