Visit a Sanctuary

Sanctuaries are rescues for farmed animals that have been saved from animal agriculture. Non-human persons that have made a run for their lives from slaughterhouses, fallen from transport trucks, saved from dead piles at “livestock” auctions, and have been surrendered by farmers who have had a change of heart. More and more sanctuaries are popping up around the country, the continent, the world, as people come to realize that we don’t need to do what we do to these animals and that they, like us, have as much right to life and to this planet as we do.

“Sanctuaries are a place where cruelty is met with kindness. It is about kindness to animals, but it is also about respecting others, respecting ourselves, respecting the Earth… living in a way that does not cause unnecessary harm.

We live at a time when there is immense oppression, strain, and ugliness out in the world, and this harms all of us. The reason things are as bad as they are is because we have infrastructures and systems in place, and those need to be shifted. It actually undermines our empathy, and that’s a very important part of our humanity.

For me – and for many people – this begins with recognizing trauma, and violence, and cruelty in the world, and not wanting to be part of it. These animals – like other animals – want to live. They don’t want to be abused, they don’t want to be killed, they don’t want to be eaten. They want to live – just like cats, or dogs, or us. We are all animals, and we all have pretty much the same desires.

It’s not possible for sanctuaries to rescue all of the animals who are currently being exploited and slaughtered, so we need to change the system. And farm sanctuaries play a very important role in modelling a different kind of relationship with other animals. The animals become ambassadors, and people who are touched by them can go out and educate others.

Farm Sanctuary is a place, but it is also a mission. The idea is to rescue individuals, and then ultimately to change the world.”

Gene Baur, President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary

Below we have listed some Ontario farmed animal sanctuaries that are open to the public. We encourage everyone to visit them to experience the tranquility, the joy, the love - of how the world can be with a simple change of perception. Please visit their websites for more information and for tour, volunteer, and event dates.