Coming of age

by Wayne S. Geiger

Fall 2008

Mouse over picture to see Ben's current picture. Ben is an example of what we face on a regular basis. He came to us earlier this year after he had been hit by a car. Despite his leg injury and unhealthy weight, Ben recovered and is now the fine looking horse you can see above (when you place your mouse over the image). He gallops through the pasture without a limp and soaks up any attention he can get. His sweet disposition has made him a favorite of many of the volunteers.

The Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary started with an idea that has carried us through to today…to rescue and rehabilitate animals who are victims of abuse and neglect. Our mission continues…

Before the sanctuary came into existence, four starving sheep, so weak from malnutrition they were barely able to stand, needed someone to care for them. Broccoli, Cauli, Flower and Kale were less than a year old and had been left to die on a sparse pasture in the middle of winter. Broccoli was so weak, she collapsed three times on the way to her new home. One of the side effects in sheep of being ill or undernourished is the loss of their wool. Big clumps of wool just fell off of all four of them.

Once home, they started their long recovery to become the robust sheep they are today…and yes, all four of them are still with us. That is how the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary began.

After these four sheep, came a goat, a chicken or two, a duck, a goose, a donkey and so on and so forth. We now have over 170 farm animals, but our work continues. Although they are still part of a cruelty investigation and not considered the sanctuary’s yet, we have just added the horses Pepper and Jacks. With the help of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, we will do everything possible to make sure the case is won, the defendants are sentenced to the full extent of the law, and the horses receive the care and respect they deserve.

In addition, we are teaming with the Farm Sanctuary to accept ten pigs from the Iowa floods. Not only is it an honor to help these victims of the floods, it is also a privilege to work with Gene Bauer and all of the staff and volunteers at Farm Sanctuary. The new pig barn will be built soon, but we still need to fence the pasture and purchase additional equipment.

While our sanctuary may have had a simple start with those four starving sheep, we have certainly grown since then. There will always be more animals in need, and with today’s economic times, that need seems greater and more desperate. But, with your support, we will continue on with our mission to help as many animals in need as we can.