Got Goat? We Do!
April, 2008

We've opened our barn doors to our latest rescue, a 2-1/2 year old Toggenburg named Nathan. His previous caregivers could no longer keep him, and rather than find a new home, they were threatening to shoot him! When we rescued Nathan, we found him terrified, thethered to a post in the back of a pick-up truck. Nathan is now safe at Animal Place and acclimating to sanctuary life.

The Calf Who Came For Christmas
December 25, 2007

Christmas tidings come in all shapes and sizes. This year at Animal Place, Christmas Day brought a frightened, underfed baby calf with a pair of the biggest brown eyes imaginable.

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Grunt, snort! New piglet arrives!
October 2007

The newest resident of Animal Place is a squealing, adorable pink piglet named Hazel. Rescued from a horrible neglect case, she arrived skinny, covered in itchy scabs from mange and suffered from an uncomfortable inner ear infection. We are filling her up with good food, treating her with soothing lotion and healing her ear infection with medicine. She's a welcome addition to the Animal Place family!

Over one hundred birds rescued from fighting bust!
September 2007

Animal Place rescued over 100 breeding hens from a Sacramento cockfighting bust. We received an urgent call about fifty hens and dozens of chicks needing help in Sacramento, California. A month earlier, an enormous cockfighting ring with hundreds of roosters were busted. The facility also served as a breeding operation and the hens were used to produce highly aggressive fighting roosters.

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Welcome Gwen and Jeffrey!
March 2007

Aiden has two new buddies – a chocolate-colored lamb named Gwen and a brown and black goat kid named Jeffrey! Both are Trouble (Jeffrey is Trouble One and Gwen is Trouble Two). They enjoy getting into mischief, and are particularly fond of leaping gracefully…into people. It is a great joy watching them grow up!

Lamb finds a way to his new home!

January 9, 2007

Abandoned and alone, it was unlikely the little lamb would survive another night without his mother. Lucky for him, animal control found the two-day-old lamb and rushed him to an emergency veterinarian. Animal Place was contacted and we immediately accepted the wayward lamb to the sanctuary. Named Aiden, meaning “fiery spirit”, the young sheep settled in nicely at the sanctuary. He now has five human “moms” to provide round-the-clock care. Aiden will spend the rest of his natural life here, playing with our other sheep and grazing peacefully on the green hillsides. It is the life all animals deserve.

Her new name is Isabelle, and she now lives the life of luxury. Her friend has been named Leopold, and the two are inseparable. A former Animal Place employee, Stephanie Marohn was kind enough to offer sanctuary for these two sheep. For more information on Stephanie and her sanctuary, please visit: http://www.stephaniemarohn.com/sanctuary/sanctuary.html. 

Piglet Welcomed to Animal Place!

January 6, 2006

On a dark, rainy New Year's Eve, a tiny piglet wandered the wet streets and was struck by a vehicle. The pink piggy was taken to a local shelter where he was patched up, placed in a dog kennel and adored by many of the shelter employees. Sadly, many government-run shelters lack the resources to find safe, happy homes for farmed animals. Most are auctioned off and sent to slaughter. This would have been the fate for the fifteen pound porcine had Animal Place not heeded the call of a concerned rescuer. Once we saw the picture of the somewhat scrawny, but quite personable pig, we couldn't say no! On January 6, the little guy arrived at Animal Place where he will undergo treatment for some mange and a slightly injured leg. In the meantime, staffers are giving round the clock love, food and belly rubs to the rather-vocal piglet.

Death seemed certain for all of these inquisitive avians until Animal Place intervened and negotiated the rescue of hundreds of birds. Volunteers stepped up to the plate and offered their services to transport birds to the sanctuary. Even more heartening, kind-hearted bird lovers continue to open their doors to these frightened, but hopeful hens.

Though overwhelmed by the open space and freedom, the birds soon discovered what sanctuary life is all about - freedom. They can dust bathe, bask in the sun, explore their surroundings and are treated as individuals, not egg-layers and not production units.

Financial Help Needed

We need help to care for all of these birds - if you can find it in your heart to donate money for these precious, saved hens, any contribution is greatly appreciated! Contact us by phone (707) 449-4814,   Email info@animalplace.org or web site www.animalplace.org

Dust, cobwebs and fecal matter wafted through the musty air as compassionate humans pulled frightened birds from metal cages and transferred them to large crates. For the second time in five days, rescuers from Animal Place, the Marin Humane Society and CAPE (Center for Animal Protection and Education) saved five hundred hens from certain death. The number rescued has soared over 1,200 birds.

You can read more about the chicken rescue

From the San Francisco Chronicle
From the Vacaville Reporter
From Times-Herald
From the Mercury News

From intensely milked dairy cow and veterinary teaching "tool" to freedom and green pasture, Sadie now enjoys the good life at Animal Place. Learn about Sadie's story and how one person made a difference in this cow's life.  Read more.

Sadie is where milk comes from - a stately, black-and-white Holstein with inquisitive eyes and a gentle disposition. For seven years, she was Number 274 and her sole worth based on how much milk could be drained from her udder. When she developed mastitis, an intensely painful infection of the udder, her worth as a dairy cow plummeted. There is no happy oasis for middle-aged dairy cows for there is no profit in permitting a cow freedom. Instead, Number 274 was hauled off to auction where a veterinary school purchased her.

Instead of treating her mastitis, though, the teaching hospital used her as a teaching "tool". For a semester, students poked and prodded her in the name of education. At the end of the teaching period, the school prepared to send Number 274 off to auction for eventual slaughter. Death would be her fate, until a kind-hearted vet student stepped in. Instead of ignoring the niggling voice of compassion, this young woman embraced her conscience and saved the cow's life. Thanks to the student's courage and her persistence, this gentle cow now calls Animal Place home.

It is impossible to gaze into Number 274's eyes and not see a unique individual. She is not a mere number - she is a bovine unto herself and worthy of more recognition than a yellow ear-tag with a number emblazoned on it. She needed a real name. After much consideration, Number 274 became known as Sadie - a gorgeous cow with a penchant for apples and a strong desire to hang out with our other cows, Howie and Jessie. Not only is she enjoying a free life, but her mastitis is finally being treated - no longer will she experience the pain and discomfort the serious infection causes.

Sadie has the life she deserves because a young student felt a moral obligation to correct an injustice...and save a cow's life. She realized that taking action was the only real way to stop feeling sad and start feeling better. Like many of us who act on our convictions, she is learning it becomes second nature to speak up when a voice of reason and kindness is desperately needed. Do not be afraid to do the same - not only is it empowering, it may very well save a life.

Cecilia and Sora are two of twelve rescued chickens who now call Animal Place "home."

Four of these birds are, using industry terms, called broilers. These are birds raised for meat consumption. Genetic manipulation and intense breeding practices have created birds who are slaughtered at the tender age of seven weeks. Often, their heart and bones are unable to keep up with this massive growth and many rescued broilers die young. We certainly hope these girls are the exception!

The other eight chickens are white Leghorns raised for laying eggs. The pressure of laying 260 eggs a year (normal chickens lay about 50) takes an enormous toll on these animals. Many suffer bone deformities due to massive calcium depletion, and are often underweight. Hens in the egg industry are housed in tiny cages that prohibit normal movement. Naturally, chickens will create a hierarchy via pecking, and submissive animals typically have space to move away from dominant animals. In these cages, though, submissive animals cannot escape. So, instead of offering more space, producers cut off the end of their beaks. Nerve bundles run almost to the tip of the beaks and removal of any portion causes a lifetime of pain for the animal.

Cecilia, Sora and all their friends will never have to worry about being mistreated. They will live a life meant for chickens - freedom to roam, dust-bathe, socialize with other chickens, and enjoy lots of tasty food (cantaloupe is a crowd favorite here at Animal Place).

They made it home for the holidays - 40 hens and one lone rooster.

These birds, along with the three pot-bellied pigs - Ernie, Murray, and Frank - are just a few of the animals that have been fortunate enough to find permanent sanctuary at Animal Place. We rescued these lucky ones from an extreme neglect case in southern California. More than 500 animals in all states of desperate physical conditions were crowded into an acre of property.  

Some hens were penned into a dilapidated and filthy hen house without proper food. Others were loose - roosting in trees and without protection or access to water. Unfortunately, to add to their ordeal they had to be chased down and caught with nets before being loaded into dog carriers for their long ride home.   

They arrived at Animal Place around midnight and introduced to their temporary quarters. We modified a barn stall to act as an isolation area until we could assess their health. They hesitantly surveyed their new dwelling, but readily accepted the fresh food and water.  

The results of their neglect and horrendous living conditions became evident during the health checks. Each bird needed to be dusted for feather lice, have their nails trimmed, and most had a parasite infection on their legs, which will require several weeks of treatment. The rooster was missing one eye, obviously due to an infection that went untreated.  

Initially the hens were terrified of people, but gradually they are learning to trust. Soon they will be well enough to join the other winged residents at Animal Place and begin their lives as ambassadors for those less fortunate. As we tell their stories, others can look into their eyes and beautiful feathered faces and begin to internalize the necessity of compassion for all.

As you can see, rescues take coordination, time, preparation, and finances. With your support, we can continue to alleviate the suffering of many as well as to educate, campaign, and work toward a day when rescuing will not be necessary.

He has been with us since May and is now officially a happy, healthy, trouble making little goat. We all adore him and are so grateful to offer him a life full of nothing but the best, especially after his tragic past.

It took a while for us to gain their trust and for them to feel secure and safe, but with time they have begun to settle in and are now acting like the mischievous youngsters they are.

Ernie, also known as "Loverboy", is a sucker for a belly rub and really enjoys a good body massage. Frank is always on the look out for a tasty snack and isn’t shy about asking. Murray, although the biggest boy of the group in terms of size, seems to be the most sensitive and still acts a little shy with new folks.