More of the tour of the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, with some facts about factory farms thrown in here and there, because that information is very much a part of the tour.
The Canada Geese know a good thing when they see it. They’re staying on the grounds for a while.
Do you see that black duck on the pond? He was rescued from someone who was going to use him as ‘bait’ in dog-fight training. On every level, that is horrific.
These pigs were rescued as a group. Even thought they’re grown, the staff still calls them the piglets.
I’m sure you know this, but pigs are highly intelligent. And they know when they are in danger and when they’re about to be killed. Lesley told us a story about a man who was a farmer and raised pigs. He thought he was being humane by taking the pigs in one at a time to be slaughtered, not as a group where they could see what was happening. But over time, he realized the remaining pigs were stressed and anxious. They knew what was going on. They couldn’t relax. They didn’t feel safe. He had an epiphany and became a vegetable farmer instead and an advocate for animals.
Look at this blissful face. They love and need affection.
This is Jasmine. She is one of the first pigs we met. I fell in love with her. Lesley told us to go ahead and scratch and pet her because Jasmine would immediately lie down so her tummy could be scratched.
Look at that face! She was in heaven. This pig filled my heart up. I called her Blissful Jasmine.
Nadine, resting in the barn. They make nests in the straw for their beds.
This is handsome Reggie. This particular pen had very large pigs. When we asked Lesley about them, she explained that some breeders have genetically engineered pigs that grow very large, very fast. Why? So they get more meat that much faster. Besides the obvious, what this does to the pigs is not good. They are much bigger than they should be. They develop joint problems and general health problems. It’s hard for some of them to get around. And, of course, even if rescued, those modifications shorten their life span.
One of the staff members was tossing pumpkins in the pens for the pigs. They love them, so they’re a special treat.
There are horses everywhere. In another paddock that we saw off in the distance, there are several blind horses.
These guys were hungry, it was almost dinner time.
What a beauty! (And I’m referring to the horse.)
Turkeys.
Don and this beauty. The bandage is there because they can develop (I can’t remember the name of it) a condition from standing so much. She was limping a bit, but she’ll get better.
I haven’t had turkey in years. Meeting these lovelies makes me glad I made that decision.
Jesse and Amos. They’re huge. And gentle. They were rescued from a former petting zoo of sorts called the Catskill Game Farm. The farm closed several years ago. And, as often happens, when they closed they had to get rid of their animals, animals that had only known the farm as their home. They auctioned them off. The Sanctuary was able to rescue some of the animals, including these two.
Lesley (our tour guide) and Jesse.
Amos.
They’re beautiful, aren’t they?
The dairy industry (factory farming) routinely takes calves away from their mothers almost immediately. The mothers cry out for them. The aim is to keep the mothers pregnant and supplying milk, according to Lesley. So the mothers live a life of constant pregnancy and never knowing and raising their babies. The calves (male) are raised in narrow pens and then are killed for veal. The females are raised to eventually go through the same cycle of pregnancy and milk providing as their mothers.
No lecture here, just facts.
The same thing happens with goats. Baby goats are taken away from their mothers almost immediately, for the same reason.
Handsome Amos. We were asked to guess his weight and I guessed 1500 pounds. I was right.
When allowed to live a peaceful non-factory farmed animal life, these animals can live 20 – 25 years.
Both Jesse and Amos licked my hands. They were so gentle.
Truly, I could gaze into those eyes for hours.
I’m in love.
There are so many more animals on the grounds that have been rescued and live the life of peace and love they deserve. Catskill Animal Sanctuary not only rescues animals, they are also educators. About them, from their website:
“Nonhuman animals have a right to live their lives free of suffering and exploitation of humans. Catskill Animal Sanctuary exists to provide them with love and safety until they do. The Sanctuary is a 110-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for eleven species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect and abandonment. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, over 4,000 animals have been rescued since 2001. Between 250 and 350 residents call the Sanctuary home at any given time.
We believe that looking an animal in the eye and seeing someone – not something – looking back is one of the most profound shifts human beings can make in their understanding of the world and their place in it.”
And from their mission statement:
“Catskill Animal Sanctuary rescues farmed animals, ignites social change to end their exploitation, and champions vegan living.”
You can learn more on their website, Catskill Animal Sanctuary.
Hope you enjoyed the tour!
Happy Sunday.
Wonderful photos! I wish I lived nearby – I’d be volunteering to befriend and groom those horses every weekend. As I commented yesterday, the only meat I buy is from a hobby rancher I know who raises free range cattle. I don’t eat poultry or pork for the very reasons you mentioned. I f enough people felt the same way, perhaps the industry practices would change.
The horses were muddy from all the rain we had last week, Barbara. I think you’re right. If more people stood up and didn’t buy or support poultry or pork or meat from factory farming, practices would change.
What a wonderful place! So in love with all the animals, thanks for sharing with us. Hugs.
You’re welcome, Linda.
Thank you for the tour and information about the plight of animals. I think it was 2008 when the Internet became a huge big eye opener for me in terms of animal rescue. At first I looked into breeders and then stumbled on Petfinders and rescue organizations. I was floored by the number of dogs needing homes. That black dogs have a harder time being placed because people are fearful of them. News to me as I happen to gravitate towards black dogs. My current dog is a rescue and I hope to find my next dog in February or March. The other eye opener was the farm animals that were on Petfinder. It is heartwarming to see that the animals in this post have found a soft and caring place to live their lives.
Petfinder is wonderful. That’s how we found our Riley. I didn’t know farm animals were on Petfinder, though, Jay. My wish is that all animals could be adopted and given loving homes.
Petfinder has pull down categories for horses, pigs and barnyard animals.
Ah, thank you, Jay!
I thought I’d heard it all…but people are actually afraid of black dogs? I’ve heard of weird stuff about black cats (I have a black cat; have had several black cats; they’re lovely). Why would someone be afraid of a black dog? Has there been some black dog somewhere made to be a menace in film or books or something? Gosh, I’ve had two black cocker spaniels, a black lab mix, a mostly-black border collie mix, a black rottie/beagle/pit mix…all rescues, all amazing and special, beloved pets.
This just floored me.
I have no idea why someone would be afraid of a black dog! Or, to be honest, a black cat. Our first dog, Winston, was black and we fell for him the moment we saw him.
All the stories are at first heartbreaking. But, then they all lived happily ever after. We have a no-kill shelter nearby. My black cat Boo came from there. She picked me just as I walked in the door. I love the idea there is a place for the animals to go when there is no where else.
Claudia, I know you are a vegetarian. May I please ask what supplements you take to remain healthy without meat? I have thought (for many years) of giving up meat, but I have some health issues that I think prevent me from being healthy without meat. However, maybe supplements would be the way to go.
I really don’t take any supplements, Trudy. There is protein in all sorts of plant-based food and in soy, as well. I think it’s a bit of a myth that meat provides essential protein. But I don’t know about your health issues, Trudy. Sometimes, health issues might require a meat-based diet. That’s probably something you’d want to discuss with your doctor.
Love the photos of these dear, sweet babies. I know that I live in denial a lot of the time, but seeing or even hearing of any animal being abused is something I just cannot take. Not being able to do much, I look away and try to put it out of my mind. A sixth grade field trip to a slaughter house made an impression on me that steered me toward a vegetarian diet early-on. I’d always choose the veggie option when there was one, but as I aged and medical issues demanded more meat-eating from me, I’ve weakened considerably to appease my doctors. To get my culinary degree, I suffered through butchery classes I couldn’t avoid. After graduation, I worked at a veggie magazine and somehow managed to be veggie at work and omni at home. See? Denial. My veggie son will be here for the holidays, so I’m getting my veggie chef hat out of mothballs. Claudia, I do applaud your lofty, humane goals! And the beautiful animals you’ve photographed are lucky ones, indeed!
It’s hard to see, hard to read about, and I’ve certainly done my share of looking away because it’s so painful. But I’m 64 now and I’ve got to at least work toward a more plant-based diet. Thankfully, I’m already a vegetarian, and there are things that I will miss, but I’m going to do my best. xoxo
Thank you for sharing information about this wonderful facility, I will definitely make a donation to such a worthy cause. When you mentioned Catskill Game Farm, it brought back a flood of memories for me. I am 61, and can still remember our yearly family trip to the Catskill Farm because it was one of my favorite spots. Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., it was quite an experience to see peacocks, bunnies and deer roaming free instead of in cages, and to be able to pet and feed some of them. You brought back a lovely memory which I had completely forgotten about – thank you.
You’re welcome, Liz. A few people have shared that they used to make visits to the Game Farm. It was obviously much loved by many!
Thank goodness for rescue organizations like the Catskill Animal Sanctuary. And you are so right…they all do have their personalities! You’ve captured some of that with your camera. That pic of the pig and the pumpkin really captured my heart. There is a small ranch near us…they have horses, goats, and a buffalo. Earlier this fall, I saw him eating a pumpkin…seemed unusual, but he was heartily eating it. You’ve given me lots to think about…and I appreciate that. I need to be more aware of where my food is coming from. It’s snowing here…forecasted to get 4 inches! Seems too early, after our very mild fall! ;)
I guess pumpkins are much loved by sweet pigs!
Oh no! SNOW. The first snowfall, though, is always lovely! It’s the seventh and the eighth and the….that drives one mad!
I’m glad the sanctuary is in existence. Thank you for the photos. And that photo showed two beauties, Claudia, not just one!
Aw, thank you, Wendy!
The landscape, the surroundings…so wintery and peaceful, with the animals living in harmony with one another. It’s just beautiful, Claudia. Thank goodness for the dedicated people running the place; it’s a lot of work, in all kinds of weather.
Yes, it is. Today, for example, it snowed!
Yes, that crud is falling from the sky as I type. It is awful. I look out, and I do not see one thing out there that looks prettier to me draped in it. My husband is directing a Christmas Contata today, and they have been rehearsing for 9 weeks. It figures that this yuk would fall for the first time today. If only this would be the first and last wrapped in one. ugh.
Your pictures are wonderful. The pigs really have a special place in my heart. Each story I hear about pigs makes me believe more and more how very special they are. When we drive through the backroads and I see the baby cows in those awful little hutches, it is so upsetting to know that some person is going to be ordering veal somewhere. another ugh.
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. May the snow not soon darken (or whiten) your door.
I’m sorry that the snow is falling on the day the Cantata is to be performed!
I would rescue those babies if I could. It’s terrible what is done to them – all of it because someone wants veal. Disgusting.
All my life, I always thought there were dairy cows that just naturally produced milk. When I read the book Quantum Wellness about 8 years ago, I was enlightened on many things. How naive I had been. Cows make milk for their babies. Goats make milk for their babies. Human mothers make milk for their babies. All babies are eventually weaned off their mother’s milk, but humans are the only ones who then turn to milk from other mammals. Realizing that is when the lightbulb turned on for me. I don’t need milk (was lactose intolerant anyways, as are many people). My dad is lactose intolerant too, but he just puts some sort of drops in his milk so he can keep on drinking it. I have a good friend who was raised on a dairy farm, showed cows for 4-H and gave her kids milk at every meal. Her middle son, who is the same age as my youngest, is on his college swim team. He was told to stop drinking milk because it is very toxic to the body.
Reading through the comments here, all I can say is the vitamin industry is a big hoax (and a big money maker). The Food Pyramid recommended by the USDA is laughable. And doctors get very little schooling in nutrition which is why we have nutritionists. But very often, they are working from an old school view of food and health rather than an updated holistic approach. I volunteer in the pediatric ward at one of the government hospitals here, and when I hear what the nutritionists are recommending to children with diabetes, I’m totally flabbergasted. No wonder this country has such a high rate of diabetes.
When people ask me why I don’t eat meat, it’s really very simple … I don’t want to eat the flesh of another living being. I mean, look at those faces, look into those eyes ( I’m in love with Jesse. :). How precious they all are! It’s ironic when someone learns I don’t eat meat and they ask “well, what do you eat then?” I mean, hello people, there are way more fruits and vegetables and legumes and grains than there are meat sources in this world.
Going vegan was very easy because it came straight from my heart (even though my husband still thinks it’s hormone related). Ha-ha! :)
I think we all assumed the same thing about cows and their milk. I was naive, as well.
I’ve never paid much attention to vitamin recommendations or the food pyramid. I eat what feels right to me and, obviously, vegetarian living has felt right to me for a long time. Now, I’m ready to go to that final step in my journey. I, too, always get asked that: What do you eat, then? What is your source of protein?
My favorite quote is this one from George Bernard Shaw (who was a vegetarian): “Animals are my friends and I don’t eat my friends.”
So glad you were able to introduce us to these dear ones. I hate meat, can’t stand the smell, but I admit to a love for some seafood and haven’t been able to get beyond that. Someone I know slightly, says he won’t eat anything with eyes. If I am somewhere that someone makes fun of vegetarians and extols a particular piece of cooked meat, and I am in an irritated and no nonsense mood, I have been known to remark: ” you do realize that’s a dead body” …….leaves some people in shock and confusion with this truth. Not to worry, I wouldn’t ever be rude and ruin anyone’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or party dinner. It is important to remember where all the plastic wrapped meat that has been sanitized and packaged into an acceptable product comes from. So hard to face truths and try to put a meal on the table for the family especially when meat dishes may be a family favorite. Sincerely apologize if I upset anyone with my occasionally voiced remark. This post is a special treat meeting those at the Sanctuary….Dianne
I think Paul McCartney says he won’t eat anything with a face – somewhat the same thing your friend says. I think it’s probably especially difficult when a family member likes meat and another doesn’t – or one is gluten-free, one is a meat eater, one is vegan, one is paleo! At least Don and I are somewhat on the same page. xo
Thanks so much for sharing more about the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Claudia. It really makes a difference when you hear “personal” animal stories and see those sweet, trusting faces. I hope we hear a lot more in the future. Because of my Mom, I’ve been interested in nutrition and reading a lot about it since I was a teen, and I now honestly believe that humans were not “designed” by evolution to be meat-eaters. Nearly every time we hear about a food item that’s NOT good for us, it’s an animal product. Animal fat, hormones & antibiotics in meats, genetically-modified plants and animals, pesticides and other chemicals used on these massive corporate farms and factories etc etc. Study after study seems to boil down, in nearly every case, to Michael Pollan’s famous 7 words: EAT FOOD NOT TOO MUCH MOSTLY PLANTS. Of course, in some cases, even plant material cause problems. I’m sensitive to gluten & I don’t eat corn any longer either, since I’ve learned that the human body really isn’t capable of properly processing it. I think the 21st century is going to reveal a lot more news like this too. I think we’re going to learn that a lot of what we HAVE been eating we should abandon all together, and that a lot of what we need to be healthy and prevent disease has been here on the planet all along – in the forms of herbs, plants, fruits, coconut oil etc. Things our ancestors probably ate a lot more of than we do now. Maybe it’s time for the pendulum to swing back in their direction, and for all this massive “corporation agriculture” to end. People need to grow their own food more, or at least to know that it is not being genetically-altered and grown using things toxic to the human body. All of this, of course, even before we consider that maybe we have no right to kill other living things to feed ourselves. Thanks again for a wonderful and enlightening post. ⭐️
Thank you for your insightful comment, Janet. It gives an overview and a look to the future, where, I agree, we’re going to have to rethink all of those ‘musts’ we’re were taught. I love what Michael Pollan says – it’s so true.
You presented this beautifully, with facts. The photos speak for themselves. Wonderful, precious, magnificent creatures; I will never refer to them as livestock. Again, from you, pictures that warm the soul.
It’s a constant tug’o war with me. I’ve tried to be vegetarian, off and on, since I was a teen at home with my folks…and to her credit, Mom really tried to work with me on it, respecting my opinions, although neither one of us could really figure out the nutrition part of things very well (it was a LONG time ago; much better education these days). My family growing up was mostly beef-eating as was my husband’s. He grew up on farms in the Midwest, and beef (and pork) is the ‘thing’; he’s still a major consumer. He will never be a vegetarian. I have a friend-with-money who buys only grass-finished beef, raised ‘humanely’ (she has sourced it; the seller/rancher is here in California), but it is astronomically expensive; she has it shipped to her in special dry-ice containers.
I know pigs are intelligent. I’ve read enough to know that animals entering a slaughter house die in agony because they can smell and hear death. Turkeys are bred to have huge breasts and actually can suffer a worse factory-farm life than chickens, which is bad enough. The turkeys simply can’t stand upright; they can’t support their own weight. I want to be done with all of it, but I’m highly-allergic to soy and have health problems where meat is the only thing that can work for me (not going to get into all the details here). I love the taste of bacon; I love the taste of cheese. But for good human health, we don’t need either of those things. It’s something I’m working on, because going vegan is something very beneficial for human health. I refuse to eat turkey now; even 40 years ago, my mother refused to eat veal after she became educated about how we get veal. I no longer drink cow’s milk; I drink plant milk. I have refused to eat goat cheese for 20 years; I know about the goats. I’m trying to phase out cow cheese (love cheddar). It’s a lot of family-favorite meals I’m turning my back on, and I’m not saying I miss a good BLT sandwich. My goal is to get it down to chicken…I’m nearly there…and then phase out chicken. Eggs? In California, we have new regulations although there are abusers. Eggs are an important part of my diet right now (doctor-ordered). It’s something I struggle with all the time…what I want, for my life and conscience vs what feasibly I have to have for my health. Because of multiple problems I have healthwise, I cannot be a beans & greens person. (This is probably TMI, but my colon was irreversibly damaged in surgery 16 years ago.) Again, it’s a constant dilemma for me. I’ve been to probably five nutritionists over the past 15 years and they sort of throw their hands up when it comes to me and my peculiar dietary issues. I have never once in my life ever eaten lamb or rabbit. Or venison. I don’t eat fish because I’ve been allergic to fish and fish oil since I was age 2.
Coincidentally, I’m going to a nutrition class at a hospital on Tuesday. I intend to ask the instructor (registered dietician) after class for her recommendations of someone I could go to for another one-on-one session to see how I can go full vegan with what I actually CAN eat, right now, and still make sure I’m getting enough of all the proper nutrients although, of course, there are always supplements in pill form. I’ve read that most people don’t go full vegan all at once, even if they want to…it’s sort of gradual and it’s sort of where I am.
Thank you for the two-part post on the sanctuary. It’s a good reminder. Bless the beasts and the children…
I think that’s true. A lot of the information I’ve read on the subject says that it’s okay to make the change slowly. I love cheese, too – especially cheddar, but I’ve been cutting back on it and I finally found a vegan cheese that is pretty good. We often eat vegan BLTs made with fakin bacon and I honestly like it better than bacon. I haven’t had pork in 30 years, along with red meat. I hung on with chicken and fish for a while but I phased them out long ago. I drink almond milk and soy milk and I’m going to try coconut milk as well. It’s an ongoing thing. I know that many people would like to go vegan but might have health issues and dietary conditions that keep them from doing it. But even if there’s a change, say, with milk and cheese, that in itself makes a statement and you can feel good about that!
I feel like doing something is better than nothing. Would apply to a lot of things in life!
I live in a one-horse town that has a dearth of stores. The vegetarian/vegan section of the main grocery store is like ONE shelf. I have ordered coconut milk online (cans) with free shipping. But I’ve gotta go out of town for any credible “health food”/non-meat options. See, they make it difficult, don’t they! But, where there’s a will…
There have been so many articles about families going meatless even one day out of the week and what a diff it can mean for health, the environment; the animals. Or if in summer, you just stick one tomato plant in the ground at home. We can all do this. We grew tomatoes and cukes this summer in planter pots, not even in the ground or our raised-bed planters.
I’m still trying to learn about it, but some vegans caution about overuse of the fake meats. I think they refer to it as analog meat. Is it because of GMOs or something? I still have so much to learn but I’m not going to worry too much about meat-sub stuff. Fatty beef burgers have to be a lot worse for you than a meat-substitute one. Again, it’s all in the balance; it’s not like a person would eat fake meat every night of the week. I have fake-meat burger patties and ‘chicken’ patties in my freezer; they’re pretty darn good. Sometimes I can take soy as a minor ingredient in these things; I’m still experimenting. But tofu and soy milk are things that won’t work for me and my health issues, unfortunately. Even at many fast-food chains, you can get a veggie burger at the drive-thru.
Do what you can! Small changes add up.
Thank you and Don for all of these wonderful photos today…I can see the love in your eyes for all of them…the pig smiling while you are petting him, you smiling beside the steer with his head tilted and the pig chowing down on the pumpkin is so cute….I did not know many of the things I have learned here today…When I read of babies taken from their mothers…I could feel the tears coming on…It just shocks me that such a horrible thing is done….You and your commenters today have given me much to think about….Thank you all for your honesty about these issues…I will be doing a lot of research from here on…
I know. It’s almost too much to bear, Nancy. There’s so much we don’t know about these things, but organizations like this one really help to get the word out and educate us.