O ne of our veterinarian’s clients, Tania, called them to ask for help. She lives in a condominium complex and the tenants/condo management wanted to get rid of the free roaming chickens that had been living on the complex grounds for approximately a year and a half! She took it upon herself to feed them, became quite attached, and didn’t want them to be harmed in any way so she made it her mission to find them a forever home.

Watch the video of how Victor & Ava came to join our JP family

“… how they survived all this time, especially during winters, is absolutely amazing!”

Every once in a while chickens would randomly show up at the complex and then randomly disappear as the condo is located across the street from a meat farm (so they were escapees!). In February of 2018, two chickens, who have been named Ava, after Ava Gardner and Victor/Victoria, The latter is the name of an old movie where the actress played the part of a male. She settled on Victor once she realized he was not a hen. The management at the complex called the farm and told them to come get them and the farm said we don’t want them. Tania took it upon herself to make sure they always had food and water. Not knowing anything about chickens she researched how to care for them. They survived without a coop and at night would perch up in trees or hide under porches. Which is so crazy, usually chickens without coops get attacked by wildlife at night-even chickens with coops get attacked, so how they survived all this time, especially during winters, is absolutely amazing!

Tania said during the day they walked around the complex together, Victor never left Ava. He stood next to her while she ate and waited for her to finish before starting to eat himself, and when she took her dust bath in the complex gardens he stood next to her. She said it was like watching an old married couple, if they could have held hands they absolutely would have.

“She has never found any eggs and the other people in the complex have also stated that they have never seen eggs. With the timeline this would make Ava at the age of a non-laying chicken, which is usually 3 years old …

Some people at the complex had complained about Victor crowing early in the morning, which is when management told Tania they had to go, after reaching out to some rescues who said no, she emailed the hospital, which is when they called us.

The rest is history as Oscar completed building their ‘new condo’ (chicken coop) and they seem to love their new home! When they first arrived Oscar made a temporary room in the cow barn and they still have free range to walk around the cows. We love them and are so happy they will live out the rest of their lives here at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary!

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Love to All Beings,
Britt, Lynn, Oscar & the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family

W e are thrilled to share with you that we have two new residents, Bruce and Evan, through our relationship with the Farm Sanctuary’s Farm Animal Adoption Network. We have worked with them for the past year and were also introduced to Tallulah, our Scottish Highland cow who was rescued from a neglect case and DJ our pig who came from a college agricultural program.

Evan and Bruce ❤

We had the chance again to work with the Farm Sanctuary to adopt Bruce who was from a meat farm and Evan who came from the dairy industry. Both would have ended up on someone’s plate if they had not been rescued.

… they knew something was up

We were able to go to the Farm Sanctuary on the first of May to pick up Evan and Bruce and yes we all practiced social distancing, wearing masks and gloves. When we first met them they were outside playing and mooing, they knew something was up. They are so small, as I rubbed them I found that their hair was soft and they were such a delight to watch. They are curious and you can see they like to be around people. After we introduced ourselves to them the staff from the Farm Sanctuary easily got them into the trailer, they were locked in and we started our journey home.

With the crew at Farm Sanctuary

Bruce is part Scottish Highland and Angus mix, reddish in color with beautiful long eyelashes. Very easy going and loves to butt heads with Bruce. Evan is smart and very curious. His eyes are bright and big with an amazing sense of wonder when you look into them. The two boys really love being with each other and are inseparable. Bruce follows Evan and does whatever he does. They have started to run in the fields, try to smell and lick the other cows through the dividers, it really seems like they have settled into their new home. They are getting to know the other cows safely in the barn so when we finally let them all out in the fields together it should be an easy transition for everyone.We are happy to say that Bruce and Evan are now at their forever home.

Our mission is to help make an impact for animals by educating people on animal exploitation and to stop the inhumane treatment and killing of literally billions of animals a year.

We look forward to helping people find alternative food choices, by sharing plant based recipes and making kind food choices. And of course making connections with these beautiful living creatures that also just want to live their lives.

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Love to All Beings,
Lynn, Oscar & the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family

Last autumn we received a message from Joel Anderson requesting to come to JP and photograph the hippy kids for his sanctuary collection (the resident Scottish Highland Cows and steers). We were excited to invite him over but for many reasons we just couldn’t schedule the right time between our calendar and the weather. In late February Joel contacted us again and we found a date for him to come in the beginning of March. Here is his experience…

S ince I began my Sanctuary project several years ago I’ve photographed at many rescues around the country. JP Farm Animal Sanctuary had been on my most wanted list since I saw their Instagram pics of the magnificent Hippy Kids, and I was able to squeak in a visit just before COVID-19 shut down travel.

Click image(s) to see the slideshow

“… This is a very special place and some very lucky animals.”

The phrase ‘gentle giants’ is overused but I can’t think of a better description for the highland cows at JP. During my day there I was able to get up close and personal with Tallulah, Grady, Ethan, Cara, Belle, and the sweet pigs Beanie Tofu, Dolphin, and DJ. I used a Hasselblad medium format film camera for most of the photographs, and have produced a new collection of handprinted darkroom photographs, now available on my website www.joelandersonphoto.com. All are limited editions, and I donate 10% of each sale back to JP Farm Animal Sanctuary. There is even a photograph of caretaker Britt grooming Tallulah, titled Tallulah’s Spa Day. When I posted that image on social media I had people telling me that would be their dream job so I thought offering an image to purchase would be a happy reminder.

Spending the day there and seeing the immense love and care that Lynn, Oscar, and Britt have for the animals was incredible. This is a very special place and some very lucky animals.

My photographs have received awards from the Royal Photographic Society (London), the Center for Fine Art Photography (Colorado), the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Pennsylvania), among others. I exhibit my work at juried fine art festivals around the country.
– Joel

“Spending the day there and seeing the immense love and care that Lynn, Oscar, and Britt have for the animals was incredible. This is a very special place and some very lucky animals.”

Tallulah’s Spa Day ❤

Food and medical for the animals

We had a great time with Joel and appreciated how he captured the beauty and personalities of the furries and pinkies. Please consider purchasing a framed photograph of either Cara, Belle, Tallulah, Grady, Ethan, Beanie, Dolphin or DJ through this link: https://www.joelandersonphoto.com/shop-animals As Joel mentioned 10% of the purchase will go directly to JP which means food and medical for the animals whenever you decide to buy. He is also offering a 10% discount for you personally, if purchasing by May 30, 2020. Use this code at checkout: JPFARM

Joel does his own developing and framing which are expertly created and with a lot of care! Some of the pictures in this blog are not on his website so simply let Joel know which ones you are interested in by emailing him: joel@joelandersonphoto.com

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Love to All Beings,
Britt, Lynn, Oscar & the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family

C an an individual make a difference during these uncertain times? Will our actions make a difference when the problems seem so insurmountable? Harnessing the power of hope as a true source of strength can be so powerful and inspiring.

“Never doubt that one person can make a difference.” ― Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA

Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA, has said “Never doubt that one person can make a difference”. It truly is within our own power and by our own actions that we can transform the current reality of consumption, waste, and disregard for the inhabitants of this planet into a new reality based on caring, compassion and acknowledgement that all life is sacred and necessary.

“Healing the Earth and Preventing Our Extinction”

To inspire and educate others to live a healthy, happy and compassionate life is the goal that dictates all the actions we take and all the partnerships we make at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary. Please spend Earth Day with us as we partner with Climate Healers and a growing number of other organizations to inspire hope. Dr. Rao will present “Healing the Earth and Preventing Our Extinction” and offer compelling solutions to not only heal our climate and prevent species extinction, but also heal the three main risk factors for Covid-19 mortality (hypertension, diabetes and heart disease) and help prevent future zoonotic diseases.
There has never been a better time for real solutions, real actions and real change.

Join us…

3 Live/Interactive Presentations: “Healing the Earth and Preventing Our Extinction” via Zoom, as to reach all time zones. Choose the best time or join all.
Date: Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day)
Time: 11am EST, 4pm EST, and 11pm EST. Each presentation is followed by Q&A and discussion.
Join Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/864137867?pwd=QmFIMFU1WUcrbDZlcHBWY2R4MjBPZz09

For more information about Dr. Sailesh Rao and how Climate Healers came about (a pinky promise to his granddaughter to heal the climate & create a vegan/compassionate world by 2026), please visit climatehealers.org/pinkypromisetour

Dr. Sailesh Rao & his granddaughter, Kimaya, with whom he made a pinky promise to heal the climate!

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Love to All Beings,
Amy, Lynn, Oscar and the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family

A s we remain inside our snow globes this morning, the Earth seems to be showing us all the beauty she has to offer. Time is moving slower; families are headed outdoors to take hikes or bike and animals are peeking out of the forest to take an inch or two more of land for their families.

Keep 6 feet apart when standing in line!

Although times are certainly “uncertain”, the way we respond to COVID-19 will dictate what unfolds over the next few weeks or months. Let us all follow the advice given to us by the Governor and continue to practice social distancing, follow proper hygiene and disinfecting guidelines and remain calm.

Our relationship with animals needs to change.

As we reflect on how this pandemic began, perhaps we can look inward and challenge ourselves to make significant changes that could prevent this from happening again. Diseases that jump from animals to humans, zoonotic diseases, are not new. Avian (bird flus), Swine Flu, Ebola and other zoonotic influenza viruses are acquired through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments in which we force them to live. Perhaps COVID-19 is a wake-up call to the global community that our relationship with animals needs to change.

A kinder world could be the answer. A symbiotic relationship between non-human animals, human animals and our environment. In this chaos, the roadway to peace and harmony has never been clearer.

“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Practice social distancing ?

Thank you for sharing this Amy. Indeed this is a thoughtful time and we would like to encourage everyone to stay safe and conscious of taking care of yourself and loved ones. We can’t wait for you all to be able to come and see the residents here at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary soon.

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Love to All Beings,
Lynn, Oscar and the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family

I t is with a heavy heart to finally report that the arrival of Gemma and Essie, Brown Swiss Cows has been terminated. Unfortunately the original caretakers have changed their mind and no longer want to surrender these cows to JP Farm Animal Sanctuary so that they can continue to use both in the production of milk for human consumption.

Gemma and Essie ❤

We are grateful to The Farm Sanctuary’s Adoption Program, for trying to help provide them with a forever home, even though it didn’t work out. The compassion and dedication was inspiring. We thank Ashley Pankratz, National Placement Program Manager of The Farm Sanctuary for all the work she did to try to coordinate this rescue. We were truly looking forward to welcoming them to a life without harm and can only pray that their current caretakers will be kind to Gemma and Essie.

This was and still is their story:

Gemma was used for milking but became very sick and lost one of her teats. You can imagine how much pain she must have endured. Since she was unable to provide milk to her owners they no longer wanted to keep her. One of her caretakers did not want her to go to the butcher so reached out to The Farm Sanctuary for assistance who then contacted us.

Our mission is to help educate people on alternative options to meat and dairy so we suggested sending Gemma’s current owners plant based milks to try instead of dairy. Finally it was agreed upon that JP Farm Animal Sanctuary would take home Gemma and Essie and also send plant based milk to their current owners to try.

Gemma & Essie

As we are in the world of sanctuary life, we understand the stories of all the animals we come in contact with can be heartbreaking as well as inspiring.

Let’s remember each one of their stories and continue to share them so that we will never forget they are sentient beings that have feelings, family and want to live just like us.

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Love all Beings,
Lynn and Oscar