Dear Mark,
Chickens have spectacularly brightened our world here. We can all remember a few years ago (BC–Before Chickens) and I don’t think we could have imagined then how much joy, humor and atmosphere of busy activity they bring. When you enter their area, you’re surrounded by calves and sheep and goats vying to stand in your lap, or even on your back. But meanwhile, in the background, there is a flurry of various plots: big white rooster Tony is bothering big white rooster Merin; bright-feathered Spin is prancing with pride over the grub she nabbed in the shade; proud mother Spice is herding her fast-growing speckled brood. Our 15 rescued chickens celebrate their lives by enjoying their lives. You can see it and you can feel it. May 4th is Respect for Chickens Day and we love seeing the dust baths, the roosting on branches, the quarrels and love affairs, and the comfort they bring to each other’s lives. For loving them with us and helping provide the safe haven where they can flourish in their joy, thank you.
Olivia’s story is a simple rescue of a piglet with a wound in her neck. Her treatment and recovery are made sweeter by loving care from people, which she desperately needed because she is very young and we couldn’t find her mother. But there’s another story here–about her intelligence, humor, playfulness, and sensitivity. Qualities most pigs had at birth, but were never allowed to explore or develop. By the time you have finished watching this happy little 4-minute video, thousands of pigs will have been killed in the meat industry. Each of these individuals have qualities like Olivia’s. Each one wanted to think, to create, to play, to feel this magical earth beneath her little toes, just like Olivia is doing now. #EveryPigIsOlivia
Precious. Life. Please donate.
Angelo is a bull who we found in excruciating pain with multiple ropes digging through the flesh of his front leg clear to the bone. Someone had tied his leg to his horns–a devastating technique to keep cows from running away. Usually a single rope is tied, and you often see cows crouched and hobbling down the roads with their heads bent low. You can almost feel the horrendous neck strain. In Angelo’s case, the abuse was compounded with time and with the extra shortness of the rope. But although his only experience with human hands had been to suffer human cruelty, Angelo radiated sweetness. Even during daily wound dressings that must have sometimes been painful, he seemed to understand that we were trying our best to help him.
Let’s turn cruelty to kindness. Donate today.
Celebrate the caregivers – Nandini.
When Nandini applied to work here, she was so keen on helping animals that she said “I’ll do virtually anything.” With degrees in philosophy and natural resource governance, her interest in literature and her unusual grace with people, Nandini was a natural to serve as a community relations officer. Meeting with government officials on cruelty cases and other matters, families thinking about adopting a pet, volunteers and guests, she always inspires in people a deepened commitment to helping vulnerable animals. We feel so lucky to have Nandini on the team.
Zeus was hiding in a sewer because he may have instinctively thought cold water would bring down his terrible pain from a head wound. Many dogs will do this when their pain is overwhelming. We reached in and carried him to safety, where we could begin the thorough cleaning and bandaging that would save this sweetheart’s life. Thank you for transforming Zeus from hurt to healed. You also turned deep sadness to sweet happiness.
Tomorrow’s another day of rescue — please donate
They live a short life of 42 days in slavery, they suffer from illnesses and brute force.
All animals that are kept as pure farm animals have no value in the eyes of meat producers. They equate these living beings with garbage.
In the so-called intensive animal husbandry, the modern meat mafia strives to produce a maximum amount of meat, milk and eggs as quickly and inexpensively as possible – and with a minimum space requirement.
This is factory farming.
World Animals Voice 