Rescue
We accept rescue intakes of farm animals in partnership with local animal control, humane investigators, neighboring sanctuaries, and individual surrenders we can responsibly support. Intake decisions are made based on the animal’s welfare needs and our current capacity — we’ll always say no rather than overcrowd.
Our priority intake is the animals other sanctuaries can’t take in — seniors who need quiet pasture and pain management, animals with medical or special needs who require ongoing care, and bonded pairs who must not be separated. These residents take more time, more patience, and more skilled care; they also tend to be the ones with the deepest stories.
What rescue looks like in practice: a transport plan, a veterinary intake exam, a quarantine period, a thoughtful introduction to existing residents, and a permanent place at the farm. We share each rescue story publicly so donors can see exactly where their support went.
Sanctuary residency
Every animal who comes to Sleepy Tales Farm Sanctuary stays for life. That commitment is not negotiable. It shapes how we budget, build, and plan: shelter sized for old age, pasture rotated for health, pain management protocols built in from day one, and end-of-life care delivered with the same dignity the rest of the residency receives.
Day-to-day sanctuary work is small, repetitive, and unglamorous — mucking out, hoof trims, daily welfare checks, vet visits, slow afternoons in the pasture. It’s also the foundation on which everything else stands.
Backyard conservation
The conservation half of our work meets people where they actually live: in their yards. We design and demonstrate native-plant beds, pollinator pathways, and bird-friendly landscape practices on the sanctuary grounds, then help visitors translate what they’ve seen to their own homes.
Programs include guided habitat tours, plant identification walks, native plant starts and seed swaps, and one-on-one backyard consultations. We track outcomes simply: how many yards, how many square feet, how many pollinator species recorded.
Education & visits
We host school groups, scout troops, community visiting days, and adult workshops — small enough that visitors actually meet the animals, slow enough that learning happens. Curriculum is age-appropriate, animal-welfare-centered, and explicitly tied to take-home conservation actions.
Future plans include immersive overnight retreats, longer-form artist and naturalist residencies, and community workdays.
Get involved Meet our residents