We are Hiring for Animal Caretakers!

We are looking to expand our team of both small and large animal caretakers. We need energetic, dedicated people who want to join our mission and care for animals who have nowhere else to go but who have so much love to give.

Your August Newsletter is Now Available!

See what our cats have to say and what they want you to know. Our August newsletter is devoted to what is happening on the farm from the cats’ perspective.There is lots going on here and lots to share with you.

Download Your Copy 

Major Renovations

To all our visitors and supporters. We are undergoing major renovations to our entire small animal facility that will start Monday and last through at least October. We ask for your patience as we try to schedule and accommodate tours. For those of you visiting for our Purrfect Readers Program, there may be some limitations of what rooms you can visit on certain days.

To do these renovations, all of the cats will need to be removed from their rooms for several weeks. The job will be done in phases which will involve 4 cat rooms at a time. To accomplish this, we have had large temporary cat rooms built in the middle of our hall. Cats from the first bank of rooms have now moved in this weekend. They have settled in very well and seem to love their temporary digs. We think they will be even more excited when they see their new rooms when they are finished.

These renovations include a complete remodel of both their rooms and enclosed porches. New roof, new floors, new walls, whole new porches, new heating/cooling system, new lighting, and some structural fixes that have to be made to a 30 year old pole barn structure. It is a mammoth project that will take the entire summer and then some. We will keep you posted as we move along.

All work is being done centered around what causes the least amount of stress for the animals. So please be patient if we have restrictions on which animals can be visited on a tour etc.

Here are some photos of the temporary cat rooms in the middle of the hall.

Looking down on the structure from our balcony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view as you enter our small animal facility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary Room 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary Room 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary Room 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary Room 4

The Spirit of Christmas

Our next uplifting story is about another donor who arrived the day after Christmas with a whole load of donations from items off of our wish list. There were donations for every species of animal that we have in the sanctuary. This donation came with a beautiful card and a most touching story.

This person bought all of the items being donated and she carefully wrapped them all with tags for her various family members. Imagine opening up a gift of a horse water bucket or a case of paper towels and wondering …. Huh, what is this for? But each gift for each family member came with a letter. This is what the letter said:

“You may all be wondering what on earth these gifts are for!

As I sat one night enjoying the Christmas lights and decorations I had put up, I began to think about Christmas growing up. I remembered the big family dinners, the Christmas trees, lights, cookies, and of course getting ready for Santa and presents. It seemed like it was weeks long of parties with family and friends.

As I got a little older, the parties became smaller as family had passed on, friends came and friends went, Santa was no longer, family had changed. The miracle of Christmas I became to see in a different light, as a child it is about gifts and presents and Santa. Now, I truly realize it is about spending time with family and friends, a time to enjoy each moment with those that are current in your life and realize people come into your life and leave your life. There is no knowing or time frame of when any of that will happen. It is a time to reflect on how thankful I am for all of you, and how much I appreciate who I am as a person. The true miracle and meaning of Christmas cannot be wrapped, it is truly something you feel.

Each of us have been blessed with health, happiness, family, friends, and the ability to provide for our families

This year I decided that for Christmas I wanted to give everyone the gift of giving. In a donation in each and everyone’s name (Pets too!) all these items will be brought to the Spring Farm CARES Animal Sanctuary in Clinton. They are a refuge for animals that have not been as lucky as I have been to have a loving, caring family that is always there by my side supporting me. With these gifts we will be giving these animals a Christmas miracle, love, care, happiness and support for them as you all have and will continue to do for me.

Merry Christmas! With love always and forever….”

This donor writes in her card to us – “The true meaning of Christmas was felt throughout our home.”

We thank this family for sharing that true meaning of Christmas throughout our sanctuary too. It was felt by animals and humans alike. Kindness truly makes a difference.

The Spirit of Giving

Every single donation that we get here is important to us for so many reasons. Often we get donations with notes that read, “I so wish I could do more. I hope this small donation helps a little.” The truth is there is no such thing as a donation that is small. Your support isn’t just about money. It is also the giving that is behind the donation. It is your love and thoughts and prayers. It is in short, what you give from your heart. All of that matters – greatly.

We would like to share with you two donors who truly epitomize the ideal of giving. We will do them in two separate posts. We are keeping these donors anonymous because neither of them gave what they did for recognition. They gave selflessly for the sake of giving to another. And we would like to honor that ideal.

The first story is about a donor who is just 13 years old. She has never even been to Spring Farm as she lives in Michigan. She first started sponsoring animals on our website about two years ago. She saved up her allowance from work she does at home, and she would sponsor an animal for each $100 she saved up.  She is a remarkable young lady. She has asked to remain anonymous because she has learned that true giving is not asking for recognition in return. Over the years, the sponsorships just keep coming. We have been deeply touched by her love and generosity.

This year, she sponsored animals continuously all year. And then we got an email from her that she was going to be sending us sponsorships/donations for what she called the 10 days of Christmas. You see, she had saved up $1,000. She was trying for the 12 days of Christmas and ten is what she had. We were stunned. Her mother let us know that this young lady had worked incredibly hard all year, not just at home, but also with a job that she obtained earlier this year. Every penny of her earnings were dedicated to Spring Farm CARES. Not only that, she also asked that all her birthday and Christmas gifts were given to her to donate to the animals as well. Each day for 10 days she sponsored an animal or donated towards a specific project here. And then, just before Christmas, she contacted us that she had an eleventh and twelfth day of Christmas. Her mother later told us that she was given an unexpected bonus from her job and she was then able to  fulfill her 12 days of Christmas donations.

Her goal is to sponsor every one of the SFC animals at least once. She is well on her way. What an amazing person. What a caring and giving heart. We are beyond grateful for all that she does. She is an example of what giving and compassion and kindness are all about.

Stories From The Magic Years Available Now

Our Latest Book – Stories From The Magic Years is Now Available

Stories from THE MAGIC YEARS
A Thirty-Year Interspecies Conversation
celebrating the Thirtieth Anniversary of Spring Farm CARES – 1991-2021
This an amazing book! We, ourselves, did not realize just how amazing it would be until we began to re-read thirty years of letters and newsletters to you–our friends, students, and supporters–and to remember sometimes forgotten events and details from thirty magical, often other-worldly, miracle years. Many of you have been with us every step of the way! Many of you read and loved the stories in these newsletters way back when. You, too, will again laugh, cry, thrill, cry out in amazement, and be inspired as you re-read these stories and remember the wonderful, often Master, animal teachers and friends who have graced our lives and yours. While those of you who have joined us somewhere along the way are in for a heart-warming and soul-inspiring experience.
There is no book that has ever been written—or that could have been, or could ever be, written–like this thirty-year chronicle of continuous conversations, comradery, companionship and spiritual communication between human beings and animals. For, as you know, Spring Farm CARES is the world’s only living, breathing, daily-functioning sanctuary dedicated to carrying on a dialogue between humans and animals and then sharing that dialogue with you.
(This 8 x 10 book is over 475 pages and is filled with over 340 photographs)
Where is it Available?
Please note that in prior communications advertising the release of this book, we had anticipated the price to be much cheaper than what Amazon has it listed for now. The list price is correct. Due to the size of the book, and the many photographs, the printing cost ended up being much higher than we anticipated. We apologize for the confusion.
E-Book: Stories from THE MAGIC YEARS is available on Kindle, and Smashwords
and will soon be available on Nook.
Paperback is Available on Amazon.com

Open Letter to Person Who Abandoned Dog in our Parking Lot

On Sunday, November 14, someone callously and cruelty abandoned a dog in our parking lot. The person has since been found, and the case has been turned over to law enforcement for investigation. The dog is safe. But before we knew all of that, Dawn posted an open letter on behalf of the dog on our Facebook Page. That letter has circulated around the world having been shared nearly 16,000 times as of this writing. We have been asked to share the letter on our blog as well.

Thank you to all who care!

I’d like to address this post to the person who dumped a dog in our parking lot Sunday, November 14th at about 6pm. I know you saw your dog frantically running in front of your car as you tried to pull out. You saw her anxiously running in circles in the parking lot as you pulled out without her. But as you then drove off like nothing happened, your dog went through something that she just cannot comprehend and neither, frankly, can we.
It is illegal in New York State to abandon an animal. So what you did is against the law. But more importantly, it was truly a heartless act. What you didn’t see is that your dog panicked after you left. Our staff was leaving about that time, which we believe you knew. You probably thought that our staff would find her and rescue her and there would be a happy ending. But, sadly, she panicked and, scared out of her head, she ran away from everyone. We had to back off so that she wouldn’t go into the busy highway. We lost her in the dark. Several of us tried but we couldn’t find her and she ran off in her terror and confusion.
We do know that a while later, she took off down the highway in the direction where she watched your car go. She was trying to find you. It was dark and raining and cold. We could see cars pull over as people tried to catch her. But no one could. Luckily, at some point she came back here, hoping you’d be back for her. How she managed to avoid getting killed in the highway is a miracle. There was nearly a car accident as people tried to avoid her. But she made it back here to the farm again hoping she’d see you here.
She still would not let us near her. But she huddled up against a door, under an overhang, trying desperately to stay out of the rain. We managed to get food out to her and a blanket – even though she ran off again. We prayed she’d return to that doorway. And she did. As soon as she saw the blanket, she tucked herself in a tiny ball trying to get warm. We checked on her all through the night. She still would not let us near her. She was terrified and shivering. I cannot even begin to tell you how helpless we felt. And that helplessness slowly grew as the night went on.
I can tell you that while you left having done what you felt you needed to do, we spent hours trying to help your dog. I stayed up most of the night watching our security cameras in hopes that at first light we could talk her in and get her to safety. She stayed huddled on that blanket clinging for warmth all night. It is a testament to her intelligence. You see, your irresponsibleness suddenly became our responsibility and even though we couldn’t touch her or get her inside, we stayed with her the only way we could through the dark, cold, and snowy night.
At daybreak she stirred from her little nest. She heard a vehicle drive into our parking lot. It was a workman. I knew that. But I watched her as her ears perked up and she sat upright. Her momentary burst of joy and relief. You see, she thought it was you coming back for her. She broke into a run towards the parking lot. About two thirds of the way down, she slowed way down, watching. Then she stopped. Her ears went down, her tail tucked under her once again, and she ran off the opposite direction. It wasn’t you and again she panicked.
But your former dog is incredibly smart. She was scared. But she reached deep down inside and followed her heart. We had food out and she ate. And then she came to the door of our facility and stood at the door looking in. We opened the door and she very timidly stepped in. She had found safety. She is so incredibly lucky.
Today, we are trying to help her through her despair of being abandoned by you. She is devastated. She doesn’t understand what she did to deserve this. She has no idea where you went or why you left her behind. We have now picked up the responsibility you once had to care for her. We will see her through to whatever comes next for her. But we thought you’d like to know what happened after you left. Because somewhere we know there is a part of you that does care. If you can learn one thing from this, know that animals love unconditionally and without judgement. Their hearts are pure. And they assume ours are too. So the pain in discovering that isn’t always true is a devastating blow. She will learn to trust again. I hope you understand what you threw away. And I hope you learn to be more responsible with another’s heart in the future.

Special Message from Co-Founder, Dawn

I’m asking for a few minutes of your time for a deeply personal message from me (Dawn Hayman, Co-founder).

Halloween always has a deep emotional charge for us here at Spring Farm CARES. October 31, 1993 was a day like any other day here on the farm. Except it was a day that changed the course of our lives and altered our path forever. There was a freak snow storm that night that dumped over 14 inches of wet heavy snow. We tucked our 30 small animals in for the night and prepared ourselves for a morning of contending with shoveling snow and getting to the barn to care for our 35 horses. But at 11:45pm, a car hit a telephone pole a few miles down the road from us and sent a power spike up the line. It stopped at the end of the line which was our old dairy barn that was renovated into offices, small animal quarters, and our living quarters. We lost everything in a mere 20 minutes. The fire was so intense that it melted our refrigerator into oblivion. We lost 27 dear animal souls that night. Thank God the firefighters were able to save our horse barn. We evacuated the 35 horses into the snowy night and they all survived. Bonnie and I got out with the clothes on our backs and nothing else. All but three of our beloved dogs, cats, and parakeets were gone. I cannot possibly express the devastating loss this was.

But the sun rose again the next morning and Bonnie and I were suddenly faced with a major decision. We could call it quits. Or we could start all over. Both of us knew the answer from deep within our hearts and souls. We would move forward and start again. Only, this time, we were wiser. We had an opportunity to grow from our mistakes. We would build again but we would do so from a strength we didn’t even understand we had at the time.

None of this could have happened without the enormous outpouring of support from our supporters and our community. To this day, we hold that deep gratitude in all that we do. There is amazing generosity and kindness in this world. I know because I see it all the time. People began to show up the next day with donations of clothing and daily items that you don’t even think about until you suddenly don’t have them. And people began to send donations. But as importantly, people started sending us letters and messages to not give up. Sometimes it is hard to find hope. But hope is always there underneath the ash. And we began digging through that ash with all our might. And hope was there. At first it was just a little spark, but it began to grow. We have nurtured that hope over the years and it has made us so much stronger.

I felt it was time to honor the memory of those we lost 28 years ago today, and to take a moment and remember the depth of gratitude we have for all of you. Spring Farm CARES would not be the place we are today without having gone through that very difficult tragedy. But out of the flames, we rose like the Phoenix.

Please do not lose heart in this world. We are going through tough times… all of us. But we can come together and rise together. We can come together out of kindness and compassion and love. We can join together in peace and forgiveness. And we can transform this Earth into the deep healing that is needed. We all have the power and ability to do this. All of us have a choice all the time…. Give up and call it quits…. Or move on, stronger and better. Please don’t give up.

I hope you will join us in moving forward, just as we know we can do. Because life is precious. Every single moment is a blessing. And it is up to each of us to make that moment the kindest and most loving that we can.

Please don’t give up on hope.

Thank you for listening. And thank you for being here with us. We are beyond grateful.

Dawn