I've visited the Catskill Animal Sanctuary on a few different occasions, with one accidental stumbling upon a festival of some kind where they had food trucks and live music and more (that was super fun). It's a gorgeous spot, with plenty of animals to see and engage with, and if you're not careful, you may get a pig who smears mud all over your butt. That's really part of the charm though, and mud washes off. The folks that own and work here are super nice in my experience (shout out to the director who had the exact same shoes as my four year old - in a different size). They make it a fun and educational experience for everyone, but especially little kids. As a general warning though, they make a harder push for veganism than you might expect coming in, so if that sort of pressure isn't your thing, you may want to avoid the walking tours. read more

Cows, goats and pigs oh my! Wonderful day where you can feel the "love is spoken here!" If you have a couple of hours to spare, you will not be disappointed by this fun experience! Wonderful and compassionate tour guides and employees on beautiful grounds and of course, sweet rescues to pet! Cute gift shop and delicious gf cookies! Highly recommend you see for yourself! Kindness looks good and feels good!# Levi love read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - Adorable Abrahm love - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

What a great place for family fun and education. Set in a valley tucked into the Catskills, the Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful place to get to know the animals and experience living in harmony and make some new furry friends. We had a guided tour throughout the Sanctuary. We learned a little bit about each animal's story of how they came to live at the sanctuary and what it means for animals who have a less fortunate circumstances. The animals here are really loved and cared for, many escaped factory farming or were rescued from cruel situations. They live their lives through full adulthood and your admission and donations are what helps with their food, habitat upkeep, and healthcare. The people who volunteer here are really amazing and it was a wonderful experience to spend time with these beautiful animals. We loved the Sanctuary and thank you to our guide and the Capital Region Vegan Network for hosting the event. read more

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This place is amazing! I recently adopted a sheep with the help of Rebecca, who is the coordinator. She is just lovely, knows SO much about sheep and pretty much every other animal there. When I met my new best friend, Willy, it was love at first sight. Stay tuned, because he will have his own instagram blog for 2025 called The Catskill Woolies. Im not gonna be a spoiler, but you will hear the whole story very soon and from Willy's perspective about everything going on at this amazing place. I brought my cousin to meet Rebecca, Willy and his flock during Thanksgiving and he was blown away by the landscape. In addition, we had lunch in downtown Saugerties, not far at all. Not trying to brag, but since Willy is my pet, I have a bit of special visiting privileges, but check the website for seasonal hours. They also have a small bnb on site, cute gift shop. Im supposed be studying for the last part of my job training right now but I cant stop praising this place. If anyone from the sanctuary is reading this I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SEE YOU SOON!!!!! read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - Me and my boy Willy Wooly - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

Excellent tours. Thank you Wendy at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. You gave an excellent tour and we especially loved the cows. From David and Julie. read more

This is an amazing place and they take such great care of the animals. The tour guides are so knowledgeable and you can see that they love being there! We had so much fun petting goats, sheep, giving the pigs belly rubs and hanging our with the horses. What an amazing experience! read more

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Great tour by Wendy. The animals are so loving and interactive. We were late and they were accommodating.

Have been up here for years and never came here. Finally one day with my nephew visiting, we decided to give it a shot. Upon arrival, we were told they couldn't accommodate our group (6 adults, 2 toddlers) because it was unsafe to the animals. Keep in mind the place is a huge farm, there were 2 walking tour groups of 12 people each right in front of us, 10+ staff on hand including multiple standing around, and we were also instructed that the tour they couldn't give us was $22 per person. We were pretty stunned all around. My mother and law offered to pay that and even more (even asking about $50 pp day passes and membership) but they demanded we come back at 1pm when they may be able to get on a walking tour. They could care less that there were children involved, and if anything were concerned we were going to let the kids 'run around the fields'; clearly none of them were parents if they thought that was a remote possibility. Given the ridiculous situation all around, we just left. Literally had to console my son and my nephew on the way out. You're going to tell me that the animals are happier here, versus Forsythe park or any of the other animal sanctuaries in the area (which also happen to be free)? I call BS. Do the math on this place: why do you need to charge so much, and need that much staff, if the goal is to maximize the benefit to the animals? This is a scam being used to make money and give these ideologues a platform by which to spew their garbage. Part of the 'tour' is a video with dramatized footage of slaughterhouses to dissuade people from eating meat. They're using the animals here as pawns, which makes them a disgrace to both legitimate animal welfare and vegan causes. If you want to pay a couple hundred dollars to do something that would normally be free, enable these freeloaders, and lectured get lectured on why the food chain is wrong, be my guest. Enjoy your tourist trap. If you live up here, you're out of your mind going here. Response to Comment Below: Woman is absolutely lying, particularly about Forsythe park which is a wonderful and free option for families in the area. THey also have 1 fucking cow total, so you calling that out is hilarious. What kind of animal sanctuary (which coincidentally charges $100's to visit for make-believe reasons) bad-mouths another animal sanctuary? Thanks for publicly outing yourselves here. You should be ashamed l as you are no better than any of the fake 'zoos' like Balliwick animal park who exploit animals for profit. If anyone wants to really see/support animals, go to a real zoo like any of the NYC-area zoos, the Utica zoo, or any others affiliated with the WCS. These are real institutions with people who actually care about animals and are dedicated to their preservation as well as also the education of the public, without zealots and smug con artists like you see here. read more

The Catskills Animal Sanctuary is an absolute gem. I am so inspired by your mission and can't wait to visit again. Huge shoutout to your staff. Megan Graham, our tour guide, was so knowledgeable and caring to not only the members of our group but to all the animals we encountered during our tour. Just loved learning each animal's story. She also offered interesting insight into veganism and after talking to her, I am motivated to embrace a strictly plant-based diet. read more

I loved this place when I visited! Such sweet animals and great guides and animal caretakers. Nothing like being able to scratch a pigs belly and falling in love also made some rooster and chicken friends and because of this experience I am now a vegetarian. Such sweet animals and a wonderful place to visit and support read more

LOVED THIS PLACE!!! Definitely worth coming to. Our guide was wonderful. Very educational. And it was a beautiful day. Would highly recommend. And you MUST HAVE A RESERVATION!! For so many obvious reasons. Animals roam freely!! As they should. read more

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The Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a great place to take your kids to learn about common domestic and farm animals. It's also great for adults. You're also able to interact with the animals and get up close to them which is nice. There were pigs, cows, sheep, goats, horses, turkey, chickens of different kinds, and ducks. We couldn't get close to the birds because of the current bird fly scare and that's understandable. Lauren was our tour guide and she was just amazing with lots of spirit and you can tell she really loves the animals there. Her "corny" jokes are also appreciated. Lavatories are super clean which is a huge plus and the gift shop is tiny but as they say, Less Is More. Please stop by CAS if you have a chance and support their cause. read more

The communication from the sanctuary was delayed but robust when it arrived, so I have changed my rating based on that. Again, I always had every reason from people I know who have visited there that they take great care of the beautiful animals in their charge. read more

This sanctuary is amazing. The property is absolutely beautiful. So thankful for sanctuaries like CAS. These innocent beings went through hell before their arrival here - hence the reason it's called a SANCTUARY and why they promote and push a vegan lifestyle. For all the negative reviews, most people are not aware of the horrors of factory farming or what actually happens on small farms (even if they are "humane"). I see nothing wrong with educating visitors about the TRUTH. If you can't show your child the truth, or you, yourself, you need to break free from your cognitive dissonance. I am grateful for social media that exposed me to the horrors that I was totally clueless about. Was vegetarian for 15 yrs before I was thankfully made aware of what dairy cows go through- vegan for 10 and life. Keep up the good work CAS -- mooooooo! read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - RIP - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

Coming to Catskills Animal Sanctuary was such an amazing experience. They have saved and taken so many animals who would have gotten killed, beaten and tortured if it wasn't for the Sanctuary's help. The animals' stories are so heartbreaking and eye opening from chickens and ducks escaping from the trucks that was taking them to get slaughtered to pigs, cows, sheeps and horses whose parts would have been used for profit. I often wonder how our world became so cruel, but visiting Catskills made me feel some optimism. In here, you will meet people trying to make positive changes through their work and lifestyle. I encourage everyone to come and visit. It is such a wonderful experience and very humbling to meet such gentle and beautiful creatures. The cows are so loving and sweet, such big gentle beings. The animals all love the staff. They come and welcome the staff, some who refuse to leave their side. Really they aren't any different than our pets at home, if you love animals consider what you eat and what you support when you buy food. Come to the Sanctuary and hopefully it will reframe your thinking on a more positive and compassionate light. You will not be disappointed! read more

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For kids, families, vegans, environmentalists, animal lovers, locals, & tourists, there is nowhere better than Catskill Animal Sanctuary. The staff are hugely inspirational, working daily at a cause they are passionate about & sharing their knowledge with anyone who will listen. CAS truly feels like the happiest place on earth: from the founder Kathy to the tour guides, from Tucker the enormous cow to the rescued bunnies, every soul on the grounds offers something we are so short on right now: hope. When the world's problems seem too big, the rescue of one chicken or one goat is such a beautiful, tangible mark of goodness upon this earth. Thank you all for everything you do. I love visiting CAS & I hope to be driving down the hill for many, many years to come. read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, NY - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

Had a wonderful visit to the sanctuary with my girlfriend - the tour guide was friendly and insightful and it was a joy getting to meet all the animals! You can tell they're all extremely happy in their beautiful home. A gorgeous area, couldn't recommended more highly read more

I don't know how you can not like this place or their mission. I didn't read the reviews before we came here so I really didn't know what to expect. I found this place by their viral video of Violet the baby goat in her sweater. You must take a tour to walk around the farm, unless you are staying at their bed and breakfast. All of the animals here have come from factory farms and hoarding cases. They are clearly loved and well cared for by staff and volunteers. Our tour guide was excellent and unlike some of the other reviewers experience we never felt like she was pushing the vegan lifestyle too much or showing/talking about the factory farming conditions too much. She explained everything in a very professional manner and not over the top. After the tour we were treated to some vegan food samples. This was really an eye opening experience. Although we're not full on vegans, we've already started incorporating some more vegan recipes into our life. Definitely go and stop by the beautiful town of Tivoli for a vegan lunch or dinner. read more

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We love CAS! Kathy is so warm and welcoming and her staff takes their tone from her. We come here for all their big events and also love their tours. We love learning about the animals and also just enjoy seeing animals who are truly happy and well cared for. The sanctuary's motto is "Love Spoken Here" and it's so evident - love connects us all, whether pigs, cows, goats, chickens, turkeys, sheep, horses or humans. All animals tremble before violence and all animals relax in love. And we see that at CAS. Thanks for the inspiration to always be vegan and see and love the animals our society wants to keep unseen. Veganism is love! read more

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This place is outstanding! We had Kaden as our guide and he was wonderful! You learn so much and get to be around the animals. You can touch the animals (if they want). They educate people about the situations from which the animals were rescued. The people there definitely promote veganism but are not aggressive about it. They encourage you to make choices considerate of animals which we probably all should be doing more of. It was a happy experience to see the animals thriving. read more

Wow! What an amazing place. The animals are very well cared for and it shows! We met the most gentle bull. He was so peaceful. He loved being petted and brushed. He was rescused when he was very young, so he has had a very good life at the sanctuary. And you can tell! He was a gentle giant. Reminded me of the story of Ferdinand. I will return to the sanctuary just to pet the bull. It really was a once in a lifetime experience. If you go make sure to check out the store. The vegan Carmel/nougat/chocolate "Twighylighf" bars are out of this world! It was the best treat I had in years :) read more

Amazing animal rights activist and humanitarians guiding the tours! The experience was interactive and informative!

The animals are very cute and the grounds are well kept and clean. We went on a 1pm 90 minute tour. In that time, we saw maybe 5 different species. The tour guide is too chatty and you stay a long time with each animal. Guide also asked annoying and infantile questions. We had to leave the tour early because it was going on 95 minutes and we weren't done yet. People have places to be and tour guides should be cognizant of the time. read more

We came here to visit two special pigs from a documentary coming out in 2016 "The Last Pig" named Audrey and Mario, and we knew it wasn't just these two pigs that we would find meaningful only. The whole sanctuary itself is beautiful. Our tour guide could not have been better. I unfortunately forgot her name, but she wore a black top hat, and had a heart as big as the animals (some of the cows and pigs were pretty big!) The tour and the guide was connected as one, and she truly helped us understand how important animals are to us not as food, but as living being who feel love and pain. The whole sanctuary was beautiful. The animals are well loved. There is no apprehension on the animals or staff reactions as you reach out to be closer and touch the animals... they were all welcoming and you can tell came from trust they have built with the sanctuary staff. We will never forget the first impression we got when we pulled in and immediately encountered sheep and goats wandering around freely. We thought at first we had pulled into the wrong area of the sanctuary! We were able to give little piglets belly rubs, and gently soothe some of the blind horses and a donkey who had their eyes removed as it was too painful for them. The trust they have to allow a strangers touch spoke volumes. We got to pet Mario who enjoyed the petting and let us know when we would stop, he would gently nudge the gate to tell us he wanted more! We would have stayed there all day, but the tour continued on! The animals are so happy, and the place is so clean and well kept. Every day the hay is changed, and the place is taken care of well. The people here love these animals, and the animals love them back. It was emotional being there because you felt so much serenity and purpose. Everyone should visit a place like this and decide on their own whether animals as food is correct. I can't see myself being vegan any time soon, but I can however see myself dedicating certain days of the week for the rest of my life where I can go meatless. They encourage us that just trying a little counts for a lot. read more

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We came here on Memorial Day from NYC and took the 1:30pm tour with a group of about 10 other people ($12 for adults). The tour was 2 hours with our guide Rocky. On our tour, we first got to visit the chickens, then lots of pigs, turkeys, and finally some goats. The cows and horses weren't up for visits while we were there. The space is beautiful and the animals are lucky to be there. The highlights were the pig belly rubs and the opportunity to hold two roosters. Four stars because 95% of the two-hour tour was spent talking about (and giving demonstrations of) the horrific factory farm conditions, and I think most people there were already vegan/vegetarian and already knew. I'm ok with hearing about the conditions and learning some animal backstories, but it felt like overkill for two hours, and by the end I was exhausted. I wish there had been a little more time to just walk around and visit all of the animals. I think that would just as easily convince more people to go vegan. At the end of the tour, they have lots of yummy vegan treats for you to try for free which is a great final touch! read more

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I had been wanting to visit Catskill Animal Sanctuary for years and finally, I got my chance and even stayed at their B&B, the Homestead. Alex greeted me when I arrived and even provided me amazingly delicious vegan chocolate chip crumb cake/brownies. They were so good. He also recommended a great local spot with a delicious vegan menu. As guests of the Homestead, we got to utilize their VIP passes which allowed us to walk around the sanctuary as we pleased. The animals are amazing here. It's great to see how much space all of them get. You can tell they really care! The Homestead itself was GORGEOUS. It was clean. The bathroom was immaculate. We stayed in the Paulie Room and I adored it, I didn't want to leave. There is always fruit and water for guests as well as free wifi. The next morning, Erica had made us breakfast (she had called prior to check if we had any food allergies which was really considerate). She had made these amazing vegan pancakes. Yum! Also, I got to try vegan Greek Yogurt for the first time (fan!). We took a tour with Shaylana (I may be completely spelling her name wrong) but she was so nice, so friendly, and since we were the first ones there, we got a private tour. It was so much fun. We got to hear about all the animals and their back stories. I got to hold a chicken, Jailbird, saved from a meth operation (never in my life would I think I'd get to hold a chicken!!!). I got to cuddle up with some pigs and baby goats. She even told us that they're expanding the sanctuary, including adding a vegan cafe! Cannot wait! I'm definitely planning on returning and making a longer trip out of it next time. It was so relaxing to be up there and the air is so fresh. The sanctuary is so much fun. I could hang out there all day, reading, and cuddling up with the animals. If you can just go for a tour, do it at least once in your life! It is an amazing experience!!! read more

Wonderful facility and great staff. Everyone there cares about the animals with a respect that transcends species. Truly respectful establishment that places the wellbeing of animals above all. Great tour provided by Lucca! They were really passionate and educational in our time touring the different animal enclosures. read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - A gang of goats - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

I drove over from Boston to visit CAS and was thrilled. I was excited about meeting the Underfoot Family that freely roam about the farm and couldn't wait to see the place I had been reading about in Kathy's book, "Where the Blind Horse Sings." Currently 60 out of the 90 acres are working on their property, allowing for quite the family of sheep, goats, cows, horses, pigs, feathered friends and I'm sure others I may have missed. Prior to the tour, guests had time to visit the educational center and the gift shop. Both of which were great. There was also time to see the chickens or mingle with the Underfoots that may be nearby on the gentle sloping hillside. Our tour started promptly at 11:00 and was lead by Melissa. We stared with the chickens where we learned about their personalities and life stories. Imagine my delight, when I inquired about how heavy Jailbird was and they asked if I wanted to hold him! YES! I've never held a rooster before.....I was delighted! From the chickens and roosters we continued on to the piglets and met quite a few who were happy to have a tummy rub while they enjoyed laying in the sun. Two delightful roosters from Philadelphia were also inside the pig enclosure as they were learning to interact with people --- they were a kick. From pigs, we walked along the beautiful Weeping Willow lined drive down to see the horses and cows in the pasture, meeting pigs and turkeys and chickens along the way. Hearing stories and life changing moments along the way. A little girl on our tour wanted to go through the barn, so on our return, we went through the barn and had the chance to see where the food is prepared en route to see the sheep. Knowing sheep can been scaredy sheep, I was hoping maybe this would be my chance to pat a sheep - no such luck! Darn it! We went into the enclosure and sure enough they went the other way! Darn it! Some day though, I shall pat a sheep! Next up was the baby goats. So cute. While we are unable to go into their area, it was a treat to see little Violet, who has been growing up so quickly! We also had an opportunity to meet, I think his name was Bruce, the Muscovy duck. He was quite the charmer. Last but not least we looked in on the turkeys next door before heading back to the main area. Of course, through out the journey, we would cross paths with sheep, goats and various feathered friends....all part of the Underfoots who were making their way from one part of the farm to the next. Just having their usual day. The best part of my experience, besides the animals and meeting the animals was the chance opportunity to meet Kathy Stevens, who started the sanctuary. Bless her heart. read more

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Love, love, love the Catskill Animal Sanctuary! I came here on their last day of the 2014 season (for tours, that is) and fortunately, it was a beautiful fall day. Finding the CAS could not be easier, and you can count on being greeted by a bevy of friendly animals AND people! For a nominal fee (I can't remember how much, but it's benefiting the sanctuary, so I was happy to pay it), you are taken on a guided tour of the sanctuary (much like a farm). My tour guide was extremely friendly and knowledgable; she gave us the history of each animal (where they came from, how they got to the CAS, etc) and definitely shared some interesting insight into the maltreatment of animals. I've been vegan for some time (initially in an effort to be more healthy), so I'm familiar with the nature of factory farming, animal abuse, etc. Still, I learned quite a bit that I didn't know before! My favorite part of the visit was in the beginning. I was waiting beneath the tree for the tour to start and was able to hold a chicken, who sat so contently in my lap, all the while a goat was chewing on my hair. This definitely proved to be an up close and personal animal experience! Though their touring season is over, they're always posting to FB asking for volunteers. I'd imagine this would be similar to a tour, but WAY more hands on! It's definitely on my list of things to do this winter. So... would I do another tour? Yes, and I'd probably try to drag along some carnivorous friends/family, as this is truly an eye-opening experience! read more

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This place is beautiful, the staff is super friendly and I loved seeing the animals and sitting by the pond. I love the mission of the sanctuary and all they do to help the animals. HOWEVER I went on a tour of the grounds and I think that was not a great option for me. It was super informative but there was A LOT of talk about the horrible conditions that the animals would be in if they were not at the sanctuary. And while I think it was educational and made me feel great that I make so many choices that do not contribute to that cycle I feel like it was morbid and really sad which was not what I was looking to do for what was a 2 hour commute there for my birthday. read more

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CAS is absolutely wonderful. So many of the animals are incredibly friendly and love being pet! I pet as many as I was allowed to pet (that came out for pets, some refused to come out because they were much cooler in their sheds but them refusing to come out was sill funny, it was impossible for anyone to be upset with them for it). I never expected a goat to ask me for pets similar to how a dog does, or for a pig to make happy pig noises when she got belly rubs... also similar to how a dog would! Before coming I was a bit worried they might be overly militant with the vegan message and turn off the omni family members I brought along but they weren't like that at all. Our guide brought up going vegan a few times on the tour, and they had awesome vegan ice cream samples, but weren't forcing it at all. The main focus was on the animals themselves along with good information about standard industrial farming practices (our guide wasn't graphic with the descriptions either, possibly because we had children in our tour group). I'd love to go back anytime, but especially when it gets cooler and more of the animals are willing to say hello. read more

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Loved everything about my visit-! Rebecca, the current Program Director did the tour and was great. Loved the goat, Jimmy! You are more than welcome to touch the animals, in fact, you are encouraged. The plight if each along the tour is so bittersweet. They are well-cared for by a great team of volunteers and staff; it shows. read more

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Awesome experience. Great b&b. Friendly staff. Cute animals. And we got to bring our dogs with us. What else could you want? read more

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This place is magical! You are able to get up close and personal with the animals and quite a few of them roam around freely. We took the tour and felt horrible for how bad some of the animals were treated before making it to the animal sanctuary. Docking one star because they really hammer home living a vegetarian lifestyle and make it sound like any farm no matter the size is a terrible place for animals. I'll never be a vegetarian and my husband comes from a family of farmers and we're not going to stop eating meat or think that even small farmers that have a few animals are terrible people. Tip - wear closed toed shoes. read more

Catskill Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Saugerties, New York

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First, if you visit, make sure to give Imogen the turkey a bunch of love. Second, stay at the homestead. It is a gem of a house and you will meet some super nice people. Third, enjoy all the rescued beauties that live in the sanctuary. This place is magical for the work they do and because of the atmosphere. read more

I love animals , but this place wasn't very informative. Our tour guide Emm didn't seem to know much about the animals in the sanctuary.Instead she spoke about they're feelings which I can understand but I would have thought it would have been a little more educational and interactive. It's a great cause but I think they need to step it up to a more adult level . I wouldn't recommend this to anyone over the age of 5 read more

I visited the for the Shindig event. I drove up with a few people from a meetup group, although I know there were some bus arrangements as well. I would definitely love to go back when there isn't a big event and just check out the animals. For the event, it can be a little crowded, but there were lots of vendors and cooking demos. The children really enjoyed it. Tours were arranged throughout the day. Guides told stories about the animals: how they were rescued, what they do now that they are on the farm. It's so crazy how a few hours outside the city there are farms with animals. read more

A wonderful place to visit if you just want to see some beautiful, rescued farm animals or if you are interested in educating yourself about contemporary farming practices and what impacts they have on animals. You can take a tour or just wander around. We took a tour and our guide was happy to take what ended up being just my wife and I around to meet the animals, get a little bit of their background story, and even feed a few. It was fun. This would be a great place to bring kids, as they can interact with the animals and get to romp around on a farm. Many of the animals you can get close to, and pet, but some are better left alone due to their heartbreaking backstories. No animals that aren't 100% safe roam around, anything you come across you can greet. read more

There aren't enough descriptive words to describe the experience my boyfriend and I had at the sanctuary this past weekend. Absolutely incredible on every level. We got to spend some time with Kathy, the founder. Our tour guide was great! The animals, of course, were the stars of the show. Please visit and open your eyes and ears to these wonderful creatures and connect with them...maybe reconsider your food choices. read more

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The grounds are beautiful and the animals are well cared for. It is truly a blessing what the sanctuary is doing, and we will definitely be back. While I think our tour guide was a very nice fellow - his presentation was meandering, and he really should be vegan. Another of the staff was extremely rude and aggressive when my son sat on their tractor. In the context of such a non-violent environment, these two things seemed out of place. read more

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