Meet the animals
Paisley:
Paisley was pulled off a slaughter-bound truck in Louisiana on Christmas Eve 2016. She was transported to us in Maine, underground-railroad style, by a series of kind, horse-rescuers. Here, she joined her forever home with Ella and Beau. Paisley has an unknown history that resulted in two separate brand markings and a mouth full of broken and missing teeth. She is a sweet spirit and enjoys trail rides, afternoon naps, and rolling in mud.
Ella:
Ella came home from college in Montana with my daughter, Olivia. She is a petite mustang with a jumbo personality. Here she is out on a walk with our youngest farm hand, Olivia’s daughter, then age 4 years.
Babe:
Like most male calves, Babe was taken from his mother as a newborn and was destined to become veal. On his way to slaughter, he was “down” in the truck and the driver agreed to give him to a horse-rescue friend. She nursed him back to health and we brought him to the farm when he was a few months old. Since steers are herd animals and you really can’t have just one, we soon found him a buddy named Peanut. Babe gets most excited by fresh shavings and Paisley.
Peanut:
Peanut was born to be a pulling steer but failed to thrive as a baby and was lovingly cared for and nursed back to health by our family friend. She was looking for a sanctuary home for him and thus he came to be Babe’s best friend and pasture buddy. Peanut loves to be brushed and to eat carrots.
The Delightful Dozen:
Collectively known as The Delightful Dozen, these lovely hens are survivors of the 2021 Kaporos ritual slaughter and arrived as scared, injured babies in the back of a Subaru late one October night. They are Cornish Cross chickens, “meat birds” genetically engineered by humans to feel constantly hungry and grow very quickly so they can be slaughtered at just 6-8 weeks old. By feeding them a carefully curated diet— 1/3 cup of grain each twice a day, plus LOTS of vegetables to help them feel satisfied— our girls will be able to live out their natural lifespans of 7+ years as friends, not food. Named for famous/infamous vegans, The Delightful Dozen are Phoenix, Liberty, Rooney, Mayim, Mandy, Regan, Indigo, Jill, Jessica, Joanne, Linda, and Stella.
The Hennebunkport Girls:
The Hennebunkport Girls can be found napping in the sun, taking dust baths in their run, and eating the extras from the vegetable garden. They enjoy flying practice on summer evenings by getting a running start and launching themselves into the air from small undulations in the landscape. Guaranteed to lower one’s blood pressure at the end of the workday, I like to pull up a chair and visit with them as often as possible. The Hennebunkport Girls are Red, Edith, Hope, Faith, Dolly, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Pumpkin.
Hazel:
Hazel is our sweet, senior girl, pictured here on vacation in Vermont. Found thin and hungry with her sister by a wooded stream in Kentucky, we adopted Hazel in 2010 through Peace and Paws Rescue in NH. Hazel loves snoozing, treats, walks in the woods, and being with her people.
Fergus:
Fergus is a Great Pyrenees-Anatolian Shepherd mix adopted through National Great Pyrenees Rescue. He is 140 pounds of pure puppy and is still a work-in-progress, providing some of our greatest training challenges. Fergus enjoys digging holes in the yard, barking at potential threats— wind, falling leaves, the FedEx truck— walks in the woods, and chew toys.
Turbo:
Turbo came all the way from Montana with my daughter when she returned home from college there. He is frequently found napping in closets, taunting Fergus, or on top of the pick-up truck bed, as pictured here.
Jasper:
Jasper is at once lovable and demonic. He wants to snuggle and will climb legs like a tree in order to be held. Jasper likes to wrestle with Turbo, steal dog food from Fergus’ bowl, and is quite proud of his white mustache.
JASMINE:
Jasmine is Jasper’s sister and came to us when their mother, Poppy, was dumped in someone’s chicken coop right before her litter was born. Jasmine is tiny and will live forever. She likes to knead with her needle-sharp claws and has a habit of chewing on plastic bags. Here she is guarding an egg. We don’t know how, or why…!
