Blackberry Creek Farm Animal Sanctuary was founded in 2014 by two teachers to promote kindness to animals, humane education, and service to others. It has since provided permanent sanctuary to over 100 animals, helped to advance companion farmed animal medical care, advocated on behalf of millions of animals impacted by animal agriculture, habitat loss, deforestation, and climate change, and provided education to dozens of youth leaders.
Become part of our Blackberry Creek family and support our important work by donating to the program that means the most to you.
Rescue and Permanent Sanctuary -
Blackberry Creek not only rescues animals from neglect, abuse, and slaughter, but offers them permanent sanctuary. This sets us apart from traditional animal shelters and guarantees that animals will have their physical, mental, and emotional needs met for the duration of their natural lives. The sanctuary is currently the home to many rescued animals including donkeys, llamas, pigs, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, cats, dogs, sheep, goats, cows, geese, and ducks.
Humane Education -
As a founding sanctuary of the LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet program) we believe in the importance of humane education for the next generation. Through guided tours, visitor days, enrichment workshops, wellness courses, and volunteerism, we promote the humane treatment of animals, plant-based eating, and the value of community collaboration, hard work, service, and empathy.
Advocacy -
At Blackberry Creek, we also actively work to promote:
- Wildlife conservation through non-lethal co-existence methods and a plant-based lifestyle
- Equitable veterinary medicine for companion farmed animals
- Climate stewardship and ecological responsibility through veganism and rewilding the land
- "Adopt Don't Shop" ethics to save the lives of shelter pets
- Alternatives to animal dissection in classrooms (such as the KindFrog and virtual models)
- The end of "terminal" surgery programs at university veterinary schools (Terminal programs use healthy animals to serve as "practice" surgical patients for veterinary students and then euthanize them).
Mission
The mission of Blackberry Creek Farm Animal Sanctuary is to provide a refuge for animals to live out their lives enjoying kindness, compassion, and permanent sanctuary, and to provide opportunities for education to the general public about animal welfare, plant-based lifestyles, and global climate solutions.
Needs
Veterinary Care for Rescued Animals:
We care for many dozens of animals, many with special needs, who were rescued from neglect, abandonment or the slaughter pipeline. Our medical fund is critical so that animals can get the lifelong veterinary care, medication, surgeries, hospitalization, and respectful end-of-life care they need and deserve.
Humane Education Materials: Help fund LEAP, our year-long humane education program for teenagers, our plant-based Thanksgiving dinner for students and their families, or our weeklong summer veterinary camp for high schoolers interested in going into vet med.
General Operating Expenses:
Donors who give toward our nonprofit's operating costs are the most critical part of our non-profit's success. It's easy to rescue an animal from a dire situation, but much more challenging to provide care for the entire duration of that animal's natural life, (especially for our special needs residents). General funding includes critical things such as:
- Feed and hay
- Medications and supplements
- Mental and physical enrichment
- Absorbent shavings and soft straw bedding
- Appropriate shelters, fencing and infrastructure
- Routine veterinary care
- Transportation costs
- 24/7 animal caretakers
- Maintain wildfire insurance & fire safety equipment
To maximize your impact, you can also choose to become a Blackberry Creek member or monthly supporter on our website or give a one-time gift.
In-kind Donations:
1.) We are VERY much in need of a tractor and/or skid-steer to keep the property safe and maintained.
2.) A "rescue glide" (around $2500) for emergency evacuations and medical transport.
We need a licensed electrician to donate time to performing electrical repairs at the sanctuary.
We also need two or three volunteers familiar with using a chainsaw and weed eaters to clear brush, remove blackberries, and cut up downed trees several times a year.
Equity Statement
At Blackberry Creek we believe in equality for all and oppose discrimination in any form, and that includes speciesism. We believe each individual is unique and worthy of love, kindness, and respect. We welcome people from every race, ethnicity, gender orientation, sexuality, religion, and background and believe that collectively, our shared experiences can create empathy and compassionate action on a large scale. We support fair wages for our employees, gratitude for our volunteers, and optimum respect and care for our animal residents.