Help Rescued Farmed Animals Thrive in Sanctuaries This #GivingTuesday

photos courtesy of Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge, Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, and Iowa Farm Sanctuary
photos courtesy of Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge, Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, and Iowa Farm Sanctuary

November 28 is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving to inspire positive change in our communities and beyond. This year, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is partnering with six farmed animal sanctuaries across the United States to provide rescued chickens, pigs, cattle, turkeys, sheep, goats, geese, and more with the safety, security, love, and respect they were previously denied.

Every year in America, billions of animals are bred, raised, and killed for food. The vast majority, raised in industrial facilities, experience lives of extreme confinement and depravation.

In sanctuaries across the country, however, some farmed animals are spared this fate and provided permanent refuge and a chance to engage in natural behaviors in wide open spaces with plenty of fresh air. From Thanksgiving through Giving Tuesday, all online donations to AWI will go to six worthy nonprofit sanctuaries that care for farmed animals rescued from abuse and neglect.

These are the sanctuaries we’ve chosen to support:

Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Mays Landing, NJ
As one of the largest animal rescues in the northeastern United States Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary is home to more than 600 rescue animals who were injured, sick, unwanted, or abused—from a “diva chicken” named Adele, to Yogi, a 1600-pound Jersey steer who is best buds with a 19-year-old alpaca named Cooper. Founded by Laurie Zaleski in honor of her mother, Anne McNulty, who, sadly, passed away from cancer before the 15-acre sanctuary opened its doors, Funny Farm teaches children about responsible pet ownership and compassion for all animals through books, Critter Camps, holiday festivals, school programs, and a weekly live show on Facebook.

Iowa Farm Sanctuary in Oxford, IA
Iowa Farm Sanctuary founders Shawn and Jered Camp focus on rescuing and rehabilitating farmed animals with special needs, including a soulful turkey named Stratus who was rescued just days before slaughter, and Angel, a miniature zebu calf and social media darling who was born without the use of her back legs. The 40-acre sanctuary promotes the health and welfare benefits of plant-based diets, and the “unique sentience and intelligence” of its 142 residents—all deserving of a lifetime of happiness and safety in their forever home. Visitor activities include sanctuary strolls, sunset yoga, and camping.

Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary in Linn County, OR
Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, the largest farmed animal rescue in Oregon, works hard to facilitate meaningful connections between humans and animals by showcasing the individual personalities of its approximately 250 residents—more than half of them pigs! By encouraging lasting bonds, sanctuary directors Gwen and Peter Jakubisin hope that people will appreciate farmed animals as more than just “food” or “things,” and become educated about the horrific realities of industrial animal agriculture. From Gandalf, the starving donkey who was left behind by his family, to a sheep named Greta, who was found collapsed from heat exhaustion after running down a busy highway, animals at the 54-acre refuge peacefully cohabitate and live free from pain, fear, or oppression. Lighthouse advocates compassionate living when it comes to food, entertainment, clothing, and other products, and engages in community outreach to help shape the future of farmed animal welfare.

Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Erie, CO
Since opening in 2015, Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary has directly saved more than 800 animals, including Garbanzo, a curious Nigerian dwarf goat rescued from the dairy industry, and Sneffels, a confident duck spared from slaughter on a duck farm. Luvin Arms’ founders, Shaleen and Shilpi Shah, make it their mission to provide “lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive care to rescued farmed animals.” Additionally, the sanctuary shares residents’ stories to inspire, educate, and empower others to practice ahimsa—an ethical principle in Indian religious traditions that involves respecting all living things and not causing them harm. Rescued from religious rituals, bankrupt farms, slaughterhouse trucks, and other grim circumstances, the sanctuary’s animals enjoy extra attention during group service days, “cow cuddles,” and “Connecting Community Through Compassion” tours.

Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge in Jamestown, TN
Safeguarded against harm and exploitation, the lucky residents of Odd Man Inn receive individualized high-quality health care, endless enrichment opportunities, nutritious meals, cozy quarters, and much more. The refuge was initially founded by Wendy and Joshua Smith to provide a better life for their dog, Roswell, who exhibited fear-based aggression. It has since expanded from four acres in southwestern Washington to nearly 94 acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee (which involved transporting more than 100 animal residents across 2,700 miles). Located on certified wildlife habitat, Odd Man Inn houses more than 15 breeds of pigs, who consume as much as 3.5 tons of grain each week. Among the “sanctuary babes” are Coretta, a fuzzy feral from Memphis who is timid around humans, and Asher, a Yorkshire pig from North Carolina who savors apples and peppermints. The refuge publishes an annual “SwampSuit” calendar featuring adorable snouts, and envisions a world where all species are valued and protected.

Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge in Pittsboro, NC
Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, situated on 45 acres of pasture and woods, works to educate the public about the intense confinement and painful physical mutilations on factory farms, and how these conditions affect individual species. Through food-based events, Piedmont also encourages supporters to commit to cruelty-free living. Named an Outstanding Sanctuary Award Winner in 2023 by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the refuge promotes animal-centered design, such as bunk beds for goats to have an elevated vantage point and a sheep house nestled along the forest edge to provide plenty of shade and leaves for browsing. Currently, sanctuary founder Lenore Bradford and her team care for 118 animals, including a laid-back goat named Cassandra, who was rescued from a backyard butcher in New York’s Hudson Valley, and Donna, a Muscovy duck who was dumped in North Carolina.


Will you help us support these deserving sanctuaries?
 

Donate

Examples of your donations at work

  • A $10 donation could feed one rescued chicken for a week.
  • A $75 donation could provide a rescued bison with a month’s worth of hay and specialized grain.
  • A $200 donation could cover an emergency vet visit for an animal in dire need of medical attention.
  • A $500 donation represents three months of nutritious hay for six rescued cows.

Thank you for helping us help sanctuaries! Without generous, compassionate people like you, our work to protect animals would not be possible. And rest assured, your contributions are always used wisely. AWI consistently earns top ratings from independent charity watchdog Charity Navigator, and for three consecutive years, personal finance website WalletHub has identified us as the BEST US-based animal charity for holiday giving.

Additional ways to help this Giving Tuesday

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Media Contact Information

Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institute
[email protected], (202) 446-2128

The Animal Welfare Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere—in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram for updates and other important animal protection news.