Category: Featured Animals

This photo was taken right before we picked Harley up to bring him to the refuge! In the photo is Harley’s human, Gina.

Hes such a good boy already. We often rescue animals from neglect and abuse. It’s not often we get a call from someone like Gina.

Harley’s human has serious health issues and can no longer care for Harley, but we are so happy to give him a home!

Brian and Liam were surrendered by a local goat dairy farmer.

Did you know that a goat has to have a baby to produce goat milk? The boys are actually a byproduct of the industry because they will never make milk. These young boys are usually sold for slaughter.

But the farmer showed compassion and gave these twins to us instead.

Abigail and Rashida were confiscated by animal control and were our first adoption through Farm Sanctuary.

Before Farm Sanctuary stepped in, they were at a sheep dairy. Feta and Ricotta are just two examples of mainstream sheep dairy products?

These two were bred and milked their whole lives, even when they were starved. They lost wool, lived amongst 50-60 fallen friends, and had a body score of 1 which is extremely malnourished and neglected?

Their situation is COMMON. Dairy is a brutal industry that not only separates families. But also exploits women. Did you know that sheep only produce milk to feed their babies? Babies are taken from the mothers so humans can use the breast milk for themselves.

Dairy is scary and we are so thankful to give these girls the forever they deserve.

We are also thankful for Farm Sanctuary for allowing us to adopt them. They literally wrote the book on animal care, and are such a strong resource and example for new rescues like us.

This little angel was all the way in Mississippi and needed a home and a herd that would fit her needs. She was being raised at a goat meat farm and lost her leg due to an accident with a horse. When no rescues locally were found, it was so obvious that would should take her in!

Tucker is still a little weak in the back legs and needed a friend that was the same speed.

The day after we saw she was still not placed, we flew Matt to Mississippi and sent a mobile vet to check on her. She was cleared for transport, and Matt picked her up around 3am the next day!

Charolette and Tucker are our little special needs herd, and they co-parent incoming babies.

This little lady was such a great addition to our family! We love her!

She was confiscated due to neglect and landed in a high kill shelter with her babies. The babies all passed away at the shelter and Mama Darla was in danger of euthanasia.

She doesn’t deserve that. We aren’t sure what happened to her in her old life, what happened to her ears, or her babies. But what we do know is…. FROM NOW ON, she will know nothing but the love and respect she deserves.

Meet Hope. Hope was rescued from a situation here in San Diego. 24 pigs in total were removed from a local feed store. They were housed in kennels, fed dog food, and not given access to mud, sunshine, pig friends, and all the things piggies love most. This rescue wasn’t easy. Our friends at Saving Animals and Healing Hearts and our friend and website Guru, Ray Gross, worked for months behind the scenes to ensure there was no piggy left behind and eventually the family agreed to surrender all of the pigs. Hope being one of them.

Mocha came from the same farm as Sherman and Chance! Almost two years ago, we received a call and I can remember it like yesterday. A farmers daughter in law asked if we could take in a baby goat, Chance. We happily did and loved him so much. We gave them our phone number and let the farmer know to call us if they ever had a sick baby or unwanted goat that they would surrender to us. And a year later Matt left with little baby Sherman in his arms. Here’s the exciting story about Mocha! Mocha was raised by the daughter in law, she is an animal lover and helped Mocha when he was just a baby. Mocha lived at the farm and he was the buck they used for breeding. Annnnd he is Sherman’s Dad! The farmer is getting out of goat farming and the daughter in law, Makayla, let us know Mocha was looking for a home and obviously we couldn’t resist another Sherman on the farm!

Future Farmers of America (FFA) is a program where young students raise an animal as part of an agricultural class. These students raise a young animal to “market weight” and then compete in showmanship and auction them off at fairs. Some students join the program because they dream of being farmers…but most are just kids who want to be close to an animal or want to pursue a veterinary career. These animals are almost always sold for meat at the end of the auction.

Lilac was raised by a young lady that had compassion and loved Lilac, despite being advised against it, she surrendered this little lamb to us! These animals are auctioned at 6-8 months for food, a sad ending for both the animal that learned to trust humans and the student that loved and cared for the animal.

The young lady that surrendered Lilac wanted her to live a full happy life at a Sanctuary and we were happy to take her in.

Lilac is one of the most outgoing animals at the farm, she loves attention, treats, and her bestie Alice the sheep. She plays with Sherman, crushes on Dream, and kisses the cows through the fence. She is absolutely Ms. Congeniality of the refuge and we are so lucky to have her.

Dream was actually bought as a “market lamb” (for meat) off the app Over Up. For those you technologically challenged like us it’s the millennial version of Craigslist.

A man thought he was cute and didn’t want him to be eaten and brought Dream home as a house pet. Dream lived in a suburban home with two Pomeranians until the man realized he could not keep a sheep as a house pet and reached out to Farm Sanctuary, who referred him to us!

Dream spends most days paling around with his bro Tucker and he is the sweetest little lamb you’ve ever met. He has a long fluffy tail (sheep have tails but they are typically cropped in the industry). He runs to greet our cars when we get home, is so gentle with Tucker (who is special needs) and he still loves to run into our house 🙂 I guess once a house sheep, always a house sheep! He loves his people and dog time, but is learning quickly to join the sheep and goat herd.

Diamond and Harmony-(rescue No. 6 and 7) also known simply as “The Girls” were rescued October 28, 2016 , from a backyard butcher . They were both very sick upon arrival- underweight, and fighting pneumonia and mange. We nursed them back to health, and now they’re thriving and rambunctious.

It’s fairly rare in animal agriculture for farm animals to get to stay with their relatives or animal friends, so we are grateful to be able to keep these sisters together. They love to spend time with their pen-mate, Firecracker, whom they both love to play and hang with.

Despite being sisters, Diamond and Harmony have distinct and unique personalities- as do all pigs and sisters.

DIAMOND is the sweet and prissy sister. She loves to play in the water and give kisses! She licks our faces just like a dog. DIAMOND’s distinctive marking is the full spot on her nose, whereas Harmony has a half-spot on her nose.

HARMONY is the rough and tumble sister, who seems to always be getting herself into trouble. She’s got a bit of a tom-boy personality and loves playing in the mud. HARMONY’s distinctive marking is the half spot on her nose , whereas Diamond has a full spot on her nose.

Meet Rudy – The fourth rescue and first pot-belly pig. Rudy was rescued on September 3, 2016. He found his way to Farm Animal Refuge after landing in a high-kill shelter as a stray. He was found roaming the streets of Pomona, CA – an area that is not zoned for pot-belly pigs. We traveled to Pomona to pick up Rudy – a pig we were told was a 1.5 year old female, but turned out to be a 3-month old male who was not yet neutered.

Rudy’s first nights here consisted of sleeping in the house on the floor with his rescuers. Rudy adores his dog brothers and mimicked much of their behavior, which explains why he knows how to sit for treats! While Rudy pals around with the other pot-belly pigs, he was most connected to Chance. They shared lettuce , and many naps together.

While Rudy may think he’s a dog, he is very much a pot-belly pig, he is a very big boy, and still growing. Rudy would like to remind all his fans that pigs require special care and most cities have specific zoning restrictions against them.

Nellie was found by a good samaritan in the mountains of San bernandino, CA. It appeared she had been dumped there along with her little house, the only shred of her past life she was left with. That man brought Nellie to his home and held her until a permanent home was found here with us. We first heard about Nellie from social media page dedicated to potbellys that need homes. As her story touched us so much we watched and waited hoping she would find her forever home. It appeared she had once been a loved pet and we wanted her to have the chance at that again, a home with only a few pigs and some dedicated loving owners. Her post kept appearing and after a couple weeks we knew she belonged here. Nellie is the perfect combination of sass and affection. She will immediately roll over for a belly rub but tell you when she is done. Her favorite thing is to do is find a quiet shaded area and to nap the afternoon away.

Bios will be added soon.

Thor is a very special pot-belly pig at Farm Animal Refuge, the fifth addition, who was rescued on September 22, 2016. Thor was thought to be a “mini-pig” , but actually grew to be a full-size pot belly. Thor is a walking, snorting myth buster, proving once again that “mini-pig” is a mythical label attributed to pigs who are actually deprived of nutrients to stunt their growth. Thor’s family relinquished him to Farm Animal Refuge due to his size.

Thor is a very sensitive pig, earning him much admiration from the volunteers and visitors at Farm Animal Refuge who can see through his tough exterior. Thor is very opinionated and definitely has a mind of his own. While Thor also knows how to sit for treats, he does so only on his own terms. He is the gentlest while taking treats and is always making it very clear that he wants a belly rub.

Grace was Rescue No. 9 for us here at Farm Animal Refuge, joining the rescue ranks on March 4, 2017, at only three months old. Grace was born as a dairy cow, but a hernia kept her out of the dairy industry. She was sold to a backyard butcher as a waste product. Luckily, she found her way to us. When she arrived, Grace was very sick. In addition to the hernia, she was underweight with bones showing at only 106 lbs when she should have been twice that, and she was fighting pneumonia.

Our crew had to keep Grace’s stomach wrapped to encourage the hernia to fall back into her abdomen. She enjoyed lots of alfalfa and boundless love to help her with her recovery. Maybe the most supportive force in her complete recovery was her friendship with Firecracker.

Grace now spends her time with her boyfriend India, the black angus steer, and the twins. ( Alfie and Mila). They love to graze in the open field together, play, and never leave each other’s sides- especially when they plot their troublemaking like opening the gate for a stroll to the farm house. India has adored Grace since they first met , and not surprisingly all of our visitors love her too!

Grace is a BIG girl now! She’s expected to be around 2000 lbs. when she is fully grown.

Alice is the first sheep at Farm Animal Refuge, and rescue No. 11. She joined us on June 17, 2017, just as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) season came to an end. Alice’s owner didn’t want to see Alice meet the same fate as the other FFA animals and was surrendered.. One of Alice’s happiest days was when she took her freedom ride in the backseat of our SUV out to Farm Animal Refuge in Campo, CA.

Alice strides to the beat of her own drum. She is full of personality and loves to greet visitors. If she is especially excited, she jumps in the air! She shares her days and nights with our rescue , Jake . They have formed an incredibly strong bond together . It is a truly special friendship .

Rescue No. 8

Firecracker lives up to his name! This spitfire was rescued by Farm Animal Refuge on November 27, 2016. He was being raised at a “sustainability camp” as food , but the girls that were tasked with his care were vegans! The teens petitioned for their camp to spare the pigs, and the camp agreed to release Firecracker to a rescue. Being a farm hog, Firecracker was tougher to place than a pot-belly, but thankfully we are zoned for hogs.

Firecracker spends his day with “The Girls”- Diamond and Harmony- but cherishes his friendship with Grace, the dairy calf. He brought her so much comfort upon her arrival and really helped our shy girl come out of her shell.

As far as personalities come, Firecracker has a big one! His favorite snack is pumpkin. He loves knocking over the poop cart, playing in the mud, and taking baths. One of his favorite possessions is a blanket; he thinks they are great for sleeping, ripping up, and playing tug-o-war! He is a social butterfly here at Farm Animal Refuge and is loved by all of his animal friends.

Rescue No. 16 and No. 17

These two came to us September 30, 2017 with Mama India . They are also known as “ the twins”. They are the younger siblings of India (steer). Both of the twins had been separated from Mama India and were about to be sold to the FFA , just like brother India. Luckily, they were rescued and came with Mama to their permanent home to live out their lives as a family.

Although they are twin Black Angus calves, they are very different. Alfie and Mila have unique personalities.

MILA is more reserved and a little shy with people. She watches from the back while the others come forward. She used to spend a lot of time close to Mama. She slowly came out of her shell and hangs out with the big kids (Grace and India). She loves to be brushed and loves to rub her head on our legs. Mila has more brown in her coat than any of the India’s and very long eye lashes like her big brother.

ALFIE , also known as “little India”, is bold, out- going and very goofy! He is strong , independent, and so silly . He is usually the first of the cows to step forward from the herd. Alfie is curious and interested in anything going on. He loves the cow brush like brother India. They both have the same walk and actions. Alfie is still smaller than his big brother , but growing fast. He has a distinctive brow, and looks very similar to his big brother but with a thicker coat.

Rescue No . 15 – Check out India’s bio! We were informed about a darling calf India not too long after we started the rescue. He was a black angus steer in the FFA program and was saved from slaughter. The first time we met the student tasked with his care, she told us he was named India after his mother. We built a barn for India and waited months to get him home. He stole our hearts from day one.

Flash forward one year… We were talking about India and how sad it was that he didn’t have his mom. We were unable to get any cooperation from students in the program to find her. All we knew was that her name was also India. With some (lots) of Facebook stalking and cold calling… WE FOUND HER!

Upon contact with the ranch, we learned that she was kept with a bull for several months prior to our call. While we were trying to figure out if she was pregnant, we asked when she had her last calf. She had given birth five months prior to our call. She had actually given birth to twins! The twins had already been separated from Mama and were set to be sold to FFA students the following weekend. Luckily, the rancher was very sympathetic to our cause. (Or maybe was just annoyed with all the many photos we sent of our India in a flower crown) . Either way, we were able to take ALL THREE THAT WEEKEND! Mama’s liberation date, and rescue date was September 30, 2017. Taking in three cows (actually four, Mama was pregnant) was a huge task for us , but India deserves the whole world. The least we could do was give him his family. Upon arrival , Mama and India instantly recognized each other after being separated for over a year. The family bond was apparent and very strong. We all watched teary-eyed as they ran to each other at the gate.

We now have Mama India, India(steer) , Mila , and Alfie. On March 29, 2018 , we welcomed our 5th India… Baby Rose.
Mama India is eight years old. She has been pregnant seven times. She has miscarried once and had eight babies. At the time we took her home seven babies had been taken from her. We were able to give her three back, and her last (Baby Rose) will never leave her . She was born free. Mama India is big, beautiful and strong. She loves brushes and she LOVES her babies. She is a great mom to Baby Rose, Mila, Alfie, India and daughter-in-law, Gracie.

Rose’s actual rescue date was September 30, 2017 with Mama India and the twins, Alfie and Mila. We did not know for sure at the time if Mama was pregnant. She is India’s littlest sister and Mama India’s last baby!

Rose is unique to the rescue because she was actually born here and most importantly born free. She has no insecurities or trust issues to overcome like most rescues. Rose knows humans as friends and playmates. She has absolutely no fear at all. Rose spends her time with her mama in the pasture. She loves to run and head-butt.

Sherman was rescue No. 19. He was rescued on February 28, 2018 when he was just hours old. Sherman was not able to latch on to nurse and wouldn’t have made it through the night on an empty belly outside. He was surrendered by the same farmer that gave us Chance.

Sherman required bottle feedings and lots of love from us. He was a great friend to Chance and they spent most of their days and nights together.

This little guy is so full of spunk and personality. He loves to play with the dogs and the pot-belly pigs. He hasn’t quite realized that he is a goat . He makes everyone smile! Sherman still sleeps in the house, but one day he will be a great buddy for Jake.

It is hard to imagine the refuge without its largest puppy-dog, India!

Rescue No. 12, was our second rescue from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. India has a beautiful black coat and the kindest eyes on the farm. He is also our most grateful resident.

India is a big growing boy! This black angus handsome guy is super playful, gentle, and sweet. India adores his pen-mate , Grace the dairy calf/cow. They love to graze together, seek out trouble (like opening their pen gate!) and love to be with each other. He is a great big brother to his twins siblings, Mila and Alfie, loving son to Mama India, and sometimes kisses littlest sister ,Rose through the fence.

Jake is lucky rescue No. 13 for Farm Animal Refuge. He was rescued on July 21,2017. Jake is the third rescue from the Future Farmers of America(FFA) program. He is a very happy and spunky boy who has completely come out of his shell since his arrival. The typical age of slaughter for goats is six months of age. We are so happy that Jake will be able to live his life here and enjoy it. Jake has a lot of life and love yet to give.

Jake loves his pen-mate, Alice the sheep. They causing trouble together, playfully head-butting and plotting ways to sneak out. This little guy has a BIG personality. His favorite snack is romaine lettuce. Jake loves being brushed, loves pats and butt-scratches , just like a dog!

Jerome is the 14th rescue at Farm Animal Refuge. If you’ve read Rudy’s story, this will sound very familiar. Jerome was found in Pomona. He was brought to the same high kill dog shelter where we picked up Rudy. Here’s where it gets interesting… He was found in an area not zoned for pigs. Our vet confirmed our suspicion that Jerome is the same age as Rudy, and you cannot deny the resemblance! We think there is high chance we found Rudy’s long lost brother!

Jerome had a bit of a rough start here; he came to us with Giardia and had back to back infections. He made a full recovery and grew into quite a big boy. He loves to follow people around wagging his tail, but doesn’t always like to be pet . Jerome is the alpha of the pot-belly pigs so far.

Willie was rescued on January 7, 2018 , as rescue No. 18. We received an urgent call to pick up an injured piglet that was injured. This was a difficult task, and extremely challenging. He was deep in about an acre of brush. After hours of patience, some cuts and bruises, we got him. He had severe , life threatening injuries. It appeared that he had been severely attacked by a dog or coyote. Willie had extensive tissue damage, that had become necrotic. We did round the clock treatments: wound flushing, antibiotics, and close monitoring.

Willie was originally supposed to be a pick up and transport to another rescue . His wounds were so extensive that we kept him to get him stabilized. The other pot-belly pigs at Farm Animal Refuge used to lay outside his quarantine area and talk to him. We started to develop so much love for this little fighter that we knew…. He would have his forever home here.

Willie is a very friendly pig. Despite his very traumatic beginning, Willie is a very happy pig. He runs to greet everyone wagging his little tail. He is still very small, but growing quickly. He is white like Rudy and Jerome but about half the size. He loves belly rubs, food, and bathing in his pool. Even though he is the smallest pig, he is next in line as boss, right behind Jerome.