Amy and Lola goat.
Amy and Ari steer.
Amy comforts a duck during our recent rescue in Cattaraugus County.
Amy helps Susie and Abbie medicate a turkey in the aftermath of the Cattaraugus rescue.
Amy with one of the lambs from the Cattaraugus rescue.
Abbie, Amy, and Jill watch the sheep from Cattaraugus explore the outdoors for the very first time!
From the largest steer to the smallest calf, Amy is a friend to all farm animals. Here, she’s pictured with Alexander and Valentino.
Cash moves in on a cuddle session with Amy humanimal and Amy sheep.
Amy and Liam, best of friends.
Caregiver Amy Gaetz
Focuses on the Important Things in Life!
Restless days, sleepless nights, the anticipation of a
new baby
— it’s moments like these that allow us to marvel at the beauty of
life amidst suffering and take comfort in the amazing things that can happen when we look at the world through the lens of another. Amy Gaetz has seen plenty of trial and tragedy during her time as a caregiver at our New
York Shelter, with animals arriving in dire condition and the loss of beloved older friends, but she has also seen resilience, hope, and joy
— and it is
these qualities that this former photography student chooses to focus on.
Amy and a then-newborn Maggie.
The birth of new
babies at sanctuary seems to be one of the greatest sources of happiness and
healing – both for our rescued residents, many of whom have endured unspeakable cruelty and neglect, and for the humans who dedicate their lives to the often-difficult work of caring for them.
When Tracey
and Louise arrived last year, the pregnant ewes had endured years of
neglect and loss. Their malnourished bodies
had been forced to produce lamb after lamb, and when they came to Farm
Sanctuary, both were nearing the end of their pregnancies. Our caregivers
were on high alert to ensure that the moms-to-be would have the support they
needed during their high-risk deliveries. “We had been spending the nights
sleeping in the hospital in anticipation of the lambs coming,” Amy recalls.
“First Hazelton
came during the day; another caregiver had stayed awake the whole night
previous waiting for him. The following week I was awake the whole night,
waiting for Louise to give birth. No babies came in the night, so I went home to
get some rest. Later that day my phone rang; it was someone calling to say she
was going into labor, so I rushed back to the hospital just in time to see her
twins born. It was so amazing to be able to be there when they came.”
Hazelton’s birth was a true cause for celebration!
As was Louise’s delivery of twins Reubie and Summer soon after.
As 2015 drew to a close, the birth of Maggie goat similarly brought great joy to Amy and her coworkers, easing the pain
of the Hudson
Valley rescue (where Maggie’s mom, Olive,
had come from) and signaling happier times ahead for these animals who had been through so much. “This past
Christmas Eve, we were preparing to have vigils for Olive having her baby. I
was just about to go home for the day when she started going into labor. So
that was a great way to spend the holiday, getting to be there when Maggie came
out, bright-eyed and ready to take on the world!”
Maggie’s awe-inspiring birth and first moments!
Amy’s Farm Sanctuary journey
sprung from a desire to start her own life anew. After working in an art museum
in Minneapolis for some time, she realized that she no longer wished to pursue a
career in that field, and began to seek out a path that would be more fulfilling and allow her to use her passions and talents to make a difference. A vegan since 1999
after being vegetarian for a year, Amy wanted to extend her knowledge of – and
advocacy for – the animals she was already honoring through her food choices. After learning about Farm
Sanctuary’s internship
program, she decided to commit to a three-month position as a shelter
intern in the fall of 2013. But she loved the work so much that at the end of three months, she didn’t
want to leave, and decided to stay for another month!
“While interning I
got to be trained on feeds, which I really enjoyed, and during the four months
I was here it really made it clear to me what I wanted to do,” Amy recalls. “At
the time, there were no jobs at Farm Sanctuary, so I just started looking
everywhere. In summer 2014 there was a temporary caregiver assistant job open,
so I jumped and got it. It worked out that a full-time position was available
and I got to stay.”
Amy’s internship photo
— where it all began!
In her current role, Amy spends her days providing the
individualized care that each resident needs to enjoy the greatest quality of
life possible. This includes medicating and treating animals for any ailments
they may have
—
whether they suffer from chronic conditions or are recovering
from a temporary illness or injury
—
and preparing medications for upcoming
shifts. “That can vary from applying topical ointments to skin irritations, to
administering antibiotic or NSAID injections for infections or pain, to feeding special feed to
animals who need a supplement to their usual diet of hay or grass, or giving
animals hoof trims,” Amy explains. Occasionally, she works feeds shifts as well.
Herschel sheep, one of Amy’s earliest sanctuary buddies.
Amy met some of her dearest friends during her time as an
intern. She was particularly drawn to Herschel, a friendly and gentle sheep
with special needs, and Muck Muck, a blind duck who was Amy’s first farm love. “He
was just so sweet and I had never met an animal like him before. He had his
little group of friends that were so special to him, and really helped him out
since he couldn’t see to get around on his own.” Amy’s bond with Muck Muck, in particular, helped shape her role as an advocate. She had seen ducks and other
wildlife in her backyard, but didn’t have any firsthand experience with animals
raised for food until she started at Farm Sanctuary. But Muck Muck and the friends
Amy has bonded with subsequently have helped her to realize the impact that humans can have on other
living beings – good or bad. And this realization has inspired her to do all
she can for these animals, working to help more and more
people come to see them as the amazing individuals we know them to be.
Amy gives Muck Muck some one-on-one attention.
Another personal favorite is Liam,
who was extremely ill and frightened when he first arrived and would hide
whenever his caregivers approached to check on him. “But he very quickly
learned that we were friends and had no ill intention toward him, and he became
such a friendly sheep. He loves head-butting! One day, early on after he
arrived, I stayed after work and played with him for half an hour. He just
backed up, ran full speed at me, then stopped just in front of me, and head-butted the palm of my hand very gently
—
for half an hour. He never got tired
of it. Now, any time I go into the sheep barn, he comes running over for head-butt games. He’s always gentle with me, and never seems to grow tired of our
little routine.
Amy and Liam during one of their head-butting games.
“More recently, I’ve become very attached to a goat from the
Hudson Valley rescue, Benedict.
Pretty much from the moment I met him, I fell in love. He just has such a
gentle nature and genuine love for his human friends, and animal friends. He’s
a goofy little guy, and again another animal friend with some special needs who
I just felt drawn to. I just love that regardless of what he went through, he
is one of the happiest goats and loves his human friends! And any time I walk
past his pasture, he looks up and bleats hello to me, and sometimes if he’s not
too busy eating grass he comes to the fence for a head scratch.” Through these
experiences, Amy has learned valuable lessons about patience, forgiveness,
and zest for life. Inspired by the resilience of these animal friends, Amy is continuously motivated
to do all she can to help others like them,
while also learning more about herself through the animals’ eyes.
Sweet Benedict, a few months after his rescue.
Many times, our rescued residents and their humanimal
friends bond over shared characteristics, demonstrating that despite the difference
in our species, we are not so different after all. “When I first met Alexander,
I just knew he was someone special,” Amy recalls of the beloved steer who passed away last summer. “He was so tall (like me) and
a little awkward (again, like me), and he seemed to understand that I related
to him like that! He never seemed to mind me giving him as much attention as I
could, and getting all sorts of scratches on his neck and chin, even when he
started to feel poorly.
Amy gives Alexander some love.
“Amy
[sheep] I admittedly first sought out because we shared our name, but it turned
out that we really just bonded the more I visited the sheep barn. She’s usually
one of the first to greet me, other than the usual suspects, in the sheep barn,
and sometimes follows me as I’m doing things there.”
Liam, Amy, and Amy enjoy a relaxing moment in the sheep barn!
One of the greatest joys of Amy’s job is watching residents whose situations were once touch-and-go respond positively to care and go on to thrive. This past winter,
she helped move Romy,
Levi,
Avery,
Dana,
Hope,
and Harper
to their new home in New Jersey, and worked alongside them for a few months as they
settled in. “Getting that close, hands-on time with them and watching them grow
as individuals was a great experience, and I’m so grateful to have been a part
of it. They all really came out of their shells and became such a wonderful
group of animals.” (Romy. Levi, Avery, Dana, Hope, and Harper’s ongoing adventures in New Jersey, along with those of their pig “roommates” Anna and Maybelle, are chronicled at The Daily Squeal.)
Through the inspiring journeys of Amy’s beloved sanctuary friends, she hopes others will come to relate to farm animals in the same way they do the dogs and cats who more commonly enjoy human protection — and discover that knowing and learning from farm animals can enrich our own lives in return.
Levi was once so terrified of people that he’d faint whenever we approached, but he is now so fond of his people that he seeks out their attention!
From spoiling her dog, Rodgrigo — a toothless Chihuahua mix
with his own healthcare needs — to photographing the animals with her 35mm camera
in her spare time, Amy greets each individual she encounters through a compassionate
lens, making a difference in the lives of countless beings while capturing their lessons to apply in her own journey.
Amy and Rodrigo on a break at work.
Through Amy’s positive example, we can all learn to focus on the good in every situation, while working to overcome the negatives to give all beings the care and consideration they deserve. We are honored to have Amy on our team as we work to show just how unique and special every farm animal is — each one someone, not something, a friend waiting to be found.
A 35mm photo of Collin.
A 35mm photo of Simon, another of Amy’s favorites. “Simon just stood out from the moment I first walked into the goat barn,” Amy says. “He was very sweet and would sometimes just follow me around the barn when I was doing stuff in there, just to keep me company or looking for scratches.”
A 35mm photo of The Doctor, who just celebrated his eighth rescue anniversary!
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