Every animal had a story at the Barn Sanctuary in Chelsea. Most of their stories didn’t begin well, but many were enjoying a much happier ending, having been rescued and living out their lives at the farm animal rescue in Chelsea.
And the barn animals had a lot to enjoy Saturday. The weather was the best it had been all week, and Anna’s Kindness volunteers were on hand to clean out their pasture. Our volunteers — hailing from several different middle schools and high schools in Ann Arbor — raked leaves from along the fencing of the pasture behind the barns, ensuring the animals won’t get sick from the wet moldy leaves once the animals are released to graze in the pasture in the coming weeks.
Following the work detail, our volunteers were given a tour and heard some of the heartwarming rescue stories of many of the ‘residents.’
Five donkeys were given up by their 70-year-old owners who couldn’t care for them anymore.
Baby pigs Elsa and Anna were found on the back of a pig truck, miraculously surviving slaughter.
There was Charles, the quiet but beautiful horse, who escaped abusive owners who used pitchforks for discipline. Charles shared a pen with Henry and Cora, who was the first rescue horse for the Barn Sanctuary. Cora was joined by Little Dude, a brown pig who didn’t know he was a pig, and instead had become inseparable best friends with Cora. Had Little Dude known he was a pig, it’s possible he’d be sharing quarters with full-grown rescued pigs Penny and Adam right next door.
Several of the animals were somewhat apprehensive, still getting accustomed to ‘warm’ human interaction after suffering under the hands of their previous owners. But then there was Ellen and the Three Amigos (Steve, Martin, and Chevy), goats who sought out the love and attention of our volunteers.
Thank you to our volunteers: Slauson Middle School eighth grader Mia Sanborn and her mom Cathy; Skyline High School students Sam and Makayla Klein and their mom Candee; Clague Middle School 8th grader Sonora Manthey and her mother Mary; Forsythe Middle School 8th grader Daniel Rogers and his mom Cristina; and Anna’s Kindness board member Kate Lewit.
And a special thank you to Kylie and the Barn Sanctuary for providing us with an opportunity to help in your mission.
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