Farm Sanctuary

At Farm Sanctuary, people see farm animals as animals—animals that are just as capable of suffering from isolation, fear and neglect as a dog or cat. At two shelters—one farm in upstate New York and another 300-acre farm just west of Orland—Farm Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates and provides life-long care for hundreds of animals every year.

The animals at Farm Sanctuary are given all the care and love needed to recover from a lifetime of abuse and neglect. During its investigations of “food animal” facilities, Farm Sanctuary often finds animals that need immediate help—animals that are dumped alive on stockyard “dead piles” or abandoned at a factory farm when they are too sick or injured to be profitable. Today, all of the animals have nourishing food, spacious clean barns and acres of green sunny pastures to roam freely.

This holiday season, Farm Sanctuary encourages everyone to be a part of its new Thanksgiving tradition by adopting a turkey. A $15 donation helps provide lifelong shelter for rescued turkeys and helps teach people to extend compassion to all animals.

This year’s Turkey Adoption List and sponsorship form is available on the organization’s “farmsanctuary.org” Web site. Turkey lovers can also adopt a feathered friend with their VISA or MasterCard by calling the toll-free Turkey Adoption Hotline at 1-888-SPONSOR. Sponsors receive a framed color photograph of the turkey, an adoption card and a year’s subscription to Sanctuary News. These items can also be sent to a friend as a holiday gift.

If adopting a turkey isn’t enough, you are invited to Farm Sanctuary’s Thanksgiving party where you can have dinner with a turkey as well. This annual holiday celebration includes a vegan dinner, shelter tours and hayrides, and an opportunity to meet and feed the turkeys. The event is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Nov. 17, with advance reservations due by Nov. 9. The registration form can be found on the organization’s Web site, or reservations can be charged over the phone by calling the Farm Sanctuary office. The cost is $25 per person.

Farm Sanctuary also hosts special animal-rights and educational events throughout the year. Guided farm tours are offered to the public on weekends.

Since the Farm Sanctuary is volunteer-based, volunteers and interns are a vital part of the work it does to stop farm animal abuse. The Farm Sanctuary internship program offers a unique opportunity to work at the shelter and literally save lives. Internships are open to all individuals 16 years or older. The most important qualifications are a strong commitment to animal rights and an interest in working directly with animals. Also, a personal commitment to vegetarianism is a must. Interns work a full-time, five-day-a-week schedule for a minimum of one month.

If your idea of a good time is mucking out barns, Farm Sanctuary needs you, too. Volunteers are needed to pitch in with farm chores, from cleaning barns to mending fences. Volunteers can work a few hours or a day, and special work parties and potlucks are scheduled throughout the year. Call the shelter for a schedule or to sign up.

Take Hwy 32 west to reach Farm Sanctuary’s shelter in the foothills of the coastal mountain range. Once west of Interstate 5, Hwy 32 is also known as Newville Road. The farm is located at 19080 Newville Road, across the street from Black Butte Lake and recreation area, where camping is also available. There you’ll find frolicking calves, slumbering pigs and untold other animals appreciating the joys of life for the first time in their lives.