Stories about the Animals at a Farm Sanctuary

Stories about the Animals at a Farm Sanctuary 

By Donald Partelow
 
 
“I just want to give you a little bit of background about our sanctuary,” said Ellen Crain before she and her husband, Bill Crain, began sharing with our audience some stories about a few of the animals that live at Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary. Ms. Crain told us that their first animal rescue was in 2008, and ever since then its been a real journey; a tremendous learning experience in addition to being a lot of fun. What we think and hope we can do is give people the opportunity to come and meet the animals and get to know them as personalities, the unique creatures that they are.”
 
For half of their presentation, Ellen and Bill Crain took turns telling us a few bittersweet animal stories. Questions followed and participants joyfully had a chance to tell animal stories of their own.
 
Im wondering how you decided to start a farm animal sanctuary and how has it changed you as people?” asked one person. “We just found our hearts going out to animals,” said Mr. Crain. His wife, Ellen, was very interested in farm sanctuaries. The couple bought a piece of property in upstate NY that was gradually transformed into Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary. As time went on, Ellen quit her job as a pediatrician to take care of the animals. “Something I’ve experienced is just the sense of fulfillment of both taking care of creatures who have needs, and cant always express them but show their gratefulness which is very enjoyable,” said Ms. Crain. 
 
Mr. Crain last spoke of the visitors who come and take tours of the sanctuary. “The children, especially the younger children are enthralled. It’s an amazing thing to see. They just stare in wonder, enraptured by the animals. It’s magical.”
 
Ellen Crain is a retired pediatrician, and is a professor emerita at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Bill Crain is a professor of psychology at The City College of New York. He is the author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Children: Insights from a Farm Sanctuary. Their sanctuary provides a lifelong home to over 100 farm animals.
 
Stories about the Animals at a Farm Sanctuary, a Pawling Library online program, took place on Thursday, July 22 from 7-8 pm. Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary is located only minutes away from the Pawling Library at 254 Gardner Hollow Rd in Poughquag, NY. To make a reservation for a tour of the sanctuary, please visit Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary’s website.

Author: Harlem Valley News