Shelter Farm Sanctuary Corp was founded on April 8, 2019. It is a woman-run organization. It is my home, and my son’s home, and the forever home to nearly 85 animals. For years, I had fostered and rescued dogs; I was the sort of child who would bring home any stray animal under the sun. Growing up in rural Ohio, I witnessed the culture of small farms and programs meant to indoctrinate young children in the normalized exploitation of animals. Living for years in Kentucky, I coexisted with the deep-reaching cultural roots of horse racing and hunting. I began to understand that loving animals is in direct contradiction with eating them, using products for which they are exploited, and supporting the companies that are involved in their exploitation. I simply couldn’t go on pretending that these truths did not exist because the more I learned, the more critical I found the call to make things right. Do I feel like a perfect vegan? No. No more than I’m a perfect human. But my desire to learn more every day, to be just a little better than yesterday, and to put as much kindness as possible into the world gives me peace and hope.
The Sanctuary was a dream, a “what if ?”, a “maybe someday.” But none of those procrastinations felt good enough anymore. I saw this place, and I knew that it was the one. The place where animals would be free and loved, and where they could change people’s minds. The stars aligned, and I jumped.
I believe very strongly in every being’s right to safe shelter, love, and compassion. Thus, Shelter Farm Sanctuary provides farmed (and other) animals with a safe, loving, forever home free from fear and pain. SFS rescues animals who are abandoned and neglected, who are in danger of being slaughtered, or who happen to find themselves in similar unsafe situations. We get requests for assistance nearly every day, and the hardest part of this work is having to say “no” to an animal whose situation is no fault of her own. Through collaboration with my incredible Board of Directors, I do everything I can to help people find placement for the animals I can’t take myself, and we have been working hard to strengthen ties with sanctuaries all over the country to create a network of like-minded safe spaces.
We offer monthly tours to provide visitors the opportunity to make connections with animals they normally wouldn’t get to know on a personal level. I want them to understand that the bacon on their breakfast plate used to be a sweet, mischievous pig like the ones flopping over for belly rubs or untying shoes here on the farm. The cow’s milk in their coffee was stolen from a mother who had just given birth, and the calf who was meant to drink it was used as a tool to stimulate milk production: chained to a wall directly across from her, so that she could hear his cries, see his weakness, and smell his fear, but never touch, nourish, or comfort him. The calf, a gentle, snuggly baby just like Maia or Arcus, would be assigned one of a few terrible fates, raised in a box for some torturous months before being sold off for veal, ushered back into the milk production line to endure a lifetime of forced pregnancies and stolen progeny, or simply shot dead as a worthless byproduct. The grilled chicken in their salad used to be a living, breathing, crowing chicken like our Joanie.
We, as humans, are better than this. We can do better.
As a home to nearly 85 animals, this team works hard for them every single day on top of day jobs, commutes, school commitments, and life in general. Volunteers are always welcome to help with chores, provide our animals with extra love and attention, or to work on projects around the farm. Our normal volunteer hours are Sundays from 11-2, and I do ask that you contact us first so we know to expect you. We are always in need of monetary assistance, fruits and veggies, building supplies, and volunteers who are skilled tradespeople. We love to work with interns, veterinary students, and others who need hands-on educational experiences.