Blueberry (aka “Roo”)

Our very first creature to call our haven home, Blueberry is a six month old Brahma rooster who came to our attention by the East Coast Farm Sanctuary Crew.

Roosters born in the egg laying industry are simply disposed of without being given the chance to make it past one day old.

This handsome sir has been nothing but affectionate and curious, enjoying some quality indoor time, foraging away and perching comfortably in his coop, and ensuring to wake us up to the beauty of each day.

Blueberry would appreciate your sponsorship on a monthly or annual basis.

Pixie & Blossom

These two wee poults came to us from our local Tractor Supply store after they appeared to have difficulty maintaining balance and walking. Starter feed, vitamin drenches, and dextrose is being administered. Fingers crossed they survive and thrive, joining us throughout this beautiful journey we are on here at Gentle Acres.

Show some love to these babies on a monthly or annual basis.

Poe

Poe arrived at 1.5 months old after being saved from a dairy farm in Massachusetts. He and his three other bull calf friends were born at the same dairy farm and have all found sanctuary thanks to our friend Tara Smith who dedicates her life to saving calves from the factory farm life.

Her endless commitment to save as many calves as she can has allowed us to offer love and care to these boys, including Benny and Ziggy, who she also helped bring to our haven.

We are beyond thrilled to welcome this boy into our hearts, especially after the hole that’s been made due to the loss of our Ziggy Stardust. With his presence, our heart space has already begun to overflow!

Pax

What is sweeter than a newborn lamb? This sweet boy came to us at 1 day old from a local sheep farm after his mom rejected him at birth.

We decided to name our new boy Pax, the Latin word for Peace, as he is all that is sweet and good in the world. He joined us at the height of war time in Ukraine and during the world’s three largest religions celebrating Ramadan, Passover and Easter, a time for us to come together and celebrate Peace. Peace for the animals, for the children, for the suffering, for the planet, and for our future.

You can sponsor Pax on a monthly or annual basis.

Benny

Baby Benny is a Jersey bull calf who came to our sanctuary from an organic dairy farmer in Vermont.

Being relinquished by this farmer has allowed Benny to be one of the lucky ones who gets to live a joyful life frolicking in freedom versus his predestined fate as a dispensable commodity, slaughtered by just weeks of age by the veal industry.

Please consider sponsoring this beautiful soul and support dairy bull calves by eating a plant based diet.

Consider sponsoring Benny either monthly or annually.

Willow

One of our local vets gave us a ring about a lamb she had examined who had stopped following her mother and was being left behind in the pasture by the other lambs. The owner said she kept seeing her “caught up” in the fence line or leaning against structures all by herself and finally, after finding the lamb collapsed out in the field, decided to call the vet for help. It turns out this little beauty is blind, was unable to find the watering stations in the pasture, and collapsed due to dehydration. The prognosis for her to survive on a farm with multiple 25-acre pastures, frequent rotations, and having to learn where to find each water and feed station was not positive; her prognosis for being euthanized was high. So it was decided she needed to join our haven where her surroundings can be managed and she can grow up with Pax. She was our mother’s day gift and is now safe, dry, cared for.

Welcome Willow by sponsoring her on a monthly or annual basis.

Sabrina

Four months after giving birth, Sabrina experienced a vaginal prolapse in July 2023. This is not uncommon in dairy cows due to the endless cycle of pregnancies they are made to endure. The prolapses often repair themselves, however, Sabrina’s worsened and required veterinary intervention. She was rushed to Cornell Animal Hospital where she was treated by the reproductive department and had surgical repair of her vaginal wall.

Once a cow prolapses, they will continue to prolapse during each pregnancy. Because there is a genetic component to this tendency, most cows and their calves are brought to slaughter so that they don’t pass on this trait. While this was the plan for Sabrina, she is now safe at our haven.

Help us keep Sabrina happy and healthy by sponsoring her on a monthly or annual basis.

Red

It was a group effort getting this boy to us all the way from Massachusetts. Along the way we made new friends with the incredible people of Uncle Neil’s Home who offered to transport Red on the last leg of his trip when obstacles were encountered during his journey. Every rescue we make results in developing a wider network of loving humans who have opened their hearts to do the same.

Welcome Red by sponsoring him on a monthly or annual basis.

Salt & Peppa

Katie with the Little Farm Rescue notified us of Salt and Peppa after their owner passed away.

They came from a property in Machipongo, VA where it seems they lived mostly a feral life with little to no contact with humans. They arrived covered in ticks and were quickly treated and bathed.

We take every day slowly and with much patience, ensuring that we earn their trust by moving with intention.

Salt & Peppa would be so grateful for a monthly or annual sponsorship.

Yoda

Little kid Yoda came to our sanctuary with his mama Rosie.

At only six months old this little guy is still a bit apprehensive, staying close to his mama and relying on her to help him get settled in his new home.

His piercing blue eyes will leave you hypnotized!

Our handsome boy can be sponsored every month or year.

Winston

Our very first GAAH piglet has arrived!

A fellow rescue, PigPig of St. Alban’s, called us about a little jumper who escaped from a transport truck to slaughter. We had yet to welcome a pig and were thrilled to say yes!

He arrived scraped up from his leap and a bit malnourished, but Winston is a sprightly little guy ready to live his best life!

Clementine

Right when we were thinking that our boy Winston could use a little buddy, a 4 lb piglet was found at a truck stop all the way in North Carolina after either jumping or falling off of a transport truck. Clementine was brought to us by the helping hands of Sisu Refuge and Blind Spot Animal Rescue.

We could not be more smitten, especially Winston!

Mama Marla

Mama Marla is the fabulous matriarch of our little Hebridean sheep family that arrived along with two goats from a sister sanctuary going through a challenging time.

A huge thank you to Emery Farm for transporting this beautiful family to us. It’s amazing what can happen when sister sanctuaries step up and help one another. We’re all in this together to make the world a better & safer place for these magical souls.

Nicholas

While Nicholas is not baby Annabelle’s biological father, he was previously bonded with her and Mama Marla to make the perfect family. He has quickly proven to be a tender protector of his two favorite girls, helping them settle in to their new home with us at GAAH.

Baby Annabelle

Baby Annabelle is 4 months old and still nursing, so she spends most of her time close to her mom and dad. We can’t wait for this little one to grow into her full potential here at our haven.

Phoenix

Phoenix is a Nubian/Boer goat mix who, along with his best friend Roxy, joined us from a sister sanctuary in need. It’s important to remember when a sanctuary calls for help the farm sanctuary community answers! We are all in this together to make the world a kinder place for these innocent gentle creatures.

Roxy

Since her arrival, Roxy has settled right in, introducing herself to each and every GAAH family member, loudly making her presence known, her gift of gab and outgoing personality proving hard to resist. From day one, this girl has followed us around to partake in everything that we do, ensuring her buddy Phoenix comes along for the ride.

Roadrunner (aka “Meeps”)

Roadrunner is one of five hens brought to us by a local community farmer once she stopped laying eggs. We are happy to take her in to live out the rest of her days safe and free at our haven.

Keep this scrappy girl happily running with a monthly or annual sponsorship.

Women’s History Month Baby Chicks

Maya, Ruthie and Harriet came to us when they were just teeny tiny wee ones from our local Tractor Supply store where they sell ducks, chickens, and turkeys. After learning about what we do, the manager agreed to contact us if they ever get any chicks that are injured or sick. They have awakened us every morning since by their beautiful bird songs!

Sponsor these lovely ladies on a monthly or annual basis.

Joy & Annie

Our local Tractor Supply called us about a duckling who was unable to lift her head and was dragging it as she tried to move. After bringing her to our avian vet Dr. Smith, she was diagnosed with Wry Neck which is caused by a vitamin E deficiency and can be fatal. Luckily we caught it in time and since joining our GAAH family Joy has been healing and holding her head up high! Oh, and of course we had to take her sister Annie home with us as well.

Sponsor these ducklings on a monthly or annual basis.

The Kaporos Brood

Hundreds of thousands of chickens die every year as a result of Kaporos, a ritual animal slaughter that takes place each year in the days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement; in Brooklyn alone it is estimated that at least 100,000 chickens are slaughtered each year. During Kaporos, ultra-Orthodox, or Hasidic, Jews twirl a live chicken around their head while reciting a prayer asking for forgiveness for their sins. After the ritual, the chickens are killed in one of dozens of makeshift slaughterhouses erected on public streets without permits in violation of 15 city and state health and animal cruelty laws.

We got the incredible opportunity to welcome five of the 2022 survivors of this ritual and agreed to take all roosters as they are so challenging to place.

Sponsor these survivors on a monthly or annual basis.

The Peacemakers

All of the local Tractor Supply stores we go to for feed and supplies set up with huge display areas of newborn chicks, ducks and turkeys every Spring. We let management know about our farm animal sanctuary and that we are trained in the veterinary field so that if any of the birds arrive ill, blind, become injured or look like they need veterinary care, to call us so that we can get them the care they need and provide a forever home.

And so we welcomed our peacemakers, called so due to their calm, quiet, and gentle nature.

Our sweet peaceful ones can be sponsored on a monthly or annual basis.

Dusty

Named in honor of his brother Ziggy Stardust, this beautiful boy shares so many of Ziggy’s qualities and personality quirks, so is quickly settling deeply into our hearts.

Dusty’s mama Mambo will soon be liberated from the dairy industry to be reunited with her baby boy.

Our youngest calf can be sponsored on a monthly or annual basis.

Clover & Rain

Yet another call from our local Tractor Supply to help more ducklings in need.

Clover has been doing swimmingly, but our poor Rain has had to deal with a plethora of health issues as a result of an initial sinus infection that eventually turned into encephalitis as well as many other contributing disease processes. He’s quite the fighter, just like all of our Tractor Supply ducklings, and continues to be the happy boy who initially came to our haven, especially with the support of his buddy Clover. We will continue to support our dear Rain throughout this difficult journey!

Sponsor these special ducks on a monthly or annual basis.

Lake & Howard

Two more buddies who came to us from our local Tractor Supply store. Our duckling Howard couldn’t lift his head and needed help tending to his wry neck while our little chick Lake had an impacted pasty butt.

After treating Howard’s vitamin E deficiency (which is what causes wry neck) and cleaning and soaking Lake’s impaction these friends are living a happy healthy life!

Shanti & Bodhi

Our very first little Mallard ducklings have joined us thanks to a call from our local Tractor Supply.

Bodhi is Sanskrit for “awakened” or “enlightened” while Shanti means “peace”. We have named these wee ducklings as a constant reminder of our hope in this world of animal welfare and what we hope to bring to it.

Join their peaceful journey by sponsoring these creatures on a monthly or annual basis.

Lolo & Olive

We are so fortunate to have a partnership with our local Tractor Supply where the staff know they can count on us to help out with any sick creatures that may come to them. When they called us about Lolo and Olive we knew we had to step up!

Lolo (officially Left Eye Lopez) arrived missing his left eye. It’s not clear whether he suffered an injury during shipment from a hatchery or if he was born with portions of the eye, eyelid & tear duct missing. But now that he’s part of our family he is here thriving alongside his buddy Olive.

Help keep both Lolo and Olive healthy and happy.

Duke

Handsome Duke was relinquished from a private home that had fallen on hard times. He has been a pet all of his life and we are incredibly thankful that his owner chose to seek out help versus sending him to auction.

Duke is a LaMancha goat. LaMancha’s are known for their calm & quiet temperament and typically love people. Duke is as sweet as they come.

Help keep our handsome sir as sweet as can be!

The Bachelor Flock

Seemingly discarded on the side of the road during a winter storm warning, a local woman called us to help rescue several roosters.

The need to help roosters is high as a result of many presenting challenges that include local noise ordinances and integration of multiple roosters into a flock. Fortunately we have been able to determine a comfortable set-up for all.

We look forward to witnessing these gentlemen make themselves at home in our cozy haven.

Marigold

On April 19, 2024 a miraculous event took place - Marigold became a mama to triplets. The odds of a dairy cow giving birth to triplets is 1 in 105,000; the odds of these triplets being all girls goes up to 1 in 700,000; the odds that all three survive is in the millions!

As a veteran cow on the dairy farm, these calves were not Marigold’s first babies. She had given birth many times before, only to have her babies taken away. For animal advocates, births on a farm usually signify another vulnerable individual born into a lifetime of exploitation. Witnessing the miraculous birth of triplet girls on a dairy farm would typically be overshadowed by the reality that three new dairy cows were brought into the world. This is where Gentle Acres stepped in and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome this mama home where she can raise her girls free from the fear of losing them to the dairy industry.

Pansy, Poppy & Petunia

These beautiful triplet baby girls came into this world on April 19, 2024.

Their survival is a rarity and their life at sanctuary with their mama Marigold is a miracle. We are honored to witness them grow into a liberated life free of the inhumanity of the dairy industry.

Cricket

This eight month old LaMancha doeling was born at a neighboring farm that borders our haven. When it became apparent that Cricket had contracted tendons and wouldn’t be able to walk without surgery, her owners contacted us.

We are grateful for the ability to provide this girl with the medical attention that she needs so that she can thrive and live a healthy life alongside her sanctuary companions.

Harold

This tiny piglet squeezed through the bars of his transport truck and fell headfirst onto a major highway in North Carolina. A driver behind the truck saw this wee one hit the road and roll multiple times and fortunately was somehow able to get him safely out of oncoming traffic to bring him to a local veterinarian. When there, a good samaritan overheard the driver saying she planned on raising this little guy to eat him and intervened.

He ultimately ended up with our friends at Blind Spot Animal Sanctuary who called us and he is now our forever Harold.

Flower

An owner of multiple ducks drove 2.5 hours to bring us the only survivor of a fox attack. Flower was so severely injured that she was hospitalized overnight. There was so much muscle damage and inflammation to her neck, Flower had to be tube fed and assisted when drinking for weeks. In order to address the bite wounds Flower sustained, she underwent surgery which ended prematurely due to aspiration resulting from esophageal damage from the fox attack.

While she still requires another surgery, Flower is now holding her head up, eating, and drinking all on her own.

Consider contributing to Flower’s journey back to health with a monthly or annual donation. This girl is sure to thrive!

Teddy

Sabrina had a boy! Not only do we not have any bulls on our property, but, the few times neighboring bulls managed to break through our fence, Sabrina received the equivalent of “the morning after pill” since her last pregnancy resulted in a prolapsed uterus, endangering her life with any potential future pregnancies.

One of our volunteers stumbled upon a newborn baby boy Saturday, November 16, 2024, feeding from his mama who stood healthily having given birth safely the night before.

Teddy’s full name is Theodore which means “gift from God” or “divine gift” as he truly is one of the most beautiful gifts we at Gentle Acres have ever received.

Savannah

One of forty pigs from Connecticut found in squalor and neglected in care. Savannah was obese and kept in an environment covered in feces. She and the other pigs she lived with were seized due to this neglect and as a result of a change in local zoning laws. Immediate placement had to be found to prevent their euthanasia.

We were fortunate enough to be able to welcome Savannah and her buddy Midge, providing them with a clean and cozy place to lay their heads at night.

Midge

One of forty pigs from Connecticut found in squalor and neglected in care. Midge was obese and kept in an environment covered in feces. She and the other pigs she lived with were seized due to this neglect and as a result of a change in local zoning laws. Immediate placement had to be found to prevent their euthanasia.

We welcomed both Midge and her friend Savannah in November 2024, and will continue to provide them with the love, kindness, decency, and compassion they deserve until the end of their days.