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Internet star "Esther the Wonder Pig" was purchased by a Toronto couple, Derek Walter and Steve Jenkins, who were told she was a "mini-pig." Esther is, in fact, a commercially bred sow and she now weighs nearly seven hundred pounds. After learning about factory farming, Esther's Dads Steve and Derek decided to go vegan and ultimately founded the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada in 2014. Since it began, Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary has been dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected, and abandoned farmed animals. Their goal is to provide a safe, life-long home for all of their residents, and to educate the public about the true nature of farmed animals through tours, volunteer programs, and community outreach.
turkey careturkey healthturkey signs of concern

Daily Observation For Turkey Health And Well-Being

Can you differentiate between "normal" and potentially concerning signs when observing turkeys?
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care protocolspig healthsigns of concern

Daily Observation For Pig Health And Well-Being

Close daily observation is an important caregiving tool. Do you know what to be on the lookout for when it comes to observing pigs?
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goose caregoose healthsigns of concern

Daily Observation For Goose Health And Well-Being

Do you know how to differentiate between normal and concerning when observing goose residents?
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duck careduck healthduck signs of concern

Daily Observation For Duck Health And Well-Being

Do you know how to differentiate between normal and concerning when observing duck residents?
A lamb eats fresh spring grass in the sun.
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Spring Green Pastures: Managing Resident Consumption

This is a mini introductory resource on spring pasture-related health issues, briefly covering things to look out for and precautions to take to ensure residents stay happy and healthy this spring!
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disease preventionpoliciesquarantinesafety

Biosecurity Part 1: Introduction

An introduction to biosecurity.
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Donatedonationsupport

Support The Open Sanctuary Project’s Six For Six Campaign!

Celebrate six years of The Open Sanctuary Project by supporting our mission!
An image of a person's arm resting on a desk, writing on forms. A coffee mug is in the background.
FundraisingGrants

Developing A Grant Program At Your Animal Sanctuary

Learn about to build a grant program into your animal organization's fundraising activities!
An image of a small white feather on a black background. The feather has a fluffy end near the quill, and the top is tightly organized.
Anatomy And CareBird CareFeathers

How Do Feathers Work, And What Can They Tell You? An Introduction For Your Animal Organization

Learn all about feather anatomy and what feathers can tell you about the health and well-being of avian residents at your animal sanctuary
An image of a printing press printing newspapers.
MediaOutreach

An Introduction To Navigating Media Coverage For Your Animal Organization

To learn about the costs and benefits of media coverage, and how you can maximize your messaging, read on!
A small cria (baby alpaca) stands in the middle of a bright green field and prepares to defecate.
alpaca healthcria healthllama health

Advanced Topics In Cria Health: Diarrhea

This resource covers potential causes of diarrhea in cria residents as well as, preventative measures.
The background of this image is light aqua blue. There is a yellow frame bordering the entire image. There is a white cloud illustration in the bottom right corner. There is a pink and yellow butterfly illustration flying above the cloud. There is another pink and yellow butterfly illustration flying to the left of the cloud. The text on the image says "Five Ways to Combat Biases that Harm Farmed Animals at Your Animal Sanctuary".
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5 Ways to Combat Biases that Harm Farmed Animals Infographic

This handy infographic covers five ways sanctuary educators can help folks who visit their educational spaces avoid and overcome biases that can negatively impact farmed animals.
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animal enrichmentenrichment

5 Enrichment Questions To Get You Started Infographic

Are you wanting to add enrichment to your general care routine but don't know where to start? If so, this infographic simplifies it!
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Conflict Support For Your Animal Organization: Part 2 Building Transformative Relationships: Tools for Challenging Dominant Culture in Everyday Interactions

For tips on improving interpersonal relationships so that your organization can build a community of accountability and trust, read on
Open Sanctuary Health Documentation
Legalrecord keepingrecords

The Importance Of Regular Health Documentation For Animal Sanctuary Residents

Why is health documentation so important for animal sanctuary residents?
A reddish brown mother horse eats grass with her foal resting beside her.
equine nutritionhorse nutritionhorse pregnancy

Nutritional Considerations For Pregnant And Lactating Mares

Ultimately, this resource seeks to provide caregivers with a foundational understanding of nutritional requirements they can use when they speak with an experienced veterinarian or equine nutritionist about appropriate diets for pregnant or lactating mare residents.
Elijah enjoys some supervised time outdoors. Photo: Rocky Schwartz
baby turkeyturkey chick careturkey chick foodturkey chick healthturkey poults

Care Recommendations For Turkey Chicks

Nutritional, living space, and social recommendations for turkey chicks in an animal sanctuary environment!
An image of a road leading through a field to a wide horizon.
Conflict SupportgovernanceTransformative Justice

Conflict Support For Your Animal Organization Part 1: Understanding Dominant Culture, How It Shapes Our Behaviors And Envisioning Alternatives

Need support in coping with conflict at your animal organization? Check out the first part of our series on conflict support here!
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CollaborationCooperationVeterinariansveterinary care

Building And Maintaining A Good Relationship Between Your Animal Sanctuary And Veterinarians

Your relationship with your veterinarian is one of the most important for the sake of your residents. How can you ensure that you keep that relationship strong into the future?
A few minutes to suit up far outweighs the risks!
IsolationOrganizational Policyquarantine

Establishing Safe And Effective Quarantine And Isolation Protocols For Your Animal Sanctuary

The hows and whys of creating an effective quarantine policy for your residents at an animal sanctuary
A graphic with violet background has a road split into left and right. There is a sign on a wooden post with "Compassion" pointing right and "Exploitation" pointing left. Above "Animal Welfare" sits above the scene. A person with long purple hair in a yellow sweater smiles and point right.
animal careanimal welfareanimal welfare science

How Animal Welfare Relates In A Sanctuary Environment

What is animal welfare? How does it apply to sanctuaries?

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