Farm Sanctuary

NEW RESCUE ALERT—join us in welcoming Meleys hen! 🎉 This summer, residents of a California apartment building noticed a few uncared-for chickens, including Meleys, hanging around the property. As the flock grew smaller in number, they suspected it was because of the coyotes in the area. Eventually, Meleys was the only one left. When a former Farm Sanctuary caregiver, Shane, noticed the lonely hen, they knew she needed help quickly—but Meleys didn’t want help. She didn’t trust humans and wanted to be free like any farm animal would, evading capture. Shane patiently sat on the ground all day to earn Meleys’ trust, but this rescue would require backup. Thankfully, with the help of the apartment residents, we finally got Meleys in safe hands after she landed in a tree and put up quite the fight! While we don’t know anything about Meleys’ past, what we do know is that she’s now safe at Farm Sanctuary. Here, she’s adjusting to the dynamic of her new flock, exploring her new home, and meeting new friends.

Last year, Ashley lamb was born safe in our care after we rescued her mom, Nirva, from a heartbreaking case leading to 90 counts of felony animal cruelty. Some animals were starving, and others had already died. Ashley would’ve faced a far different fate if her mom hadn’t been rescued. Instead, Ashley’s growing up surrounded by her friends and family. She’ll never know pain, fear, or neglect—she’ll only see the beauty of sanctuary. 🥹💚

There's no better way to celebrate turkeys this Thanksgiving than watching them gobble up a delicious feast! Tickets are still available for our annual Celebration For The Turkeys event in NY & CA—we hope to see you there! https://bit.ly/3U5BQpG

Pigs like Guyute are sentient and intelligent animals. They have unique personalities, live in complex social communities, and experience empathy. In the proper environment, pigs are lively and social beings—you'll see them running, playing, exploring, and snuggling. After spending time with the pigs at Farm Sanctuary, visitors often leave with the impression that they are not so different from dogs—emotionally sensitive, playful, curious, and always eager for a snack or a belly rub.

Many people believe pigs are “dirty animals” — but pigs don’t like a pigsty! Pigs prefer to keep a clean house and make their toilet far away from where they sleep. So, what's with the mud? There’s actually five reasons pigs LOVE mud: 1. Bathing and wallowing is a natural behavior. 2. Pigs have few sweat glands, so wallowing in mud helps regulate their body temperature. 3. Mud is a natural sunscreen for pigs! They have VERY sensitive skin, and pink pigs are especially prone to sunburns — which can lead to skin cancer! 4. Mud is a natural bug repellent and helps keep pests like ticks and lice away! 5. It’s fun! Mud bathing allows pigs to explore new environments, socialize, and enrich their lives. Just because pigs live differently doesn't mean we should treat them differently. 💚

When Curly developed inoperable cancer, his herd knew it was time to say goodbye. Cows are deeply social animals. Because they are herd animals, they rely on each other for comfort and support and often choose to stay close to those who are sick. Even though cows' sentience is undeniable, people are surprised to learn that they have best friends. When separated from their closest companions, cows show signs of stress, showing that they can feel the same range of emotions that we do. Although we lost Curly six years ago, we’ve seen time and time again how farm animals support each other in their final moments. They’re someone, not something. 💚

Pigs have best friends and love to snuggle close to them at night! 💚

Exciting updates from our research team! A new peer-reviewed study by Farm Sanctuary researchers tying learning to increased chicken optimism has been published with open access in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. This exciting achievement makes a new understanding of chicken emotion widely available to the public, animal advocates, and the scientific community—with potential implications for the welfare of birds farmed in the billions with few legal protections. The study, “Pecking up Optimism: Learning Opportunities Improve Mood for Sanctuary-Living Cornish Cross Chickens,” conducted by Sasha Prasad-Shreckengast, Jenna Holakovsky, and Lauri Torgerson-White, is Farm Sanctuary’s first published peer-reviewed research carried out at the sanctuary. Funding was generously provided by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Read the study and learn more about our research work here: https://bit.ly/4dBP7gJ

As a male born into the dairy industry, Milton was considered “worthless” just for being himself. Most male calves in this situation are slaughtered at an early age for cheap beef or veal since they’ll never produce milk, which means their cost of care outweighs the profit they'd bring in. They're seen as "byproducts." Luckily Milton was rescued moments before a farmer took him away. Now, he's living the life he deserves—which includes never turning down a sweet treat!

In 2021, a baby Biscuit was found alone and trembling with fear in a barn after his mom and brother were auctioned off days prior. If all had gone according to plan, Biscuit likely would’ve been slaughtered for meat before his first birthday. Thankfully, Biscuit narrowly avoided this fate because of the family who rescued him.❤️🩹 Biscuit receives specialized care at Farm Sanctuary, and because he’s blind, our team focuses on musical enrichment. This helped Biscuit feel more comfortable with humans in his space, helped him learn to trust us, and made sure he never felt alone! Now that Biscuit’s BFF Pippa (another sheep) has moved in, he still receives musical therapy once per week—but often with his best friend by his side. 💚🫶🏻