What Is An Animal Sanctuary? And Why Are Farm Sanctuaries So Important For Animals?

An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead, they maintain each animal until his or her natural death.

Animal sanctuaries can house a variety of animals. There are sanctuaries for companion animals, wild animals, exotic animals and farmed animals.

Farm sanctuaries typically house animals who were originally raised for food, including eggs, meat and milk. Sanctuaries also house animals used for their fur, wool, feathers or skin. These animals include cows, pigs, chickens, goats, turkeys, sheep, mink and rabbits. You might find other animals within farm sanctuaries including horses, donkeys, ducks and llamas.

Farm sanctuaries help educate the public on food system issues including animal abuse and neglect. Some farm sanctuaries, like Sweet Farm in California, also grow food using regenerative agriculture techniques. This uses plants to sequester carbon in the soil while improving soil health, crop yields, water resilience, and nutrient density.

To learn more about animal sanctuaries, visit https://sentientmedia.org and browse the resources below:

Additional Resources:

What Animal Sanctuaries Can Teach Us About Creating Sanctuary for Each Other: https://sentientmedia.org/what-animal-sanctuaries-can-teach-us-about-creating-sanctuary-for-each-other/ 

Sanctuary Farms Offer a Model for Future Food System: https://sentientmedia.org/sanctuary-farms-offer-model-future-food-system/ 

When 4-H Kids Choose Sanctuary Over Slaughter: https://sentientmedia.org/when-4-h-kids-choose-sanctuary-over-slaughter/ 

Changing the Way Society Views and Treats Animals: Gene Baur’s Journey to Farm Sanctuary: https://sentientmedia.org/gene-baurs-journey-to-farm-sanctuary/ 

VIDEO: Berkeley Resident Opens Backyard to Rescued Chickens: https://sentientmedia.org/video-berkeley-resident-opens-backyard-rescued-chickens/ VIDEO: How Sweet Farm Helps Animals Rescued from Factory Farms: https://sentientmedia.org/video-how-sweet-farm-helps-animals-rescued-from-factory-farms/