Sanctuary Tails

Animal Photo of the Week: Kim Gordon

 

We couldn’t finish out the week without sharing this adorable photo of the newest addition to our New York Shelter family: Kim Gordon the piglet! Rescued by compassionate rock ‘n rollers on a concert tour, this little sweetie is already stealing hearts like nobody’s business and making some noise of her own. Freed from the factory farming industry that would have kept her down, this tiny, unfettered rockstar now runs wildly through our pastures and sleeps late into the afternoon. Read her incredible story here.

Animal Photo of the Week: Tom and Jerri

 

Though their names might suggest otherwise, Tom and Jerri are actually the best of friends! These two gorgeous geese have always been close, even since before we knew them. They were rescued in 2005 from a pond in southern California, where unknown assailants had been cruelly harassing, and even killing, waterfowl for nearly a decade. Tom and Jerri were two of 10 survivors who eventually found safe refuge at Farm Sanctuary’s California Shelter. They do like to hang out with other geese, but they never stray far from one another. They enjoy honking at one another to communicate as well as engaging in other typical geese activities, including swimming during the day, and eating and napping under the warmth of the bright sun. This handsome profile photo of the duo comes from photographer Connie Pugh, who skillfully captured the beauty of Tom and Jerri’s friendship.

 

Making New Friends: Edwin and Whitaker

 

by Leanne

Socialization is a very important part of life at the sanctuary and we are always very excited to see friendships bloom amongst the animals. Sometimes, however, our residents need a little help making first impressions. That’s where we come in. We carefully plan and monitor blossoming relationships to make sure that both participants feel positively about one another. Integration, the moment where we introduce one animal to another, tends to be the most precarious time and we wait anxiously to see the results of our efforts. One of our most recent integrations was of Edwin, a newly rescued steer, and our good friend, Whitaker.

Edwin’s rescue story began when a kind passerby spotted him after being detoured from her regular commute to work. Poor Edwin was sitting by himself in a tiny, muddy pen, where he was lonely and uncomfortable. The woman who discovered him approached the property owner, who admitted he was apprehensive about the idea of slaughtering the steer (which had been the plan) and said he would be willing to relinquish Edwin if a home could be found for him right away. When alerted to his situation, we agreed to take in the forlorn calf and offer him a chance at a more fulfilling, friend-filled existence.

After allowing him ample time to settle into his new life, we decided to integrate Edwin and Whitaker. Since he had lived so long without any other cattle to frolic or play with, Edwin was visibly excited to meet his new friend. When he entered the pen, he went right up to Whitaker and affectionately put his chin on the steer’s back. Whitaker, who hasn’t had the easiest of times making friends with the older cattle, was a bit skittish and kept running up to Kerrie and Indran, two of his caregivers, acting shy as though he needed reassurance about this new, unexpected visitor. But Edwin was persistent. Following Whitaker wherever he walked, Edwin would make little closed-mouth moos, begging to be friends. When we were comfortable that there was no aggression between the two, we left them alone to bond.

Edwin rests his head on his new buddy Whitaker.

Since then, Edwin and Whitaker have grown very comfortable with each other. Whenever I pass by, I always see them together, grazing in the pasture, sleeping in the barn, or grooming each other outside. All of these shared activities are good signs – signs of a budding friendship.

Though cattle are notably easy to integrate, that doesn’t diminish our excitement when integration is successful. Watching Edwin accompany Whitaker around the pasture is a wonderful sight to see. With his new pal Whitaker by his side, precious Edwin will never be lonely again.

Animal Photo of the Week: Joan

 

With those chocolate brown eyes and adorable black splotches, it is hard to imagine how anyone could see Joan as a piece of pork instead of what she is: a lively and friendly pig worthy of a long, happy life. When she was just a tiny piglet, her tail was cruelly docked and she was forced to spend her days in a crowded and dark warehouse, separated from her mother. Fortunately, Joan (named for rock legend and Farm Sanctuary supporter Joan Jett) was brought to safety at our New York Shelter, where she has been given a second chance that most pigs in the industry don’t get. All grown up now, but still highly energetic, she spends most of her days enjoying time outdoors in the fresh air and exploring the grounds with childhood friend Sprinkles, also pictured here.

Shifting the Standard: Response to the Dismissal of Charges Against Conklin Dairy Owner

 

by Susie

Over a month ago, I wrote about how upset I, and many of you, became after viewing the undercover expose on Conklin Dairy Farm in Ohio. My outrage was reawakened when I heard last week that an Ohio grand jury dismissed all charges against Gary Conklin, owner of Conklin Dairy. In the video, Conklin is clearly seen kicking a downed cow, an animal so sick or injured that she was unable to walk or even stand. During the legal proceedings, four large animal veterinarians told the court that what Conklin did was “standard practice” in the animal agriculture industry and that it was an appropriate and necessary method to get a non-ambulatory animal to move.

It speaks volumes about the animal agriculture industry that the action of kicking a sick animal is the norm and not an abhorrent exception. Humane alternatives do exist to the “standard practice” that Gary Conklin engaged in. As I mentioned in my previous blog post on Conklin, Farm Sanctuary uses a harness attached to a tractor to gently lift animals who can’t walk to their feet. The fact that such alternatives are not even considered is a direct result of the industry’s misconception of farm animals as mere commodities, items to be used and exploited, rather than sentient beings capable of suffering and deserving of respect.

What made the grand jury’s decision all the more upsetting is that the four large animal veterinarians sided with the industry. It is such a travesty that those who are supposed to provide care to animals and who have taken an oath to relieve suffering are the very people sanctioning abuse in the name of industrial production. If this tragic state of affairs continues, the animals don’t stand a chance.

Just as we balk when we remember the days when teachers were allowed to hit students, we will eventually look back on the events that occurred at Conklin Dairy and factory farms around the country and wonder, how did we let this happen? We must demand change to protect dairy cows and other farm animals from this sort of appalling mistreatment and we need to do so immediately. Until the industry itself is changed, practices like kicking downed cattle will persist. It is up to concerned people like us to speak up on behalf of farm animals everywhere and shift the standard from cruelty to compassion.

Animal Photo of the Week: Snickers

 

Snickers is a longtime resident of our New York Shelter. In 1996, his mother, Rose, arrived at Farm Sanctuary with such severe mastitis that her udders reached the ground. A month later, the farmer who had “owned” Rose relinquished Snickers to us as well, sparing him from an early death. Though Rose has since passed on, charming Snickers remains with us as one of the most recognizable members of our special needs cattle herd. Due to his advanced age, he has more trouble getting around than the younger cattle, but still loves to socialize and be massaged by any visitors to his pasture. Here we see our sweet boy bathing in the warm summer sunlight without a care in the world.

Two More Cute Baby Goats Join New York Shelter Family

 

By Susie

Farm Sanctuary is overflowing with cute white baby goats! Not that we mind.

The newest arrivals came to us recently when a man and his family showed up at our New York Shelter with two tiny male kids. The goats had been running on a busy road when the family spotted them and decided to take them somewhere safe. Unclaimed and unwanted by anyone in the area where they were found, these 5-month-old wayward babies were initially very shy and frightened, and in great need of our help as they were sickly, full of internal parasites, and covered in lice and mites. 

Since then, the goats, Little Peanut and Jake, have been going through a rigorous regime of treatments and procedures to make sure they get healthy as quickly as possible. They have been deloused, neutered, vaccinated, and treated for upper respiratory infections, all in the course of the past several weeks. Thankfully, the lice and mites are gone and the pair is finally on the mend.

With their health improving and a full yard of their own to frolic in, these kids have also come out of their shells completely. Once terrified of human touch, they now court any and all visitors to their little section of the sanctuary. Spunky and mischievous, they are always finding new ways to enjoy themselves and cause a little bit of trouble too.

 

Eventually, we hope to introduce these little guys to Lily, the famous flying goat. With their shared passion for life and exuberant playfulness, we expect them to fast become an inseparable trio.

Animal Photo(s) of the Week: Memphis

Prior to their rescue in 1999, Memphis and friends had a difficult time finding a place to call their own. Dumped at one of the Finger Lakes in New York and left to fend for themselves, the geese received a less than friendly greeting from summer lake staff. They wanted the geese gone, and when the local law enforcement didn’t act fast enough, the employees threw fireworks and rocks at the waterfowl in an attempt to make them flee. Upon hearing this troubling tale, Farm Sanctuary staff journeyed to the lake and brought Memphis and her flock back to the New York Shelter. Since then, they have had unlimited access to their very own pond where they can swim peacefully all day long. In this beautiful series of photos, you can see Memphis as she prepares to enter the water and do just that!