Episode Notes
Community Education Specialist Andie and Dr. Emily Tronetti of the Institute for Human Education discuss agency-centered sanctuary education and its connection to off-site programming. Andie and Emily explore the crucial considerations sanctuaries should make before planning and facilitating any off-site educational program with residents. They also discuss the essential factors that sanctuary educators must consider before and during the event to ensure resident safety and support their agency off-site at all times. Finally, they highlight some of the ways sanctuary educators can provide engaging and enriching educational opportunities at off-site outreachAn activity or campaign to share information with the public or a specific group. Typically used in reference to an organization’s efforts to share their mission. events without including the residents’ physical presence
This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:
- Compassionate Wildlife Practices At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Compassionate Wildlife Practices At Your Sanctuary Infographic | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Managing Requests to Take In and Help an Animal Outside the Scope of Your Sanctuary’s MissionThe stated goals and activities of an organization. An animal sanctuary’s mission is commonly focused on objectives such as animal rescue and public advocacy. | The Open Sanctuary Project
- BiosecurityMerck Veterinary Manual defines biosecurity as ”the implementation of measures that reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of disease agents [pathogens].” Part 1: Introduction | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Biosecurity Part 2: Creating And Implementing A Biosecurity Plan | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Going Green: Your Animal Sanctuary and The Environment | The Open Sanctuary Project
- Determining Your Animal Sanctuary’s Capacity For Responsible Care | The Open Sanctuary Project
- How To Create An Effective Rescue Policy For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
Episode Transcript (Auto-GeneratedThe following content was transcribed through an automated process and may contain transcription errors or misspellings.)
Andie Springirth: Welcome to the Open Sanctuary Podcast, accessible conversations with the staff of the Open Sanctuary Project for the humans of sanctuaries, rescues, and those looking to get more involved with helping animals. Welcome back to another episode of the Open Sanctuary Podcast. I am Andie Springirth, the Open Sanctuary Project’s community education specialist, and today, Dr. Emily Tronetti is back to chat more with me about fostering farmed animalA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. agency and sanctuary education. For those who have missed our previous episodes on this topic, the guide on fostering farmed animal agency and sanctuary education was originally developed by Dr. Emily Tronetti in collaboration with the Open Sanctuary Project as part of her dissertation, which led her to graduate with an Ed.D. specializing in humane education from the Institute for Humane Education and Antioch University. She is now the community connection specialist for the Institute for Humane Education and an adjunct professor at Canisius University. Dr. Emily Tronetti, thank you so much for joining me in this conversation again. In today’s episode, we are going to talk about agency-centered sanctuary education and its relationship to off-site programming. If you have not already listened to the first three episodes we have released related to fostering farmed animal agency, I encourage you to do that first so that you can develop a fuller understanding of what we mean by agency and why it is so important to nurture in our sanctuary spaces. We will include those three episodes in the show notes for easy access. During our last episode together, Dr. Emily Tronetti and I spoke about specific agency-supportive practices that sanctuaries can implement in their on-site educational endeavors to nurture the well-being of the residents and increase the effectiveness of their programming.
But some sanctuaries may be considering bringing residents to off-site events to bolster their education and outreach efforts and want to know what specific agency-supportive practices they can implement in this particular context as well. Before we begin to talk about agency-supportive practices that are relevant in off-site contexts, I want to underscore the importance of thinking very critically about the decision of whether or not to do something like this in the first place. Since our top priority as sanctuaries is the safety and well-being of the residents, it is critically important that they consent and feel safe throughout every single part of this process. Dr. Emily Tronetti, what are some of the crucial considerations that sanctuaries should make prior to planning and facilitating any sort of off-site educational program with residents in tow?
Dr. Emily Tronetti: I think the most essential thing to consider is how you will interpret and determine whether or not a resident is consenting to traveling and being brought off-site. There are many elements that make up these off-site experiences that residents must be comfortable with, such as the transportation process, being in a different and often unpredictable environment, and interacting with unfamiliar people. While some residents might be comfortable with each of these, others are not comfortable with these kinds of experiences. Determining whether a resident consents to partaking in such experiences requires a very careful understanding of their behavior and body language as well as consistent monitoring for non-consent, such as hiding or retreating from interactions or general signs of stress. There might also be other negative health implications of going off-site that should be considered and monitored.
Something that is so critical to this decision-making process is reflecting on our assumptions and checking our biases. We have to ensure that our desire to take an animal off-site does not cloud our ability to judge whether or not it is something that the resident wants. This is not always a particularly easy task. Another important question we should ask ourselves is whether or not bringing them off-site is truly to their benefit or even necessary. If you are able to determine that a resident is clearly saying no, it is really important to respect that decision. If you are not sure or if you are unable to determine whether a resident is saying yes or no, that should be interpreted as a no. In other words, when it comes to consent, the lack of a clear yes should be considered a no, and it is important to respect that as well.
Andie Springirth: Yes, thank you for mentioning that. I would also just like to chime in here to briefly mention to our audience that in our last episode related to agency, titled Fostering Farmed Animal Agency and Sanctuary Education, Part Two, Dr. Emily Tronetti and I shared a lot of helpful guidance on how to deepen our understanding of species-specific and individual behavior and body language so that we can better determine whether a resident consents to partaking in a particular experience or not. As a gentle reminder, farmed animalsA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. offer consent or denial of consent through mostly nonverbal communicative cues. Interpreting non-human animal consent does not come naturally to us humans, which is why it is incredibly important that sanctuary educators interpret all resident behavior and body language as mindfully as possible. Please do take a careful listen to that episode if you have not yet. We also encourage you to reflect on some of these important questions to aid you in this particular process.
What are the communicative cues that your resident expresses that indicate they consent to doing things like leaving their living spaceThe indoor or outdoor area where an animal resident lives, eats, and rests., getting into and being secured in a vehicle, and being in a new environment and interacting with new people? Also, what are the communicative cues or signs of stress that indicate that they are no longer consenting to these experiences? Clearly identifying and appropriately responding to these cues is essential. Unlike some mandatory interactions at sanctuaries between caregivers and residents for things like medical care, each step of the process of going off-site for some kind of educational or outreach endeavor should be entirely up to the residents.
Dr. Emily Tronetti, in the event that someone is able to determine that a resident is clearly saying yes to going off-site with them, what are some important factors that sanctuary educators must consider prior to and during the event? In other words, what are some of the best practices for ensuring resident safety and supporting their agency off-site?
Dr. Emily Tronetti: For residents who do truly enjoy traveling and meeting new people, it is crucial to ensure that the setting away from home is comfortable and safe for them prior to bringing them there. We have to check the event site and the weather beforehand and plan accordingly. Is it going to be hot and sunny? Is there shade for the residents? Is the site close to home? I think proximity to home is important for a number of reasons, such as for ease of returning home if conditions change. By conditions, I do not just mean weather conditions, but also resident conditions.
If they start to display signs of not feeling well or simply not enjoying the event anymore, it means that it is time to take them home. In order to pick up on this, it requires that humans traveling with the resident know the resident and that they have a deep understanding of their individual and species-specific needs, as well as what non-consent, distress, agitation, or frustration look like for that animal. We also should determine if a resident would prefer to travel with a companion and, if so, make sure that all are comfortable at all times to ensure a safe and stress-free transportation and off-site experience. Throughout that off-site process, we should be able to maintain a regular food and water routine. Routines can be really important for farmed animals and their well-being.
Another thing that comes up during the planning process and during the off-site event is that it is vital to carefully consider the sounds, sights, smells, and other sensations that residents will be exposed to and take measures to prevent sensory over-stimulation. Safe spaces should be provided for them to retreat and hide at all times. Likewise, we should offer opportunities for decompression and provide space and time for undisturbed rest. If we are noticing a resident off-site is retreating or hiding often, or if they are requiring a significant amount of time to rest and decompress, we need to reflect on whether the event is too stimulating or stressful, or if we are spending too much time away from home. When we are off-site with a resident, we must also teach each person who engages with the resident how to ask for their consent.
Just because a resident is consenting to interacting with one person does not mean that they are going to consent to interacting with another person. You can find more information on how to do this on page 30 of the guide to fostering farmed animal agency and sanctuary education. In general, the same consent-based practices for on-site experiences and interactions should be applied off-site. In each interaction that we facilitate with residents, we should ask ourselves if the interaction is supporting or suppressing resident agency. If we determine that their agency is being suppressed, we should ask in what ways we can support this resident’s agency instead. I also just want to reiterate how important it is to be prepared to go home at any moment if that is what the resident wants or needs. I know that this can be challenging in an event context, but it is so important to the resident’s well-being and their agency. We also need to supervise them at all times, making sure that we are avoiding any potential dangers. We should implement protocols to prevent an escape and have species-specific and individual-specific first aid kits on hand in case of emergencies. These are just some of the many critical considerations to make. There are likely even more potential factors specific to your individual circumstances and residents that should be considered by you and your team to plan accordingly. Everything can change, including how the residents feel depending on the day, the season, or even the moment. Andie Springirth, are there any other factors that you would like to share for agency-centered sanctuary educators to consider?
Andie Springirth: At the Open Sanctuary Project, we also strongly advise folks not to bring any residents who are at any increased risk of stress, illness, or injury off-site except for the purpose of healthcare or emergency. This includes those who are already sick or injured, babies, elderly residents, animals with general anxiety, and new rescues, among others. We also advise against bringing any species who are at an increased risk due to biosecurity threats, such as HPAI or RHD, outside of their homes and allowing them to interact with human visitors. This ensures their safety as well as the safety of the humans involved. As you have heard, there is a lot to take into account when you are determining whether or not to take a resident off-site for an education or outreach endeavor.
As a general guiding principle, if there is even the slightest bit of concern for their physical or mental well-being and safety before and during the event, or if they are not expressing clear consent to go and remain off-site at any time, they should not be taken away or kept from their home for any reason except for the purpose of healthcare and emergency. To round out our conversation today, it would be helpful to highlight some of the ways that sanctuary educators can provide engaging and enriching educational opportunities at off-site outreach events that do not require the resident’s physical presence, since we often determine that bringing them off-site is not to their benefit or truly necessary. One of my personal favorites is sharing stories paired with compelling media that connects the audience to the residents.
For example, showing photos and videos of the residents just being who they are at the sanctuary can be engaging and meaningful. I have a video of my friend Pearl the sheep very cutely demonstrating her agency and consent as she interacts with me that I often share in educational contexts, and it seems to be impactful. This particular video is linked in the guide on page 31 if our listeners would like to check it out. Another really great option is virtual field trips. Virtual field trips can connect the public to farmed animals in a way that is more considerate of their agency. There are often residents who are comfortable with the sanctuary educators they have built trusted relationships with over time, but who do not prefer to interact with unfamiliar humans.
Virtual field trips are a great way to share a resident’s experience and story with the public in a way that respects their agency and consent. As we are doing this, we can talk transparently about why we have chosen not to bring residents off-site as a way to bring awareness to the importance of farmed animal agency and consent and to model how the sanctuary prioritizes the residents’ needs and preferences. Dr. Emily Tronetti, what are some of your favorite ways to engage folks and connect them with farmed animals during off-site education that does not rely on the physical presence of residents?
Dr. Emily Tronetti: I love this question; thank you for asking. Before I share one of my favorite ways, I want to echo that it is important to model how the sanctuary prioritizes residents’ needs and preferences. We talk about this in our agency resources and in fostering empathy. I want to underscore the importance, especially with virtual education events, that we are in fact modeling the behavior that we want others to emulate. If you are approaching a resident while video recording for a field trip, make sure that you are also engaging in agency-centered practices.
It is important to demonstrate that because people are watching, especially younger folks and adults, and they are picking up on that behavior whether or not you are explicitly saying it. You want to make sure the way you are engaging with them is always agency-centered.
Andie Springirth: Thank you for sharing that, Dr. Emily Tronetti. For me personally, I really love facilitating off-site workshops or lessons that engage folks in experiences that allow them to embody the perspectives and experiences of farmed animals. Storytelling is an absolutely lovely way to do this. Another of my personal favorites is getting folks to engage in roleplay and imaginatively assume the role of a particular animal in a process called embodied simulation. It is a powerful form of empathy building that involves kinesthetically or physically taking on the identity of an animal based on observation, video footage, a guided visualization, or species-specific knowledge, and then acting or interacting with others or the environment as that animal.
Scientifically speaking, this process actually activates our mirror neurons and helps us better understand the motor intentions and perceptions of an animal simply by moving like they do. To give a couple of concrete examples, some sanctuary educators incorporate this type of roleplay for negative animal experiences, such as crowding several participants inside a tiny space to help them understand what it might be like as a hen trapped inside a battery cage. However, this exercise can also be incredibly powerful when we have people simulate positive animal experiences, such as mimicking a cowWhile "cow" can be defined to refer exclusively to female cattle, at The Open Sanctuary Project we refer to domesticated cattle of all ages and sexes as "cows." walking in the grass, wagging their tail, and feeling a light breeze, or a bunny running around doing binkies in the air. Roleplay and embodied simulation can really help folks engage in perspective-taking and imagine the feelings and emotions of farmed animals.
Research has shown that perspective-taking activities are at the core of empathy development and are much more impactful than simply showing images. I would also like to ask our listeners what some of the ways are that you provide engaging educational opportunities for folks to connect with your residents and mission without them being physically present. Dr. Emily Tronetti and I would truly love to hear from you; please share your ideas so that we can potentially showcase them to other folks in our community. Well folks, that is where Dr. Emily Tronetti and I are going to leave you today. We hope this conversation has been helpful for you and your community. Dr. Emily Tronetti, as always, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast again.
Dr. Emily Tronetti: Thank you so much for having me, Andie Springirth; it is always a pleasure.
Andie Springirth: Thank you. For our listeners, if you are interested in checking out the fully downloadable guide that this episode was based on, please check out the show notes for a link or you can go to our website at www.opensanctuary.org and type “a guide to fostering farmed animal agency in sanctuary education” in the search bar. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please get in touch with us via the contact page on our website or via social media. We would love to hear how you are implementing agency-centered education and practices at your sanctuary. Please stay tuned for a few more conversations with Dr. Emily Tronetti and me on agency and education; our next episodes will focus on ways to explicitly teach others about farmed animal agency.
Before we go, I would also like to briefly mention that Dr. Emily Tronetti and I will be facilitating a webinar on agency-centered sanctuary education via Zoom on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Part one will go from 1:30 to 2:30 and consists of a 45-minute presentation and a 10-minute general Q&A session exploring the importance of farmed animal agency and consent. This will be followed by a 15-minute intermission, and then part two will go from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. and consists of a 45-minute interactive group reflection. This event is being hosted by the Open Sanctuary Project on Zoom; you can find the link to register by checking our recent Instagram or Facebook posts, emailing us via our contact page, or emailing me directly at andie@opensanctuary.org. We are offering it free of charge, but we hope you will consider making a donation when you register if you can. During the presentation, we will have closed captions and provide downloadable links to all slides and supporting materials. We will record and post part one to the website, but part two will not be recorded. Thank you so much again for joining us, and until next time, we hope you and your community stay well.
