What do you remember most about 2023 at Unity Farm Sanctuary?
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Maybe a new rescue here had you cheering, or maybe you had a blast at an event you came to onsite? We had an overall wonderful year. New faces appeared and of course we sadly had a few losses of friends who were older or sicker. Humane Education grew by leaps and bounds, and our community is more and more aware and supportive of us.
New faces include Ms. Roger Minipig, Dougie Pig, Nellie Pig, Pony Boy, Sully the Sheep, Mirabella Pig, Belladonna Pig, Monroe Alpaca, Tomie Llapaca, Lille Doggo, Dakota Doggo, and Walter Goat. Have you met Ollie the African/Toulouse Goose and his two close buddies Sam and Chester? Everett the Rooster? Poppy the Hen - the last rescue here on New Year’s Eve?
We sadly said farewell to Mint Alpaca, Burton Doggo, Liz Rooster, Luther Rooster, Pilgrim Turkey, Queenie Duck, Daisy Duck, Fancypants Hen, Shiro Doggo and Ellie Goat. We miss them but remember them as the unique individuals they were. So few farmed animals have that opportunity.
Sometimes hard to see; we work behind the scenes almost every day of the year when we get calls and emails from people asking to surrender animals (often but not always roosters). It is not easy to say no, but we know that to provide a great life for the rescues we accept, we have to do our best to network for the animals we cannot accept.
Star Donkey gave us a big scare mid-year with her emergency issue in the arthritic hyoid bones causing facial paralysis leading to gastric impaction from her inability to chew. We are so grateful she has regained her general equilibrium and can continue to live a good life (even if she still has some paralysis).
Jennifer D’Angelo, our Humane Education Director, was extremely busy! Animal Care Circle for participants 10-14 was re-invented and was a big hit in both the spring and the fall. We received the Felicia Rose Grant to help us fund our 1000 Animal Ambassadors Program efforts, so you saw free scouting programs and free K-12 programs! And I know you have been reading about our rolling out our high school age LEAP Changemakers (Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet) this fall, with the help of the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation Grant. Jennifer worked with Tyler Wehr to create our pilot program for the Plant Based/Vegan Cooking Classes - sold out in a few hours, and very popular. Look for that program to grow too.
Kayla Claxton has taken on the role of Shelter Manager, and Michael Tuberdyke has accepted the role of Assistant Shelter Manager - we are delighted! Emma Flood and Brendan Lynch have joined Eric Hoffman and Tyler Claxton to fill out the Animal Caregiver team.
Looking ahead, exciting things are happening in 2024 as well.
We will complete our first year with LEAP this May and get ready for LEAP in the autumn with some potential returning second year participants too. Our plan is to restart the Art with the Animals program in the good weather of spring.Â
Look for the UFS Yardsale in May, Dudleyfest in June and Celebration of the Turkeys in November. We will be attending the RI Vegfest Providence in February, the Sherborn Library Fair in May, New England Vegfest Worcester in June, and Boston Veg Food Fest in October.
Our current plan is to transport Amelia Pig and Nellie Pig to Cornell Veterinary Hospital in January for an important spay - reducing their risks of reproductive cancer. In March, Danny Boy Pig and Dougie Pig will trek to Cornell for tusk trimming, helping everyone around these two to avoid the accidental cuts from those tusks!
We are especially excited to be partnering with the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network to be the local host location for their all-day outdoor preschool. You will spot their "napping yurt" structure near the UFS parking lot later this year for the program to begin next fall if all goes well.
We will work hard to write great grant proposals, and compete to be awarded as many as possible to support our efforts here.I will be working to improve how I communicate with our supporters across social media and other ways we reach out. Our donors love our postcards throughout the year!
We are once again at capacity, because we are careful to not accept a new rescue without the space here to bring someone new into the family. That being said, we just heard about a young piglet in urgent need of a forever-home because time was running out at the foster home. We stepped up for this eight week old piglet, Louie Oinkstrong (photo above) who will eventually be a pretty big pig! We promise him that we will love him and care for him with all our hearts and minds. 'What a wonderful world' as the song goes, is what we want for Louie!
That is what Sanctuary is truly all about.