Catskill Animal Sanctuary

Tucker eats bananas whole, peel and all. Tucker’s a beautiful cow, with a big beautiful cocoa and white spotted body with smiling brown eyes.

We were fortunate to meet Tucker, along with dozens of other amazing animals, at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary on Saturday morning. I went with my family to deliver over $500 raised during our WW Vegan Bake Sale on April 24, and to take the sanctuary tour with CAS Founder, Kathy Stevens.

Kathy, who spent her childhood on a Virginia horse farm, opened the Sanctuary in 2001. And in 2003, turned 80 acres of an old junk lot into a beautiful, nurturing and loving safe haven for animals who have been rescued from abuse, neglect and of course, factory farming and agribusiness. Just last year, CAS completed its conversion to solar energy.

Kathy makes it a point to hire staff that has a love for people, and the sanctuary’s vibrant energy proves her vision to have been a powerful one. Each staff member is smiling, helpful and exudes the same passion as Kathy for ensuring that life in all forms has the respect, care and attention it deserves.

The animals respond when they are called by name, and as Kathy passes, she calls to them like dear friends. “Hello girls!” she said as we neared the beautiful corral of horses. Katie, a gorgeous brown mare with a mane as black as night, rolled around in the dirt playfully and then greeted us all at the gate. Many of the animals are ‘underfoot’, no corrals, no gates, they roam, run and play and interact with one another across the grounds. Two characters are Phineas and Patrick, two black headed sheep that ‘hang’ with a goat named cupid. They came running to us from down the dirt road, kicking up their heels and almost racing one another.

After kissing pigs, snuggling roosters, feeding Tucker and petting the humongous pot bellied pigs, Kathy brought us to the ‘special needs barn’. There we met three beautiful white feathered turkeys, who patiently spoke to our 2-year old Summer while she stroked their wings and said, “Hello! Hello!” One of the turkeys had been brought to CAS a day before Thanksgiving. We also met Rambo the ram, an old soul who actually requests that Kathy rub his hind quarters by pawing at the ground.

I could write a book on our one day experience at CAS, but you’d rather read both of Kathy’s, as they are filled with profound stories of the animals who have arrived and call CAS their home.

The four of us departed with beaming smiles, to have had the opportunity to heighten our awareness and adoration of life, and further strengthening our lifestyle decisions. The lives these smart and beautiful creatures had endured is behind them now, yet the cruelty, neglect and lack of education persists throughout our country.

My husband and I raise our children vegan in our home, and while one day they will make their own choices, it is our goal to inspire them to love and respect ALL life. To honor the journey that each individual- any species- is on during their time on this Earth. If we have done that, than we have done our job.

You can help CAS, and you can visit! Here is the link to the CAS wishlist , to help with items needed for their animals and grounds. Also, check out their tour schedule!

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