Bari Johnson, Animal Caregiver
During my freshman year in college back in 2007, our class was visited by animal rights activist, Gary Yourofsky. His educational talk and video he shot and made himself of the conditions of factory farms completely altered me. I went fully vegan the first day of 2008. After that, I switched my career path from chemistry to animal rights philosophy.
My goal was to go to law school and use my merit to push for animal rights.
I ended up working as a paralegal for about six years and decided the legal field wasn’t for me, and I also discovered the beauty and sanctity of farm sanctuaries. I decided to fly to NYC and visit Woodstock back in 2013, and was introduced to a new path of animal liberation. In 2017 I moved to NYC from Florida and began working in the city as a bike messenger. In 2024, I moved to Kingston, NY where I was determined to work and volunteer on a farm sanctuary. Woodstock provided me an internship for a month and I realized how the work filled my soul and I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else. From there I led with curiosity to apply as an Animal Caregiver at Catskill Animal Sanctuary and it led me right where I was dreaming to be, tending to rescued farm animals and practicing the compassion I crave to see in others.