Please Do Not Tap On the Glass

Today I drove 50 miles – one way – to visit Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary. They rescue non-human animals from factory farms and other bad situations, and they’re also a wildlife sanctuary. Today they celebrated the Montgomery County Farm Tour so I went for some much needed “vegan soul renewal.”

Poplar Springs is small and completely funded by donations. The animal keepers I met were very informative and clearly love their charges. I spent most of my time in the pig barn because all the pigs were asleep and needed belly rubs.

I rubbed that belly!

Before visiting the lovely pigs, though, I stopped at the food table and ordered a veg dog and chips. I recognized the man taking orders from a Sierra Club hike I was on last summer. He’s the one who told me about the Sanctuary and he volunteers there all the time.

Next, I visited the barn and yards where the rescued sheep and goats live.

Sheep and goats together!

I petted a couple of goats and got down to meet one of the younger sheep. Their wool feels so amazing when it’s where it belongs – on the sheep. She was a young one and soon got up to look for her mama.

From there I wandered past the old farmhouse that serves as offices and the site of the annual Thanksgiving With the Turkeys potluck, and on to visit the chickens and turkeys.

I petted this chicken. Then she walked off, annoyed.

Most of the birds were inside the barn because it was pretty warm out today, but I did get to see the big tom turkey in all his glory, and got up close to a guinea hen who decided she’d had enough visitors. There were a lot of little kids who wanted to pet the chickens. I wonder if their parents bothered to tell them that these animals are where chicken nuggets come from?

Chickens hiding in the trees

After visiting the chickens and turkeys I headed to the pig barn. I’d heard from one of the keepers that the cows and horses are crowd shy and had moved to the rear of their pasture. I wanted to meet the cows but some other time when it’s not a special event.

Mork greeted me as he returned from a mud bath

I headed inside the barn and there were all these pigs resting in the hay! They’re so cute and cuddly. I didn’t wait to be invited but knelt down by one and started rubbing his belly. His name is Avery.

Soon, Mork came into the barn and immediately nuzzled a woman’s leg with his muddy nose. The little kids were sort of intimidated at first but warmed up quickly to the idea of petting the pigs. One little girl let a keeper take her on a tour to meet some of the pigs resting in the back.

Mork resting; Mindy was nearby

Mork and Mindy are 6-month-old piglets who were rescued from a laboratory. They’re insanely cute. Two other pigs, Harry and Bobby, were also rescued from a lab, at Georgetown University.

I talked at length to one of the keepers about the pigs’ diet, how often they’re fed, and then we walked over to a smaller enclosure. There wasn’t a lot of room inside but there were at least 10 very big pigs in there, all cuddled together and snoring.

They're very friendly, aren't they?

These pigs were rescued in 1998 from a three-tier carrier taking them from North Carolina to slaughter. The driver abandoned the truck, and all 167 pigs, in downtown DC. Poplar Springs was called and took many of the pigs, the rest were sent to other sanctuaries. They’re all 10 years old now and don’t like to hang out much with the younger ones in the main barn. Ralph, the largest, weighs nearly 1,000 pounds!

That's Ralph with his head out the door

Soon it was time to leave but not before chatting with a volunteer. I think I’m going to apply to become a once-a-month volunteer at the Sanctuary. I love my zoo volunteer job and plan to continue talking to people about wildlife conservation and global warming pollution and how factory farming is the biggest cause of greenhouse gases and what they can do to conserve wildlife. But I need to be more active in animal rights work and helping take care of the Poplar Springs animals or helping them in their office sounds like a good place to get started.

Visit your local farm sanctuary and learn about the lives of the rescued animals. They are emotional, they feel pain and happiness, they are social and love to be loved. Remember that next time you sit down to dinner.

s.