Main image: Sarwan and Marlena with calf Zinnia
A Humane Hero’s “Why” & Inspiring Family Visit to Animal Place
Long-time monthly supporter Anne Donjacour became a Humane Hero after an inspiring visit to Animal Place several years ago. Upon visiting, she “fell in love with the residents and realized that she wasn’t aligning with her intentions to support animal welfare.”
Anne returned with her family for a private tour in July. With grandchildren aged four and seven, she wondered how their experience would be, learning in a hands-on way that farmed animals, like the residents they would be meeting, were being killed en masse every day—that “meat” came from beloved creatures. The education center “allowed her grandchildren and their parents to explore the issue of animal farming at their own pace,” Anne shared, and found their tour guide to be “sensitive and age-appropriate.”
Accessibility for their mobility-impaired family member was equally as important for their visit. Anne felt the tour was very accessible for him, as “he could walk as much as he wanted and get a ride when he needed.”
Anne, Robert, and granddaughter Avery with rabbits Percy and Leon
Her favorite mental image from their visit was when the whole flock of sheep came galloping excitedly over the hill to greet them.
“The final piece of gentle education and encouragement to eat a plant-based diet came in the form of delicious free food samples to take home. Even the most meat-based eater in the family was excited to try them out,” Anne shared. She summed up their experience as “terrific” and said that “meeting the animals was a thrill for everyone!”
Anne says that “being a monthly donor lets her follow her values with more relaxation.” To join her and our community of over 1,000 monthly supporters in sustaining our sanctuary year-round, become a Humane Hero!
Sonya Sestito, Development Associate