The 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]
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ellie Laks |
| Focus | Animal welfare, animal rights |
| Location | |
Key people | Jay Weiner |
Volunteers | 900 |
| Website | The Gentle Barn |
History edit
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.[6] For its work in the case, The Gentle Barn was honored by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich of the Fifth District of 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 edit
The current six-acre property in Santa Clarita, California has horse 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.[14] A separate facility, the Sun Chlorella Healing Center, is not open to the public and is used to treat the sickest and most traumatized animals.[15] The Gentle Barn requires $50,000 a month to operate. Most of the funds come through the website, from individual donors, corporate grants, and foundations. Major donors include Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Hilary Swank,[5] Kirstie Alley,[5] Toyota, CBS, 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]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Worden, Leon (2011-11-24). "Gentle Barn Turkeys Get Thanksgiving Treat from Pamela Anderson". SCVTV News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ "The Gentle Barn". LookToTheStars.com. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ a b "A Brief History". The Gentle Barn. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Dodd, Johnny (2011-07-04). "Gentle Barn: Stable of Friends". People Magazine. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ a b Drake, Megan (2012-04-14). "California Backyard Butcher Charged". Care2.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ "Supervisors to Honor Gentle Barn on Tuesday". SCVTV News. 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ Nelson, Kristi L. (July 22, 2018), "The Gentle Barn holds last public tour at its Knoxville location", Knoxville News Sentinel, retrieved March 10, 2022
- ^ Buelt, Melissa. "At the Gentle Barn, Famous Slaughterhouse Escapees Find Rest". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
- ^ "The Gentle Barn About Us". TheGentleBarn.org. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Grau, Deborah (2013-07-02). "Rescued Animals Make a Difference in the Lives of Kids". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ "Turning Point: The Gentle Barn". ByuTV. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ McQuade, Julia (2014-01-29). "Seek stress relief with 'The Gentle Barn'". The Los Angeles Loyolan. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ Cormier, Nicole (2013-08-07). "Share An Educational And Compassionate Experience At The Gentle Barn". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ McCarthy, Michelle (2013-12-25). "The Gentle Barn's Kyle DiFulvio Rescues Animals and People". FrontiersLA.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ Gracely, Joe (2011-03-03). "Justin Bieber's hair sells for over $40K in Ellen DeGeneres charity auction". Daily News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
External links edit
- Official website
- The Gentle Barn on Facebook
- The Gentle Barn on Foursquare
- Ellie Laks (2014). My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope. Harmony. ISBN 978-0385347662.