Catskill Animal Sanctuary

L.O.V.E. It’s a popular word anytime but especially this time of year as Madison Avenue, after transmogrifying the message of Christmas into a materialistic frenzy (buy a Lexus for someone you love!), now warps Valentine’s Day into another commercial hurly burly. Strap on your Wellingtons and get ready to wade through a morass of slick advertising and corny phrases about roses, cupids, chocolates and champagne, and, while you have those boots on, head over to Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties to witness true love—the sort that heals and is generous and gracious—in action. You won’t find any fancy contraptions at CAS—the truck used to haul manure is a functioning jalopy—but you will find love, in myriad shapes and personalities, at this sanctuary for abused and neglected farm animals.

Kathy Stevens opened Catskill Animal Sanctuary in 2001. Nearly 1,000 animals have been saved since Stevens, a former educator and the Sanctuary’s director, secured the 100 acres of expansive fields and willow-edged pond in Ulster County. The idea behind the sanctuary is simple: Every living being deserves happiness. To that end, CAS works on two fronts. First, it rescues and rehabilitates farm animals that have generally come from horrific situations: in five years, it has taken in a horse set on fire, one that was shot in the head, a box of chickens found inside a dumpster, a dozen rabbits infested with maggots and scores of animals locked in barns and left to die. Yet despite how daunting this might seem, the second piece of the sanctuary’s mission is the greater challenge: to raise public awareness of the plight of animals raised for food.

Stevens elucidates the conundrum. “Humans recoil at the thought of deliberate animal cruelty. When we do large rescues of 20, 40, 60 or more animals that have been locked in a barn and left to starve to death (rescues such as this occur every winter), the outpouring of sympathy is overwhelming. Yet if we ask the same people who rail against “animal abusers” to consider the lives of factory-farmed animals—animals who know nothing but terror and suffering from birth to death—we’re certainly not likely to get the same level of outrage, the same moral indignation.” She goes on to explain that rescue work will always be at the heart of CAS: “that’s the joyful part, the part that warms the heart but how to reveal the lives of farmed animals in a way that doesn’t judge people’s lifestyles (i.e. decisions about whether to eat meat) and instead encourages people to consider different choices based on this knowledge—now that’s our greatest challenge.”

To that end, there are no greater spokesmen (spokes creatures?!) for the cause than the animals themselves. The animals arrive sick, malnourished, riddled with parasites, their spirits broken, and terrified of humans and other animals. Yet, after some time—a few days, weeks or months depending on the damage inflicted—the animals recover. They learn that, at least at CAS, people can be trusted. They mingle with other animals. They gallop, bound, frisk and play in pastures, and, in ways that can be utterly disarming to casual visitors, they communicate clearly with Kathy, staff and volunteers, visitors and each other. They are, in short, far wiser, more aware and have a greater capacity for love than many of us would ever believe. And Stevens firmly believes that once people truly understand this, some, at least some will begin to ask themselves, “Do I really want to eat these guys?”

Take, for instance, Rambo, a Jacob sheep with magnificent curling horns, who had been locked in a small stall with 16 other animals, many dead or dying. Rambo was angry and terrified when he arrived at CAS four years ago; volunteers had to feed him under cover of plywood sheets to protect their legs from his explosive charges. Now, Rambo’s idea of aggression is to gently place his head on the thigh of any human in his vicinity to announce that he wants a massage, and if he is ignored, to tap one’s boot or sneaker with his front hoof.

Then there is Charlie, a potbellied pig, who was left to die when his former owner moved to Europe. He arrived at the sanctuary without any will to live. For seven or eight months he lay in his own urine and feces, refusing any contact; no amount of human love or attention convinced him that life was waiting for him just outside the door. One day, Kathy and one of the volunteers were tearfully discussing whether the humane thing to do would be to put him down, and Rambo was standing beside them, as he often is when something serious is happening. Rambo walked into Charlie’s stall and lay in front of him, gently placing his forehead upon Charlie’s. Rambo stayed with Charlie for several days…until Charlie simply got up and walked out of his stall. He’s been a visible and content member of the sanctuary ever since.

The communication amongst and between animals and humans at CAS is nothing short of astounding. At his own insistence, Paulie the rooster travels with Kathy in her car, happily gazing out the window for a while before falling asleep in his friend’s lap. Babe, a 2,300-pound Angus/Holstein steer, so enthusiastically embraces his role as ambassador that I found taking notes at the cow field difficult as Babe was bathing my face with cow slobber and trying to eat my notebook (I kept the page with his brown smudges as a badge of honor!). Priscilla, a recently arrived pot bellied pig, imperiously demands her share of a Bread Alone cherry scone. “If you pay attention, animals communicate so clearly,” says Kathy. She recalls the night when Rambo raced up to her, baahed urgently, then walked to the empty turkey shelter to announce that the turkeys hadn’t been brought in for the night.

In the year since my last visit (in December 2004), a new barn, four new shelters, and several reclaimed pastures have doubled CAS’s capacity to house horses, cows and birds (chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys). Drainage has been installed throughout the property to prevent spring flooding, and boulders excavated during this process were salvaged to build a makeshift mountain for the goat field.

This work was all completed prior to winter, the sanctuary’s busiest and most challenging time. Calls come in on a daily basis announcing new animal neglect and cruelty cases. While CAS always takes as many as it can care well for, they say no, too—more often than they would like. Kathy explains, “We have to respect our capacity—the human resources, the physical space, and the funds—or we become part of the problem.” Just since Christmas, those resources have been stretched as CAS has welcomed more animals in need: five cows, five sheep, a goat, four geese, two pigs, two rabbits and a horse, bringing their total to 172 animals. Yet each new arrival is enveloped in love, no matter how many extra hours it means for the staff. “It’s a privilege to do this work,” explains animal care director Walt Batycki, a former Dreamworks animator who now spends his days trimming hooves and tusks, ordering hay and grain by the ton and mending broken spirits. “Yes, I reek of goat poop by day’s end, but so what!! It is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.” Maybe the special animal to human interaction isn’t so strange after all…just all too rare.

In support of its educational mission, CAS offers tours and events April through October. For a mere $5, one can get not only the most unique tour in town, but also a plethora of information (through films, brochures, vegan cooking classes and guest speakers) about factory farming, its impact on animals, humans and environment, and simple lifestyle changes that can make a tremendous difference. As board member Gretchen Primack explains, “We make the information available for anyone interested in learning more. If people merely want to kiss a cow or hug a horse, that’s certainly their choice. But for those who want to learn about agribusiness or to consider lifestyle changes, we’ve got terrific programming.” For instance, staffer Julie Barone offers vegan cooking classes both on-site and at members’ homes, and Primack brags, “You’ll never miss meat or dairy if you learn to cook as well as Julie does!” (A sobering fact: during a 75-year lifetime, the diet of a typical U.S. resident causes the suffering and death of 11 cows, 32 pigs and sheep, 85 turkeys, 2570 chickens and ducks and uncounted number of fish and other aquatic animals.) (from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service and FARM www.farm.org or www.wfad.org/resources/nranvictems2x.pdf ) Stevens also makes presentations at schools, community organizations, chambers of commerce, places of worship and at Rhinebeck’s Omega Institute: “anywhere a group of people with an interest in learning more are gathered.” She even enthusiastically encourages the public to visit Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, another “terrific place” endorsed by CAS, that officially opens its doors this spring. In a world that’s generally marked by competition and sniping, CAS and WFAS have formed a “mutual admiration society.” As Stevens says, “This is about the animals, not about egos. WFAS does fantastic work and deserves community support.”

CAS employs a staff of six, only 3 of whom are full-time. It relies heavily upon a brigade of faithful volunteers to assist with its day-to-day operations, and looks to the community for donations of funds, materials, expertise, and time. There are a number of ways to support this joyful place, and to ensure that it continues to bestow the grace of love and compassion on these deserving creatures.

1. Volunteer. People are needed on a daily basis to muck out stalls, feed the animals, and generally spend some time with them so they learn to trust humans again. Farmwork-challenged folks can help with a variety of administrative or event-planning tasks.

2. Membership. CAS eagerly welcomes new members, and its 2006 goal is to double its membership of 2,500. Annual membership begins at just $30 for individuals and $50 for families, and includes free weekend admission and a quarterly newsletter. As Primack explains, “Half of our operating budget comes from a devoted membership, and as the farm grows, so does our budget, so we invite animal-loving folks to sign up!”

3. Sponsorship. This is a great way to help out on a more personal level. Every animal is available to sponsor on a monthly basis—from $10 for a chicken to $100 for a horse. Your monthly check or credit card deduction is put toward your animal’s feed, bedding, and daily care. You will receive a photo and history of your animal, and are encouraged to visit him or her.

4. Adoption. Placing CAS critters in loving homes opens up space for other needy animals. Adoption requires ample land, a warm barn or other appropriate shelter, food, water, love and care. Potential families are interviewed and potential homes inspected, both pre- and post-adoption, by volunteers who drive a multi-county area searching for “exactly the right home” for each animal.

5. Donations. CAS needs all sorts of donations, from money, of course, to tangible items like lumber and hay, to office supplies and veterinary medications, to actual time and professional expertise. Here is the current Wish List:

• bagged shavings

• new or GENTLY used 4x4 pick up (they’ve had it with clunkers)

• metal storage building for farm equipment

• 4-inch diameter cedar posts (8' tall)

• gift certificates to Red Hook Agway, Tractor Supply Company, Accord Feeds and Needs, Barnyard Feed, Staples

• high-quality timothy-mix hay (square bales)

• bedding straw

• rope or nylon cow halters

• postage stamps

Catskill Animal Sanctuary is located at 316 Old Stage Road in Saugerties. Please visit www.casanctuary.org or call 845 336 8447 for more information. CAS will be open for tours and educational events starting in April, with visiting hours of 11 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you ever doubt the healing capacity of love, you owe yourself a visit.

PUBLICATIONS