All I wanted to do was give him one last kiss. But I couldn’t. Franklin was in pain and the only way to manage that pain until I could return to say goodbye would have been to give him a heavy narcotic. That is NOT how we manage end of life care at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. … Read more
Three years ago, 47-year-old Bobby was surrendered by an elderly couple who’d rescued him from neglect. He could barely walk. “At least he’ll enjoy some comfort and peace for his final weeks,” we thought. But Bobby had other plans. With the help of supplements, expert farrier work, and a custom-molded plastic insert for one of … Read more
If ever there was an animal who embodied love and joie de vivre, it was Stencil. Stencil was a brown goat with the long, silken ears characteristic of Nubians. He was rescued with 18 others in 2010. All of them were emaciated and riddled with worms and lice. Stencil’s name came from the huge white … Read more
People often ask me what the hardest part of my job is and are surprised that I do not say dealing with death. (The hardest part is having to say no to animals in need of placement when we lack the capacity to accept them.) As a place that rescues and takes in abused, neglected, … Read more
It’s always difficult to say goodbye to a beloved friend. But to lose two in a single week, as we did last week, has left us a little shaky. A year ago, Miriam and her siblings Ginger and Moses were rescued from a desperate hoarding situation. Found in a dark hovel of a barn in … Read more
This week we lost one of our long time residents, an ancient mare named Crystal. She arrived in 2008, and for many years lived with a group of gentle, older horses behind the main barn. Her eyes had been an ongoing problem for years, so much so that by last fall she was nearly blind. … Read more
Tammy, who raised Lambert with her daughter, wrote us this lovely elegy for our beloved sheep friend. I knew when Lauren wanted to take a “market project” in 4-H that it was mistake, but as a mother, I had to let her make her own decisions. From early May until the fair in late July I … Read more
We are reeling from the sudden loss of a dear friend, The Great Sheep Lambert. “A sweet boy, in a pushy exuberant toddler kind of way,” is how sanctuary manager Kathy Keefe described him. Lambert’s predecessor, The Great Sheep Rambo, mastered gently pawing our legs to indicate that he wanted a massage. Lambert’s communication was … Read more
Many years ago, what was arguably the most successful animal rights campaign of all time resulted in a 75% reduction in the consumption of veal. Humane Farming Association’s depiction of tiny calves chained in veal crates worked. Americans didn’t want to eat suffering babies. Friends, the chickens we eat, called “broilers” by those that breed, … Read more
A somber Catskill Animal Sanctuary crew said goodbye to Lumpy last week. Farm manager Kathy Keefe found him down in his stall, unable to move when she arrived last Tuesday morning. Lumpy had struggled with illness for some time and was an old boy; euthanasia was the only humane option. We send him off, this … Read more
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