The Gentle Barn

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Gentle Barn
Founded1999
FounderEllie Laks
FocusAnimal welfare, animal rights
Location
Key people
Jay Weiner
Volunteers
900
WebsiteThe Gentle Barn

The Gentle Barn is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal sanctuary organization located in Santa Clarita, California; Dittmer, Missouri; and Christiana, Tennessee. Founded by Ellie Laks in 1999, The Gentle Barn's mission is to provide sanctuary for abused animals who would not otherwise be able to find homes.[1]

History

The Gentle Barn was founded in 1999 on a half-acre property in

Tarzana, California. Jay Weiner, who is also Laks' husband, joined the organization in 2002.[2] In 2003, the organization moved to a six-acre property at its current location in Santa Clarita.[3]
Laks cites a childhood love for animals as the inspiration for creating the sanctuary. She also credits animals with helping her heal after an abusive childhood.[4]

The organization began allowing visitors the same year it opened, and later added

animal-assisted therapy programs for disabled and special-needs children and at-risk youth,[5] including inner-city gang members, drug addicts, and abused children.[4]

In 2012, The Gentle Barn took in 51 animals from the property of Roberto Celedon, a "backyard butcher" who was charged on 13 counts, including three felonies related to cruelty to animals.

Los Angeles County.[7]

In 2015, a second Gentle Barn was opened in Knoxville, Tennessee, but relocated to Christiana, Tennessee in 2018.[8] In 2017, a third Gentle Barn was opened in Dittmer, Missouri.[9] The Gentle Barn hopes to eventually open a location in every state in America.[10]

The sanctuary

A cow at the Gentle Barn Missouri

The current six-acre property in Santa Clarita, California has horsed and cow pastures, a barnyard for the smaller animals, and an organic vegetable garden.[3] It currently houses 170 animals,[11] including cows, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens, llamas, emus, cats, dogs, and birds.[4] The first cow rescued, Buddha, is often used for therapy sessions with quadriplegic children.[12] Animals at The Gentle Barn are treated with a

holistic approach, including acupuncture and veterinary chiropractic methods.[6] The property is completely vegan and does not allow any food products derived from animals.[13]
The property is open for tours on Sundays.
William Morris Endeavor, and Princess Cruises.[4] Actress and animal activist Pamela Anderson has also visited The Gentle Barn to feed turkeys on Thanksgiving.[1] In 2011, a lock of hair given by Justin Bieber to Ellen DeGeneres was auctioned for over $40,000, with all proceeds going to The Gentle Barn.[16]

Cow Hug Therapy

The Gentle Barn saves animals who are in dire situations such as cows who are about to be sent to the slaughter house. The owner of the Gentle Barn would bring the animals to the sanctuary and after healing and bonding with the animals she would cuddle with them. She found that hugging and snuggling up with the cows helped relieve stress so she started providing a cow cuddle therapy program at her sanctuaries. Now, visitors can pay for time to snuggle up with the animals to relieve their own stress and anxiety. [17]

Social Media

The Gentle Barn has taken to social media to showcase the stories of the animals that they save. They bring awareness to animal abuse and the impact people can bring to the saving of animals. The Gentle Barn caught the attention of many people as they gained 1.7 million followers on Tiktok and 994K followers on Instagram. On these platforms, users can watch videos and view posts that describe and educate people about the animals within the sanctuaries.

Animals Featured at the Gentle Barn [18]

California

Horses

  • Celeste, Marley, Thor, Savannah, Ruby, Hiroka, Danara, Bonnie, Marvel the Unicorn

Cows

  • Rosalie, Fiona, Irma, Mercy, Sage, Athena, Betty, Phoenix Rising, Tia, Joyful Heart, Oliver, Rumi, Rosita, SusieQ, Madonna, Gaia, Ferdinand, Johnny, Light, Patsy, Louise, Night Goddess, George, Roy, Eugene, John Lewis Thunderheart

Donkey

  • Addison, Rosie, Lulu, Hope

Pig

  • Dreidel, Menorah, Molli, Miracle, Mistletoe, Humble, Barry, Pearl, Jellie, Tinsel, Gingerbread, Blitzen

Emu

  • Earl

Llama

  • Queen Joni, Emperor Skip, King

Turkey

  • Justice, Romeo, Joy, Forgiveness, Brave, Lennon, Compassion, Grace, Stellar, Paloma, Sun, Patience

Sheep

  • Harmony, Sophia Grace, Bull Sheep, Martin, Violet, Darling, Chrissy, Shirley Temple, Rosie, Sweetheart, Lyric, Sapphire, Snow White, Danny

Bird

  • Tivoli, Zazu

Goat

  • Hannah, Lela

Dog

  • Lakota, Sky, Little One, Bingo

Chicken

  • Snoopy, Dylan

Tennessee

Horse

  • Princess Pebble, Worthy, Chris, Indie, Daisy

Cow

  • Captain, Truth, Maybelle, Destiny, Miles, Audrey, Eclipse, Love

Pig

  • Dream, Lillie, Yin, Mr. Noodles, Yang, Mr. Pickles, Henry

Alpaca

  • Han Solo, Jar Jar

Sheep

  • Alexander Marshall, Asher, Casper, Fleecewood Mac, David, Manny, Sam, Richard, JJ, Leo

Goat

  • Lolli, Merlin, Minnie Mae

Turkey

  • Spirit, Harmony, Heather, Luke Skywalker

Chicken

  • Coal, Rita, Mildred

Missouri

Horse

  • Moose, Aslan

Cow

  • Story, Eddie, Johnny Cash, Houdini, Chico, Roo

Donkey

  • Chance, Remington

Pig

  • Rosie, Penny, Petunia, Ella

Bird

  • Jemima Puddleduck, David Bowie

Goat

  • Baron Von Goat, Hazel

Turkey

  • Hope, Sorina, Smudge, Neptune

Chicken

  • Nigel, Georgia, Zailey, Opal

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Worden, Leon (2011-11-24). "Gentle Barn Turkeys Get Thanksgiving Treat from Pamela Anderson". SCVTV News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  2. ^ "The Gentle Barn". LookToTheStars.com. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  3. ^ a b "A Brief History". The Gentle Barn. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  4. ^ a b c d Jones, Karen (2011-11-01). "In the Company of Animals, Healing for Humans". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  5. ^ a b c Dodd, Johnny (2011-07-04). "Gentle Barn: Stable of Friends". People Magazine. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  6. ^ a b Drake, Megan (2012-04-14). "California Backyard Butcher Charged". Care2.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  7. ^ "Supervisors to Honor Gentle Barn on Tuesday". SCVTV News. 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  8. ^ Nelson, Kristi L. (July 22, 2018), "The Gentle Barn holds last public tour at its Knoxville location", Knoxville News Sentinel, retrieved March 10, 2022
  9. ^ Buelt, Melissa. "At the Gentle Barn, Famous Slaughterhouse Escapees Find Rest". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  10. ^ "The Gentle Barn About Us". TheGentleBarn.org. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  11. ^ Grau, Deborah (2013-07-02). "Rescued Animals Make a Difference in the Lives of Kids". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  12. ^ "Turning Point: The Gentle Barn". ByuTV. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  13. ^ McQuade, Julia (2014-01-29). "Seek stress relief with 'The Gentle Barn'". The Los Angeles Loyolan. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  14. ^ Cormier, Nicole (2013-08-07). "Share An Educational And Compassionate Experience At The Gentle Barn". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  15. ^ McCarthy, Michelle (2013-12-25). "The Gentle Barn's Kyle DiFulvio Rescues Animals and People". FrontiersLA.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  16. ^ Gracely, Joe (2011-03-03). "Justin Bieber's hair sells for over $40K in Ellen DeGeneres charity auction". Daily News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  17. ^ "Santa Clarita's Gentle Barn taps the healing power of cow hugs". Daily News. 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  18. ^ "The Gentle Barn - Animals". The Gentle Barn. Retrieved 2024-03-19.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Gentle Barn.
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