Freedom

Freedom as a baby. He was rescued from auction, his fate to be raised and slaughtered for veal. He's only a year old now and still playful and vivacious! His poem is Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where...

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Walle's Hope

Walle is a precious turkey rescued from a "free-range" turkey farm. She has been de-toed and de-beaked, but she hasn't let her former abuse change her outlook on life, which is pretty darn positive. Her poem is Emily Dickinson's "Hope" is the thing with feathers "Hope" is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all— And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard— And sore must be the storm— That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm— I've heard it in the chillest land— And on the strangest Sea— Yet, never, in Extremity, It asked a crumb—of Me. ...

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Anastasia

Anastasia is a crested Polish hen. She was abandoned at a shelter with a deformed beak that makes it hard for her to eat. Under our care at Animal Place, she is doing well. She's a strange little bird, so her poem is Weird-Bird by Shel Sivlerstein Birds are flyin' south for winter. Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north, Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin', Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth. He says, "It's not that I like ice Or freezin' winds and snowy ground. It's just sometimes it's kind of nice To be the only bird in tow...

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Lucky The Pig

Lucky is the oldest resident of the sanctuary. He's looking for his Eldorado. Edgar Allen Poe - Eldorado Gaily bedight, A gallant knight, In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of Eldorado. But he grew old- This knight so bold- And o'er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like Eldorado. And, as his strength Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow- "Shadow," said he, "Where can it be- This land of Eldorado?" "Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade...

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Tulip

Name: Tulip Age: 2 Likes: Glaring. William Blake - The Tyger Tyger Tyger. burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat. What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp. Dare its deadly terrors clasp? When the stars threw down their spears And watered heaven with...

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Simon

Name: Simon Age: Simon passed away earlier this year. Thomas Carew - The Spring Now that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost Her snow-white robes, and now no more the frost Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream Upon the silver lake or crystal stream; But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth, And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee. Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring In triumph to the world the youthful spring. The valleys, hills, and woods in rich array Welcome the coming of the long'd-for May. Now all things smile; only my love doth...

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Lenny & Virginia

Names: Lenny & Virginia Ages: Lenny is now 2 and Virginia 9 Story: Virginia rescued from a live market slaughterhouse pregnant. Likes: Snuggling. Grazing. Avoiding human contact. William Shakespeare - Sonnet 116 Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters...

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Lord Tennyson

Name: Lord Tennyson Age: 3-yrs-old Story: Tennyson, rescued from a neglect case with 140 other roosters, hens and chicks. Likes: Sharing scratch with friends. Blocking the entrance to the barn in the evening. Alfred Lord Tennyson The Eagle He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring'd with the azure world, he stands. The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls....

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Murphy

Name: Murphy Age: 1-yr-old Likes: Head-butting Tommy, the steer. Long walks down well-trodden paths. Robert Frost The Road Not Taken TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;        5   Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,        10   And both that morning equally...

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Alice the sheep

Name: Alice Age: 1 year old Story: Raised as an FFA (Future Farmers of America) lamb. Student didn't want to send her to slaughter, rescued her instead! Likes: Pretending to be friends with people. Green grass and sweet grain. Aiden. Carl Sandburg Sheep Thousands of sheep, soft-footed, black-nosed sheep-- one by one going up the hill and over the fence--one by one four-footed pattering up and over--one by one wiggling their stub tails as they take the short jump and go over--one by one silently unless for the multitudinous drumming of their hoofs as they move on and go over-- thousands and thousands of them in the grey haze of evening just...

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Benjamin, the pig

Name: Benjamin Age: 5-yrs-old Story: Found running loose in Martinez, California. Hit by a car, suffered broken ribs. Also had mange. Likes: Staring at his blue eyes. Obviously pumpkin. Margaret Atwood Pig Song This is what you changed me to: a graypink vegetable with slug eyes, buttock incarnate, spreading like a slow turnip, a skin you stuff so you may feed in your turn, a stinking wart of flesh, a large tuber of blood which munches and bloats. Very well then. Meanwhile I have the sky, which is only half cages, I have my weed corners, I keep myself busy, singing my song of roots and noses, my song of dung. Madame, this song offends...

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Chaucer, A Rescued Rooster

Name: Chaucer Age: 2-yrs-old Story: Rescued from a neglect situation with 140 other birds. Likes: Pumpkin seeds and long walks on straw. William Shakespeare - Sonnet 29 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself, and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man's art and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee -- and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day...

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Margaret Turkey

Margaret Age: 6 years old Likes: Grapes To Daffodils Fair daffodils, we weep to see You haste away so soon: As yet the early-rising sun Has not attained his noon. Stay, stay, Until the hasting day Has run But to the evensong; And, having prayed together, we Will go with you along. We have short time to stay as you; We have as short a spring; As quick a growth to meet decay,. As you or anything. We die, As your hours do, and dry Away Like to the summer's rain; Or as to the pearls of morning's dew, Neér to be found again.&nb...

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