Out of the Darkness Comes a LightRemembering that horrific…
One of the many pens of animals at the farm in Franklinville NY. Far right is Matilda and Zepha- one of the mothers we took in, is close as always.
Nectar, Kaley and Adel in their new barn with 24 hour a day access to outside. You cannot beat this.
Twin brothers Jack and Bob Barker will never know fear and were born into peace and love- the way they should all live.
Vera Jo dive bombs
A very happy family. left to right: Zepha and her daughter Laurie and twin Cindy frolicking in the grass with Izzy, Bob Barker and Bob’s mom Daniella
The babies born to the mothers who suffered loss after loss of their lambs, can finally have these babies live with them forever.
Goat boys who had never been outside in their life, spent the first months terrified to leave their barn. Thankfully you can see they got over this.
Ducks, who were surviving on eating trash and the bodies of the dead, now are enjoying the Farm Sanctuary life.
Out of the Darkness Comes a Light
Remembering that horrific
Franklinville
farm operation in Cattaraugus County, NY, is not difficult
—
but it is still hard. It is hard because it is painful to think that the beautiful beings we now know so well came from this hell on earth.
It is hard because these loving, caring, and kind individuals were living in darkness — some never seeing the light, feeling the sun, or touching the earth for years on end.
Matilda, whose original rescuers took her babies away, was suffering from horrible mastitis, emaciation and exhaustion. Now. at Farm Sanctuary, she is happy and thriving.
All of the animals living in the barns were living in darkness with no opportunities to venture into the sun or fresh air.
It is hard because these fragile, gentle creatures went without care
− some without shelter in the dead of winter.
The geese were left outside without shelter in the dead of winter, but mud season was actually worse. Due to improper housing, and living in areas with multiple deceased animals, the girls arrived with a rare and very difficult to treat parasite.
It is hard because mothers, who we know love their children, had to see them taken away to be sold for food, and then were forced to reproduce and create more children to love and lose.
From a birthing pen, where baby after baby is taken, Izzy and Daniella had their next babies at our sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY. These babies, as you can see, are as big as mom and still with their family.
So we remember. We cry for those who never had a chance to get out
− for the hundreds who died on that farm. We feel pain for the babies sold for lamb as their mothers were forced to let them go.
When we arrived to pick up the sheep and goats, many were being removed or had been removed by local farmers. We could only take some of the remaining animals. Gabby, above back left, was one who made it to Farm Sanctuary.
We remember those who were left to survive in barns so filthy that humans were not allowed to enter without respirators; where our eyes and throats burned from the ammonia in the air.
Beeley Pippin, before and after. Arriving dirty, emaciated, and in poor feather condition, this girl has made a huge change for the better.
But we also celebrate. We celebrate because those who are at sanctuary are feeling the earth, soaking up the sun, protected by shelter, able to live with their loved ones, and seen as someone, not something. We celebrate because we know them as the individual beings that they are
—
not as products of the meat, egg, and dairy industries.
Gabby, seen in the photo above where she was penned since being born, now enjoying freedom and love.
And we celebrate because their stories will be told over and over again, so that future generations will know that these animals’ lives were worth living.
