Remembering Tiny Dino: The First CAS Love Story

Twenty years ago, Catskill Animal Sanctuary opened our barn doors and welcomed Dino, a Shetland pony close to 30 years old. Tiny Dino, at 300 pounds and 36” tall was our first rescue. Dino was the sole survivor of a horrible fire set by a teenager at Brooklyn’s Bergen Beach Stable. Twenty horses died immediately; … Read more

Onward, Bruised But Resolute: Reflections For A New Year

From the horrors of a pandemic to those inflicted by climate change; from the hideous realities of systemic racism laid bare before our eyes to a sitting president’s attempt to overthrow an election, 2020 was one prolonged punch to the gut. George Floyd, and before him Eric Garner, and so many others, pleaded “I can’t … Read more

Guest Blog: How I Decided to Become Vegan

Hello everyone! My name is Molly, and I am currently a junior at the University of Vermont double majoring in Food Systems and Nutrition and Food Science. I stopped eating meat when I was 16 and became vegan at 19. I love the culinary arts and my favorite part is seeing the joy on people’s … Read more

Goodbye, Moses: A Sudden Farewell After a Lifetime of Joy

Our precious Moses, our beautiful spotted boy with giant floppy ears that masked huge golden eyes, is gone. He was 7 ½ years old. Moses arrived in 2013 from a hoarding case, along with Miriam and Ginger, his presumed sisters, and nine goats. The piglets, just a few months old, reveled in their spacious pasture, … Read more

Petunia’s Pledge: Continuing Your Journey

Like so many of you, I was raised in a meat and potatoes family. Breakfast was often eggs with bacon or sausage. Lunch was a sandwich: ham and cheese, turkey, tuna, chicken salad, and meat was the centerpiece of every dinner Mom prepared. I think it’s accurate to say, in fact, that my mother never … Read more

Petunia’s Pledge: Continue Your Journey Of Compassion

On World Vegetarian Day (October 1st), we celebrate vegetarians and veg-curious folks like YOU — Let’s take the next step together! Take Petunia’s Pledge to go vegan for one month in honor of our rescued sassy queen, Petunia June. The pledge goes until World Vegan Day (November 1st) and we’ll support you every step of the way. … Read more

Opening Postponed— But We’ll Keep You Updated!

We know you’re as eager as Sister Mary Frances to gather around our Tours sign and visit the animals! When we made our decision to postpone our visiting season, we thought the world might have enough time to sort itself out. Yet there’s still so much uncertainty, and we’re not quite ready to reopen. We … Read more

Please Read This Before Starting Your Backyard Coop

“We just had a box of chicks show up, and [the whole box] is dead… This is just—happens repeatedly… Please, please do something for these poor animals.”   This spring has introduced new challenges to our sadly typical rescue request influx, as folks are not only panic-buying cleaning supplies and toilet paper, but now, it … Read more

Baby Goats Welcomed After Closure of “Humane” Farm

A few weeks ago, we received hundreds of messages about Sprout Creek, Marist College’s “humane” farm, who had announced that they were closing, citing lack of funding due in large part to COVID-19. Word spread rapidly through the Hudson Valley community that many of the animals would be going to a livestock auction earlier the … Read more

Jesse—Forever In Our Hearts

“And then around the bend [are] three calves, and my heart is again in my throat. They’re male, several months old, with bloated bellies and ears crusted with blood where metal tags have been stapled… They look at us with their immense doe eyes, all innocence…  “Why am I crying? Perhaps because this is a … Read more