A Glorious Day: ASPCA Visits CAS for Annual Picnic

Saturday, September 9, wasn’t an ordinary visiting day (wonderful as they are!) at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Rather than welcoming the public from 10 to 2pm, CAS welcomed 200 ASPCA staffers and friends, including President and CEO Ed Sayers, for the organization’s annual picnic.  I think I can speak for many of us in stating that it was one of the most meaningful days in our history.

As we waited for most folks to arrive on buses, the early birds clustered around the chicken house to meet Jailbird the rooster.  And honestly I’m not sure who was more excited—the ASPCA, many of whom were meeting farm animals for the first time; the CAS crew, profoundly honored to have the chance to share our haven, and to say to devoted animal advocates, “See who these guys are, too;” or Jailbird. Jailbird loves visitors, and perhaps even sensed that he had a job to do!

Our guests went on hayrides, planted herbs and took them home, and ate a scrumptious lunch prepared by Chef Roni Shapiro of Healthy Gourmet to Go. Children made masks and played educational games in the children’s tent, and grown-ups watched our videos on a screen in the hay room. All the while, the booty-shakin’ bluegrass music of Two Dollar Goat was the perfect backdrop. Most importantly, though, 200 people who advocate tirelessly for companion animals looked into the eyes of pigs and chickens, goats and sheep, cows and horses. At least for some, who shared this with us….something shifted in them.

And all day long, as our friends walked the farm, met the special needs barn gang, stopped at education stations, stroked cool snouts and warm muzzles, CAS pulsed with love. That’s simply the best way to describe what I, and so many others, felt—including, no doubt, the animals….

Check out our photo album from the event!

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A Day in the Life, Event, Love Spoken Here, Sanctuary Life

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3 replies on “A Glorious Day: ASPCA Visits CAS for Annual Picnic”

  1. I am sickened and shocked that you
    would welcome ASPCA to your sanctuary and be proud of it. We tried so hard
    to rescue Oreo and other dogs like her only to have ASPCA murder her and other
    pit bulls even though several no kill rescues were willing to adopt them.

    http://www.zoenature.org/2010/08/the-ghost-of-oreo/

    The ASPCA has time and again turned their heads as carriage horses in NY are
    forced to work in snowstorms and are maimed and killed:

    http://www.blindersthemovie.com/2011/09/06/aspca-admits-lapse-in-judgment/

    Peta send Shelby County No Kill
    Mission a goodie basket when they decided to start killing nonhuman animals:

    http://vimeo.com/48651351

    PETA may do undercover videos but they kill most of the nonhuman animals they
    rescue. Have you forgotten how two PETA employees were charged with animal
    cruelty for dumping dogs’ and cats’ bodies in a dumpster?

    http://www.nokillnow.com/petapicturedeaddogs.htm

    I will never forget them-Nor should you. I became vegan-yes vegan-, not
    vegetarian, not ve*gan to protect ALL nonhuman animals from suffering and have
    dedicated my life to protecting them. When
    the people that are supposed to protect nonhuman animals are colluding with the
    abusers, what chance do they have?

    I am very saddened that the nonhuman
    animal rights movement has come to this:

    http://www.humanemyth.org/mediabase/1014.htm

  2. Jon Novick – thanks for yet another wonderful CAS video! I especially liked the ASPCA members at the end of the video speaking about “I didn’t know that…” We animal rights activists are all teaching and learning from each other. Unfortunately, we know well that there exists a huge universe of non-human animals needing help: my priority may be elephants, yours NYC carriage horses, and another’s is orangutans. We are all in this together. Spay and Neuter and save who we can !

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