The Road to Litchfield - JP Farm Animal Sanctuary

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

We wanted to find a way to help animals, as we have always loved dogs but were not at all “familiar” with farmed animals.

by Lynn Printy

My husband and I are in corporate aviation, we fly around the world and love our jobs. But we felt it was time to make changes in our lives, we wanted to find a way to help animals. We always loved dogs but were not “familiar” with farmed animals.

Our first rescue mission was to help out two Alpacas that were in an over crowded situation. We got our barn ready, built a fence, then the owners of the Alpacas changed their mind and decided to keep them. As we reassessed how to move forward we thought about other type of animals we could care for. When Oscar was younger he loved to look at the Scottish Highland cattle as he drove to Vermont to ski. So in our discussions we decided to check on Highland cattle.

While Oscar was learning about Scottish Highland cattle and during a visit to a farm he noticed a cow that was in severe distress and needed medical care. She had just calved and was unable to feed her calf, was underweight and had a deep wound in her backside. It was clear to him that she needed help. So Oscar and I returned to the farm and asked the farmer if we could help him get her back on her feet.

We took on the financial aspect of the veterinary care while the farmer ensured that the medication and veterinary visits were administered and managed in our absence. As Belle progressed, we learned that the farmer no longer wanted her because she was no longer a candidate for more breeding. We told him we would give her and her baby a home.

Above: Mama Belle and her baby Brody before they were rescued

As we prepared our property and waited for Belle to heal, Oscar and I would go visit her and her calf who we eventually called Brody. During our visits we met a few others. We ended up meeting Belle’s best friend Cara. She just had a baby boy we named Cody. Then there was Ethan who loved people, and Grady who was a blonde bundle of curly fur. Well, they all melted our hearts and so we decided to take them all home with us.

Once we moved them home to their new home in Newtown we found that three of the boys had hernias and needed to be operated on. We were lucky to find Country Companions Veterinary Services in Bethany to assist with our animal care. Belle still had health issues, and we found that the boys, Cody, Grady and Brody all had hip dysplasia. We took Cody to Cornell’s Nemo Farm Animal Hospital in Ithaca New York as his conditioned worsened. They were not able to cure him so we brought him home to live out his life, cared for with his family, and in a loving environment. Grady and Brody are currently on a pain management program.

As we became more connected with these furry individuals, we knew that we wanted to help more animals. That is when we decided to search for a bigger farm or more land. We found the perfect spot in Litchfield to move the ‘Hippy Kids’ and start our project to help more animals. We were a bit nervous as we had not moved the cows since they were first brought to our home in Newtown. Now they are a lot bigger and are used to a daily routine. In February of 2019 we finally made the move to the Litchfield farm. The move took us all day but finally everyone was in their new big stall and looking at each other wondering “what just happened”. They have now settled in and are starting to feel comfortable in their new space.

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Values we live by

Compassion

We are honored to be the caregivers of all the residents that live at our sanctuary while ensuring a safe and peaceful place for victims of an oppressive food system.

Purpose

We aspire to raise the level of consciousness concerning the welfare of farmed animals through education, and create a safe haven where humans and nonhumans can interact.

Commitment

We are accountable for the physical and mental well-being of all the sanctuary residents, and focus on driving change from the exploitation of farmed animals.

Respect

We respect all people who are open to learning about a more compassionate lifestyle, and aspire to assist in their transition.

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With a little help from our friends

We’re a family run farm and depend on the kindness of our friends and family to care for our furry friends.

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