Sanctuary Snapshot | June 2024 | |
Make a difference for Heartland, and have it doubled! | |
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I hope you all were inspired by Colin's story.
Thanks to your support, his transition into an internship with our Humane Education program has genuinely been transformative. Known as a natural "pig whisperer," he now enlightens visitors about pigs, including our recently rescued Bluey, helping to correct misconceptions and foster empathy.
Your contributions are changing real lives—from Colin's inspiring journey to Bluey's healing recovery. With your help, we continue to empower young people and provide compassionate care for our sanctuary residents.
And, we have a special time-sensitive opportunity—every gift over $25 that we receive by Friday, July 5th, will be doubled by AMICA Insurance, up to $5,000!
Every donation plays a crucial role in sustaining Heartland’s compassionate work and enabling stories like Colin's and Bluey’s. Help us keep making a difference.
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A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has already contributed! Your generosity changes lives—from Colin's inspiring journey to Bluey's healing recovery. With your continued support, we empower young people and provide compassionate care for our sanctuary residents. Did you know your $25 gift can feed our pigs for a day? | |
Summer Camp Update: Our season is off to an incredible start! | |
This month concludes our first few weeks of Heartland's Summer Camp! Just some of the highlights included... |
- Campers preparing custom salads for the sheep and birds, featuring their favorite fruits and vegetables.
- Delving into the fascinating world of composting!
- Learning about chickens and distinguishing assumptions from facts about farm animals and each other.
- Embarking on a nature scavenger hunt along our beautiful trail.
- Experiencing the “glory” of mucking animal stalls!
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Interesting in joining the fun? | |
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Bidding farewell to our beloved bird residents, Petri, Aspen and Betula
We recently said goodbye to our senior hen, Petri, whose health had been declining recently. Our trusted vet determined that Petri's organs were starting to shut down and that she was likely experiencing some discomfort. As difficult as it was, the decision was made to help her pass peacefully with assistance from our vet as there were no further treatment options available for her symptoms. Petri was given a special pain medicine patch and had a good pain-free last day in the sunshine with her dedicated rooster friend, Pico, and lots of tasty snacks. She passed peacefully the following afternoon with Pico by her side.
In early 2015, Petri and 125 of her rooster and hen friends were rescued from a cockfighting ring, and were headed to a processing plant, before Heartland stepped in to save them. While we lost some birds to illness and other health conditions, we were able to adopt out many to loving homes. Petri is one of the chickens who remained at Heartland, and had outlived every one of her flock mates. We're honored to have cared for her in her golden years.
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We're also saddened to report the passing of our two bonded hens, Aspen and Betula, who were rescued from an abandoned farm in Watertown, WI in 2022. Aspen had been diagnosed with lung and heart disease, and we'd been monitoring her health closely since that diagnosis. Many treatment options were tried, and while Aspen was still eating and being as active as she could, her recent weight loss was concerning and irreversible. Our vet had no additional treatment options for her, and advised that humane euthanasia was the kindest option.
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Betula, who had a known internal mass that diminished her lung capacity, had been doing well and was stable for the past several months. Last week, however, she experienced sudden symptoms of paleness and inactivity. With a risk of her going into stressful respiratory distress, the decision was made to let Betula pass peacefully. It's both fitting and heartbreaking that Aspen and Betula left this world together. It's a terribly sad loss, but these sisters were so closely bonded, it's truly hard to imagine one without the other.
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Check out our sanctuary's summer wish list
(Remember, it's cool to be kind!)
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Summer temperatures have us feelin' the heat already, but you can help keep our residents cool and comfortable by donating a much-needed item from our summer wish list below. Jerry, who is quite the sun bum himself, thanks you!
We also always appreciate donations of paper towels, no-sugar-added peanut butter, jelly, sliced wheat bread and canned pumpkin.
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Mark your calendars for our next public tour
Be sure to save the date for our next public sanctuary tour on Saturday, July 20 at 11 am!
Join us for a beautiful afternoon at our compassionate campus. Tour the grounds, meet our rescued residents and learn about the important work we do to inspire compassion for animals, the earth, and each other.
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Stable Supporters, your support of Heartland is crucial!
We are so grateful to have 262 amazing monthly donors supporting our sanctuary and providing consistent donations we can count on each month! Our Stable Supporters are truly the reason we are able to continue our important work for animals and people.
Join us and step up with your monthly gift to Heartland!
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Volunteer Spotlight: Meet the awe-inspiring Amelia!
Amelia is celebrating her one-year anniversary volunteering with HFS, and we're so happy to feature her this month! Thank you, Amelia, for your reliability and willingness to always go the extra mile for Heartland!
Read more about Amelia and her reasons for choosing Heartland: Volunteering's been 'so good for my mental health,' she says.
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Remembering Patty, a very special and beloved Heartland volunteer
Patty Sonntag Neumueller passed away on May 21, 2024 after a challenging battle with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. Patty was a familiar face back when our sanctuary was located in Verona, and we were saddened when she had to step back from volunteering for health reasons. She was such a kind and compassionate soul, and always stepped up to help in any way she could: working animal care shifts, volunteering at events, and helping with our field trips. You can read more about Patty here.
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Inspired by Heartland's compassionate impact? | |
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Heartland Farm Sanctuary
608-440-1118
Info@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
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