For the Animals...Sanctuary

            Winter on the mountains always seems to arrive more swiftly than below.  The Autumn slinks away without a fight, taking with it the last remaining shreds of warmth, leaving behind the desolate trees against the gray-colored sky.  I am at For the Animals Sanctuary in Blairstown, NJ, filming the animals enjoying the open space of their pasture for a documentary I am helping with that will give them a voice, tell their stories of horror and eventual rescue.  Before long, my gloved fingers and my toes go numb from the frigid morning.  Filming will have to stop now that the flurries have started to descend.  The animals seem unaffected but I am clearly not built for this.

            In the few visits I have made thus far to the sanctuary, it has become clear just how much work is involved in caring for farm animals.  It’s an endless task that, once finished, has to be started over again.  The barns need to be kept clean, food and water provided, the waste cleared away, and all the other obvious chores you would imagine.  The animals are in need of constant care, including medication and maintenance, such as trimming of hooves.  In addition, the cows are extremely powerful and could injure a human with ease if they chose to, so one must be aware and respectful towards these creatures by approaching with caution.  As a vegan, the idea of owning an animal sanctuary is always appealing because the heart is in the matter and you want to do all you can to be a part of these animals’ lives.  But reality certainly hits—a gut check, so to speak—when you see exactly what goes into running a place like this.  Would I be cut out for this kind of work?  Not at this point in my life, that’s for sure.  And that kind of honesty is okay.  I can help the animals in countless other ways.  But in this honesty, I also find that I have an immeasurable level of respect for Debbie and Steve, the owners of the sanctuary, who have devoted their lives to these animals.

            Although For the Animals is small and relatively new (having been founded in 2007) compared to other larger, more well known sanctuaries, with ten goats, three cows, one bull, four pigs, and four hens, it is a full-time job.  Debbie and Steve run fundraisers throughout the year and host work parties, days on which volunteers can help clean out the stables and provide some much needed help, but other than that, all the work is done exclusively by themselves.  There are no vacations in sight now that they share their home with rescued farm animals who cost thousands of dollars per month to maintain and who can only be properly cared for by this husband-and-wife team.  They both work full-time jobs, even though Steve could easily retire, in order to have enough of their own money to fund the sanctuary aside from relying on donations.

            Farms litter the landscape leading up to the sanctuary—farms that feature cows grazing that will be sent to slaughter.  A group of Black Angus cattle are spotted as I ride past, and I note a baby, probably only a couple of weeks old, sitting in the grass.  He or she won’t last long.  Debbie and Steve can vouch for the uninterrupted rotation of animals as they are seen for a short period of time before never being seen again.  In contrast, the constancy of the handful of animals at the sanctuary is comforting, especially as you get to know their unique personalities and quirks, whether it’s Amy sneaking up behind you and gently nudging you or Hope licking your hand with her thick pink tongue, and I do hope that Steve and Debbie will be able to rescue many more.  Because I cannot forget the calf, resting in the grass, his lovely black coat, his small frame.  I cannot ignore his fate.
            The selfless work that Debbie and Steve do is beyond commendable.  There are no words to show my appreciation for their dedication and ability to start this completely from scratch and learning along the way.  That’s what it means, though, to be a true vegan: to take your lifestyle a giant leap forward, into hands-on care of the sick, the outcast, the nearly dead brought back to life.  People on the frontline like Steve and Debbie are inspiring and deserve all the help they can get, because they are heroes, not only to the animals but to fellow vegans seeking justice for the voiceless. 

- Lisa Selvaggio

*Please click here to learn more about the "For the Animals Sanctuary Documentary" and to donate to the project.

(Originally Posted 12/4/10)