Monday, December 19, 2011

Farm Sanctuary Makes Room at the “Inn” this Christmas for a Special Mother and Child


Goat gives birth at slaughterhouse and gets second chance at life for her and her kid

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.December 19, 2011 – For a lucky mother and child, all is calm and all is bright this holiday season. This week, just in time for Christmas, Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org), the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, will make room at the “inn,” i.e. their New York Shelter in Watkins Glen, for a special mother goat who was destined for slaughter and the tiny “miracle” baby she gave birth to at the slaughterhouse who saved her life.

Farm Sanctuary was first alerted to the miraculous birth by a local Binghamton vet, Melissa Hayes, whose relative owns the slaughterhouse. Hayes’ relative had recently bought some “spent” dairy goats at a stockyard, having no idea that one was pregnant, and brought them to his facility to be slaughtered. After witnessing the birth and the tender devotion between the mother goat and her child, he decided to ask for Hayes’ help finding a good home for the pair.

“I immediately called Farm Sanctuary,” says Hayes, who first became acquainted with the organization as a veterinary student at nearby Cornell University, where many of Farm Sanctuary’s animal residents are treated following rescue and throughout their lives. “As a student, I helped treat some of their rescued animals and I was deeply touched by their commitment to protecting these often overlooked animals from cruelty. Whether it was pigs who had fallen off a transport truck or an elderly steer with arthritis, Farm Sanctuary was always there to comfort these animals and prove that their lives matter.”

“We are overjoyed to welcome this special mother and child to our sanctuary just in time for the holidays,” says Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director Susie Coston, who is known as the “Farm Animal Whisperer” for her unique bond with farm animals and for her deep understanding of their complex emotional lives. “Goats are very affectionate, social beings who, just like us, want nothing more than to be among their family members. It is always a great joy for us to enable mothers and babies, who are typically immediately separated, to stay together. This will make our holiday at the sanctuary even more precious and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our members.”

A double miracle!
When Farm Sanctuary arrived at the slaughterhouse last Friday night, they discovered that a second goat had also just given birth. Despite taking a financial loss, the slaughterhouse owner decided to also allow this mother goat and her child to live out their lives together at Farm Sanctuary. The baby, however, was born prematurely and both mother and child are very sick and currently undergoing treatment at Cornell University Hospital for Animals.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, promotes legislative, policy, and individual lifestyle changes to help farm animals. Farm Sanctuary’s shelters in New York and California provide lifelong care for nearly 1,000 rescued farm animals. For more information, please visit farmsanctuary.org.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Happy Holidays from A Voice 4 Animals


2011 has been a wonderful year for A Voice 4 Animals.

I started a podcast on iTunes, and recently joined forces with Santa Varbaro @ SantasVeganCooking to film some vegan cooking shows to show everyone how easy it is to live a vegan life.

2012 holds lots of promise and I can't wait! I just want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a safe, and happy holiday season. Whatever holiday or tradition you celebrate, make it a good one.

And please remember, the most generous thing we can do is to have compassion for those who are the most vulnerable and at our mercy, non-human animals. I ask that you seriously consider leaving animals and their by-products off your menu.

May all your wishes come true this holiday season!

Love and thanks for all your support,








Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organization and shelter that works to end the systematic abuse of animals used for food.   At the heart of our mission is the hands-on work of rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for farm animal refugees-as well as educating the public about the treatment of animals who are raised for food and the many benefits of a plant-based diet.  Visit www.WoodstockSanctuary.org for more information or call 845-679-5955.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Friday, December 2, 2011

Santa's Vegan Cooking on YouTube

My friend Santa decided to start a Vegan Cooking show on YouTube.  Please check out her pilot episode here.  Feedback is encouraged!  Thanks very much!

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