RASTA Sanctuary

12/31/2024

It is with a very heavy heart that I am writing to inform you all that Benson has passed away. Benny was a resident of the RASTA Sanctuary ever since he was rescued as a young pup, 17 years ago. He was the longest lived resident of the Sanctuary and was loved by all those who met him.

Growing up at the Sanctuary while we were still located in Alberta, Benson quickly became friends with all the animals and took on many self-appointed roles, such as watching over the smaller young orphaned animals of various species from kittens and ducklings to piglets and puppies. Benny also often spent his time comforting the elderly and disabled of all sizes, as well as those he shared an especially close bond with, such as his good friend Threodore, a 3,000-pound Holstein steer. In fact, those who knew Benny best knew that he had a very special gift in knowing when an animal's time to leave this realm was coming near as he would often be seen spending long quiet moments sitting with an animal in the pasture and within a few days, that animal would pass naturally on their own from old age. Such was the case more times than I can count, but one of the more memorable times was with Leonard, our senior llama, as llamas are typically known for not being especially fond of interspecies interaction, much less with dogs.

Benson was also a true peacekeeper and would interject whenever he saw a squabble going on amongst any of the animals, most commonly between the various farm birds and potbelly pigs. He took it upon himself to intervene but never got involved with any violence as his simple loving presence would be enough to immediately halt any altercations and restore the peace at the Sanctuary.

In RASTA's earlier days, back in Alberta, when the majority of the responsibilities fell upon my shoulders, Benny would help me with our fundraising efforts. A regular at the Millarville Farmers' Market, Benson, along with the rest of my eclectic canine crew which included Brutus, a Great Dane Shepherd cross and Pedro, a Pug Chihuahua cross, would routinely accompany me every Saturday morning to the market where we would sell our handmade rope toys and other homemade pet treats as a means of supporting the Sanctuary. Throughout his many years doing this, as well as serving as the Sanctuary's official ambassador where he was always among the first to eagerly welcome all those who entered our Sanctuary gates, Benny met tens of thousands of people throughout his life and all who came to know him, loved him.

In 2015, when the Sanctuary was relocated from Southern Alberta to Vancouver Island, Benson was there for the monumental move as well as the transition to our new home. We went through a lot together as the challenges of establishing a Sanctuary full of animals in a new home were many, but Benny was always there for me as my rock. And in 2021, as those who have followed our journey know, Benny remained in my care following RASTA's dissolution process.

Benson passed away on July 19th of this year, and it has taken me this long to write this post as even now, tears fill my eyes. But out of respect to all those who knew and loved him, I feel that it's my obligation to share this heartbreaking news even despite RASTA's dissolution. Benny truly was an exceptional friend, my best friend, and his absence from my life now is indescribable.

- Lucie H. Cerny, President & Founder
Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals
(R.A.S.T.A.) 2001-2024

12/25/2023

Update post on Benny. As we are currently in the midst of the charity dissolution process, Benson, RASTA's final rescue resident, remains in the care of Sanctuary founder Lucie Cerny.

Benny is now 16 years young, and despite having some common age related issues with his mobility, eyesight, hearing, and otherwise, he is doing very well.

In August, he had a complete dental done. Prior to his cleaning, he had an in-depth blood panel analysis to determine whether he, at his advanced age, would be a good candidate for general anesthesia. Despite having some slightly elevated liver values, he was found to be in very good health.

Benny did very well with his dental surgery and didn't require any extractions, which was truly wonderful news as the expectation for most dogs at his age is that they generally require several.

In addition to his regular routine checkups, Benny has also been receiving massage, acupuncture, and laser therapy as part of his ongoing osteoarthritis care, as well as an array of daily supplements and different medications to further help fortify his pain management regimen.

While Benny had lost his hearing a couple of years ago now, he has adapted very well and has since become quite proficient in understanding a number of different hand signals.

As his caregiver, I'm deeply grateful to have this amazing boy in my life for nearly two decades now, and I am thankful to God for every day that we continue to spend together.

On behalf of Benny and myself, we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and many blessings for the New Year. ❤️

12/18/2023

I was deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of my friend and Pound Rescue's Founder and President, Dr. Gabriele Barrie.

I'll always remember Gabi as one of my first teachers in the animal rescue world who inspired me to go against the grain and to do what I felt was right in my heart, regardless of how many people it pi**ed off.

Gabi was a true pioneer in the animal rescue movement and an extraordinary lady who accomplished many great things, not just for the animals, but for a number of human welfare causes too. She forwent her own retirement and worked tirelessly even well into her senior years to make the world a better place, and now it is finally her time to rest.

I strongly encourage everyone to head over to Pound Rescue's page to read the obituary of this truly outstanding woman, and if so inclined, to make a donation to Pound Rescue in honor of her legacy. ❤

We are saddened to announce the passing of Pound Rescue’s founder and president, Dr. Gabriele Barrie. Gabi, as most knew her, started Pound Rescue in 1994. She was able to implement a TNR (trap, neuter/spay, return) program in Okotoks at that time and eliminated the stray cat problem for over 20 yrs. Her contribution to this town and outlying areas was second to none in regards to animal welfare. She has helped tens of thousands of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds. She was an advocate for animals and was an activist striving to better the lives of all animals. Her presence will be greatly missed. Pound Rescue will continue to be a voice and helper for the abandoned, the injured, and the mistreated.
We extend a special Thank You to her family who also sacrificed so much for this rescue. Our thoughts and condolences to them at this time.
Gabi will be greatly missed and would want all of you to be the voice for the animals, advocate for change, to of course love your pets, and for everyone to help those that need us the most.

12/25/2022

On behalf of the RASTA Sanctuary, Benny and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 🎅

Peace, love & gratitude 🕊🙏❤️

- Lucie & Benson 🐾

Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals (RASTA) 2001-2022

12/15/2022

Important message from RASTA's Founder:

As I write this I am recovering from major surgery and while I don't wish to publicly go into the details of my own personal health issues, I will disclose that this surgery is in relation to the botched operation I had a few years back as a result of the stage 4 endometriosis I had suffered from for over 20 years of my life. That being said, I am far from being at my best right now but nevertheless I am doing my best to make good on the promise of updating everyone about the status of the RASTA organization now as we reach the year end, and more importantly about our plans for the future.

As many of our followers know, in the fall of 2021, and after over 20 years of operation, I, RASTA's Founder and Farm Sanctuary operator was forced to make the heart wrenching decision to transfer the majority of RASTA's animals into the care of another local farm sanctuary due to my severely debilitating personal health issues. Along with the transfer of the animals I also transfered nearly $200,000 in cash and assets, monthly sponsors and volunteers, as well as continued to pay for RASTA staff to provide hands-on care to RASTA's animals for some time while in the care of the new Sanctuary to ensure as smooth a transition for the animals as possible, as well as to help secure their future.

Following this transition we disclosed that under the guidance of the Charities Directorate, a division of the Canada Revenue Agency, RASTA would be taking the following year of reduced activity to allow me to focus on my health as well as to reorganize and restructure the RASTA organization to determine what a sustainable future in rescue and advocacy might look like.

Now that we are nearing the end of the year I am here to officially announce where we as a rescue organization stand, what our plans are and what has led us to this decision.

Although no longer able to sustain the physically demanding tasks of managing a large scale farm sanctuary, one of the many ideas discussed by our board of directors was the possibility of RASTA returning to its roots and exploring the avenues of dog rescue and rehabilitation, particularly in the realm of helping those individuals in third world countries where the conditions faced there are often unimaginably horrific by North American standards. As such, I have personally taken on the task of consulting with numerous local to international rescue organizations, various vet clinics and countless volunteers involved in this type of work to gain a better understanding of the complexities they face.

As intended, I have also taken the last year to focus on my health and while I am happy to report that to some degree it has improved, it is still very much a daily struggle for me and I am still very, very far away from being considered anywhere close to healthy. The unfortunate reality remains that due to my continued health issues I am unable to execute tasks I once did with ease and thus realistically the concept of taking on yet another animal rescue project, although quite different in degree, simply isn't a possibility for me. It is therefore due to this reasoning that the very difficult decision has been reached that 2022 will indeed be the final chapter for Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals, RASTA.

It is with very much a heavy heart that I announce this extremely difficult news because as the founder and the backbone of the organization who has devoted every ounce of her being to the animals and their care for the past two decades, saying goodbye to this labour of love is truly the hardest decision I have ever had to make.

When I initially fell deeply ill and was forced to transfer the animals into the care of another Sanctuary I felt tremendous shame with my inability to continue being the one responsible for providing their care. With each rescued soul who came through RASTA's gates over the years I made them all the promise that they would have a forever home with me and although I was able to make good on that promise for thousands of animals over the many, many years of running the Sanctuary, I was unable to follow through with them all which essentially led me to feel like a huge failure. The fact that some individuals in the rescue community then felt the need to highlight my perceived failure and further shame me, some even going so far as to question the care of RASTA's animals was deeply hurtful and has ultimately caused me to withdraw completely from all social media and otherwise.

For anyone who was familiar with how the RASTA Sanctuary actually operated, anyone who had volunteered at any point over the years or even visited the Sanctuary for that matter could clearly see that the animals always came first and always received exceptional care, medical and otherwise. Towards the end when I fell ill and was no longer able to provide the hands-on care myself I leaned heavily on my staff, our wonderful fulltime Sanctuary Caretaker and our fulltime Director of Operations who through coordinating their efforts both did an excellent job ensuring the animals were always well cared for and received any and all medical attention as needed, as truly no cost at RASTA was ever spared. The fact that some people felt the need to state otherwise in a pitiful attempt at spreading misinformation was not only deeply hurtful but also incredibly disrespectful to those who were tasked with the care of the animals.

Regardless, and despite my best efforts of always holding RASTA to an exemplary standard, and devoting the last 20 plus years of my life to the non-stop 24/7 hands-on rescue and advocacy for the animals, I understand that I ultimately have no control over what others will say or do, but I do have control over how I react and I have chosen to look back with love, gratitude and a great deal of pride at all the amazing things that RASTA has managed to accomplish over the years.

Originating as the first no kill, cageless and nondiscriminatory rescue of its kind (open to all animals regardless of breed, size, age or species) over 20 years ago and evolving into Alberta's first official Farm Sanctuary in 2001, RASTA then continued to blaze the trail pioneering a movement not only throughout the prairie provinces, but also on Vancouver Island. We grew from what was initially a teenie tiny grass roots organization who's first rescue animal was a homeless dog named Buddy to having attained international accreditation and highly exclusive celebrity endorsement for more often than not, defying impossible odds and thus earning us our most perfectly suited flying pig logo.

RASTA has amazingly changed the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of visitors over the years inspiring them to lead more compassionate lifestyles, and likewise countless Sanctuaries throughout Canada and beyond now exist because of RASTA's inspiration including the very one that has stepped up to carry on RASTA's legacy.

Looking back with some perspective now, I no longer feel ashamed for the limitations of my health but rather am filled with a great deal of gratitude, love and pride for having had the opportunity to be an integral part of the puzzle for so long. I am also immensely grateful that despite the enormity of my own personal health struggles to have been fortunate enough to pass the torch in such a fiscally responsible manner that helped secure the future of all of RASTA's former residents for many, many years to come.

Update on Benson: While the majority of RASTA's animals were transfered to another Sanctuary, Benson, RASTA's last remaining canine resident has remained with me. At 15 years of age Benny is quite elderly now but despite his advanced age he remains in relatively good health. Although he has some age-related issues with his mobility and his teeth, with proper pain management, supplements and ongoing specialized care he is managing quite well. Benson is also now going deaf so I have started to teach him sign language which he is learning and adapting to very well. As Benson's primary caregiver for the past 15 years I will officially be adopting him upon RASTA's dissolution so he will remain in my care for the rest of his life.

RASTA Merchandise: As we start the process of dissolving the RASTA charity we have decided to donate our nearly $12,000 in remaining RASTA swag (shirts, hats, hoodies, sweatpants, etc) to the Saving Grace Animal Society to help with their fundraising efforts. Located in Alix Alberta, the Saving Grace Animal Society is a phenomenal rescue organization doing some truly extraordinary things for animals. Founder Erin Deems is the powerhouse behind it all and she has some incredibly big and exciting plans for their society. A few years ago Erin was kind enough to take in two of RASTA's formerly adopted out bovines Julie and Rosie (which were returned by their adoptive home in Alberta after RASTA had relocated to Vancouver Island) and most kindly provided them with a forever home at her beautiful sanctuary. We are very happy to finally have the opportunity to repay Erin's kindness in our small way through the contribution of our limited edition swag. So if you'd like to snag yourself a piece of RASTA history, and essentially Farm Sanctuary history, please head on over to the Saving Grace Animal Society's page!

Alternatively, if you'd simply like to make a donation in honour of RASTA's legacy we encourage you to make your donation to the Saving Grace Animal Society, A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary, or another animal cause which is close to your heart. Please note that all online donating options to RASTA via our social media and website have been disabled.

In closing I would like to thank all of RASTA's amazing supporters, donors, volunteers and otherwise who have most kindly helped us to accomplish such incredibly amazing work over our many, many years in operation and ultimately helped make the world a better place. When it comes to rescue work it truly takes a community and we most definitely couldn't have done it without all of you, thank you! 🙏❤️

- Lucie H. Cerny, President & Founder
Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals (R.A.S.T.A.) 2001-2022

10/15/2022

02/02/2022

Public announcement to update everyone about Benson and the current operational status of Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals (R.A.S.T.A.).

Due to a recent post we made in support of peace, love, unity and freedom, some folks who do not agree with this message have taken it upon themselves to attack our organization instead. As such, there have been some slanderous and completely irrelevant online comments made in an attempt to defame RASTA and its integrity as the well-established charity it has been for the past 20+ years. The hateful comments from these individuals engaging in vicious cyber bullying and defamation have all now, and continue to be, screenshot and documented for our legal counsel to review.

Since RASTA has and always will be fully transparent in its operations, we are taking this opportunity to once again repeat what we have stated a number of times previously, on both our social media pages, as well as on our website.

To reiterate, a few months ago the RASTA Sanctuary has made the very difficult decision to transfer the majority of the animals in its care to Home for Hooves, another farm Sanctuary on Vancouver Island. Along with the transfer of the animals, to assist with their care we have also transfered almost $200,000 in cash and gift-in-kind donations to HfH, as well as all of our animals' monthy sponsors.

In order to facilitate the transfer of these assets, and most importantly the enormous $100,000 cash donation made to HfH, RASTA's founder was forced to sell the RASTA Sanctuary in Chemainus, her personally owned home, and sell it quickly ($250,000 under the assessed value) in order to free up the funds to make them available to HfH in a timely manner.

The reason for this transfer of animals and subsequent assets, as also previously explained a number of times, is due to the failing health of the RASTA Sanctuary's founder, and for the most part, the primary animal caregiver (until very recently) for over 100 rescued residents for the past 20 years.

While the physical hands-on rescue work of the RASTA Sanctuary is currently on hold as the founder takes some much-needed time to hopefully heal, the organization is also taking time to reorganize and restructure to determine what a sustainable future in animal rescue and/or advocacy looks like.

This period of inactivity has been fully disclosed to the Charities Directorate who has essentially granted RASTA the permission to do so.

Regarding the donation links on our website, since RASTA remains intact as an organization and as a charity, these links are indeed still active however we are not currently, nor have we recently (since the transfer of the animals and the assets) solicited new donations in any way.

When RASTA is ready to move forward with the next chapter in animal rescue and/or advocacy, any funds that are available at that time will then be allocated towards carrying out that charitable purpose. If however, after a period of one year the decision is made to dissolve the organization, then any available funds will be dispursed among other qualified donees (aka other registered charities).

We'd also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we still currently have one senior canine resident in our care, Benson, and how he is doing. Benny is now 14 years old and is in fairly good shape considering his advanced age. He unfortunately has some pronounced mobility issues due to advancing arthritis, specifically in his shoulders and hips, as well as in his lower back which is largely attributed to his conformation in having a longer back. We are addressing Benson's mobility issues with daily supplements and pain management to which he is responding very well and is currently enjoying a good quality and happy life. Benny also recently had a small bacterial infection in his chest and some trouble with irritation on one of his paws but he has since recovered from that. As anyone who has a senior animal in their care knows, the vet bills tend to start piling up as the animals get older. However, that being said we would like to reiterate that we are not asking for any additional donations to assist with Benson's care.

We sincerely hope that this detailed explanation about RASTA's current circumstances helps to give those who are a bit fuzzy on the matter a better understanding and to quell any further misguided attacks. We would like to assure everyone that RASTA is still the same great organization it has been for the past 20+ years and we, like most folks, are simply doing our best, in the best way we know how to inspire and effect positive change.

Furthermore, RASTA has and will always be a non-discriminatory organization in its view towards animals, as well as people, and as such we will not tolerate any negative comments that attempt to divide folks, incite hate or violence, or spread misinformation on our page. We also will not tolerate or engage in any unkind dialogue aimed to discredit or dishonor RASTA or any of the tireless and amazing work it has done pioneering the way in the world of non-discriminatory animal rescue for the past two decades. We understand that some people may feel that our most recent post in support of freedom was divisive, but that certainly wasn't our intention. Our sincere hope is to support and unify all of our global brothers and sisters because we are all indeed in this together - and we are all stronger together! 💪 💖

And lastly, we would like to thank all those who most kindly continue to support our organization and its messages of peace and love during this very important and pivotal historic time of global awakening. Love has and always will be the stronger force and it will indeed conquer all. 🙏🕊

01/31/2022

R.A.S.T.A. fully supports the Canadian, American, and worldwide truckers, as well as all those bravely standing up for global FREEDOM right now!! ✊ 💖✌

Although Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals (RASTA) is essentially an animal rescue and animal advocacy organization, we are also strongly in favour of human rights. All human rights. And as such, we feel very strongly that we cannot remain silent during these very important and historic times.

Regardless of where you may stand on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that having freedom of choice and autonomy over our own bodies is fundamental to our basic rights and freedoms as human beings.

🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊
🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊

11/26/2021

We'd just like to take a moment to update everyone about RASTA's animals, especially after all the recent rain on Vancouver Island and throughout BC, and reassure folks that the animals are all ok and in great hands with the good people at A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary.

RASTA's wonderful former Sanctuary Caretaker Sierra has most kindly and generously been volunteering her time to check in on RASTA's animals and help out HfH with their care, and she is happy to report that they're all doing well and that their pens are indeed dry.

We'd also like to take a moment to talk about the condition that RASTA's animals were in when transferred into the care of HfH as there have been some concerns mentioned regarding some recent veterinary visits.

When running a large scale farm sanctuary with close to 100 animals, the reality of the situation is that not everyone is going to be 100% all of the time. More often than not, someone is going to have some sort of health issue that needs to be addressed as this is very much an ever evolving situation that changes daily.

Senior animals will need to have their feed increased for the winter months, animals will need to have haircuts and be de-wormed with the changing seasons, those who wear prosthesis will need daily check ups as will their devices need daily maintenance and adjustment, hooves and tusks will need to be trimmed, teeth floated, ongoing medical care will need to be continued for chronic issues, etc.

After over 20 years of running one of the largest and most active farm sanctuaries in Western Canada we have been no stranger to this reality, and the tens of thousands of dollars we've spent annually on animal care needs, veterinary and otherwise, prove just that.

In addition to always proudly and very transparently providing exceptional veterinary care to our animals, RASTA often went above and beyond with providing weekly PEMFT (Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field Therapy) - a therapy that we introduced to HfH and encouraged them to try with their senior animals (and they absolutely loved it after they gave it a shot!), along with massage, CBD, Chinese medicine, laser treatments, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and even reiki and various alternative energy healings - and the majority of which have been featured on our social media pages. And, of course our animals always received appropriate pain management as needed. Basically, we've done it all, tried it all, and spared no expense in the process, and the tens of thousands of volunteers and visitors we've had come to the Sanctuary over the years and spend ample time with our happy and healthy animals can attest to that.

So back to the condition that the animals were in at the time of transfer, we'd like to assure folks that everyone was indeed in good health, albeit some were (and have always been) a little on the chubby side as is often the case with many miniature animals such as goats and donkeys, especially those who enjoy living in community and with freedom. In fact, our wonderful equine farrier Carrie Lynn who we saw on a regular six week hoof trim schedule for the past seven years often commented on how chubby miniature donkeys are very much the norm in her business, as are chubby goats, of which she has her own beloved misfit brood.

Could the goats and donkeys have been a little thinner if we locked them up in small pens with no food or opportunity to forage? Yes, absolutely, but at what cost to them mentally? RASTA's animals have always enjoyed a tremendous amount of enrichment with freedom and a rich social life with all their friends and eclectic family which is what always made the Sanctuary so special for everyone.

Was anyone close to founder, a laminitis issue when animals eat too much typically grain or grass? Absolutely not. As everyone who follows our page knows, our pasture gets grazed down in just a matter of weeks in the spring and we feed a special blend of low protein grass-mix hay for the rest of the year. We don't feed grain to our animals because it's not natural to their diet and can be quite unhealthy, especially if they're not working and don't burn many calories. Feeding grain can also be downright dangerous, especially for male goats as it causes them to develop stones and which is why our trusty and longtime vet Dr. Alberto Ruiz always advised against it. Instead we fed a premium high quality extruded feed as was recommended by our vet Dr. Dempsey many years ago from High River, Alberta.

Those who know RASTA's story know that RASTA's Founder Lucie had very much run the Sanctuary on her own with the help of some truly wonderful weekly volunteers for nearly two decades. It was only after 18 years of a tremendous amount of literal non-stop work, devotion, self sacrifice and struggle that she was finally able to hire some fulltime help. Those two positions included a fulltime Sanctuary Caretaker, our beloved Sierra, and a Director of Operations, Andrew, a large part of who's job it was to oversee the care of the animals at the Santctuary, provide regular hoof care, administer medication, provide medical attention to those with minor issues, and coordinate veterinary appointments for those with bigger ones - basically to ensure that everyone's needs were met and that everyone was well taken care of.

Sadly, this past year has taken a tremendous toll on the health of RASTA's Founder who has been struggling with some serious personal health issues for some time now and thus finally having the fulltime help to alleviate some of the workload was a true blessing. Unfortunately, this blessing was also a curse in that the financial sustainability of these two paid positions was never really there and despite countless fundraising efforts and grant applications, the reality of the situation was that RASTA had been hemorrhaging money for several months and keeping the paid staff on was an ever elusive dream.

Given RASTA's Founders failing health, returning to where she managed the entire Sanctuary on her own wasn't an option and thus the very difficult decision to transfer the animals, along with $200,000 worth of money and assets, (largely made possible through the sale of the Sanctuary, and RASTA's Founder's personal home) was made.

This has been a very difficult time for all of us at RASTA, especially RASTA's Founder who has truly given it her all and devoted every ounce of her being for the past 20 years to the animals and the Sanctuary. And while the vast majority of the public comments made about this situation on our social media pages and elsewhere have been very supportive of RASTA, there have been some rather hurtful, ignorant, and needlessly cruel remarks made insinuating that RASTA's animals were not cared for and/or neglected as some unkind people seem intent on trying to destroy RASTA and Lucie's legacy. Unfortunately we have no control over what people will do or say, all we can do is offer the truth.

That being said, we've also been informed that several donations have recently been made to A Home for Hooves in Lucie's honour and we'd like to take a moment to acknowledge those generous and very thoughtful folks and thank them for most kindly helping to recognize and preserve her lifetime labour of love and painstaking legacy.

We would also like to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the many wonderful RASTA volunteers and supporters who have most kindly been giving their time and resources to help A Home for Hooves. At this time over 95% of our animal sponsors have canceled their monthly sponsorships of the animals who are no longer in our care (except for senior boy Benson) and we're deeply grateful to those who have chosen to sign up for continued sponsorship through HfH. As volunteers and supporters are the backbone of any charity and nonprofit organization, we want you to know that we sincerely appreciate you all as we reorganize and restructure to determine what the future in animal rescue and/or advocacy looks like for Rescue And Sanctuary for Threatened Animals (RASTA).

In closing, we'd like to once again extend our deep heartfelt gratitude, as we have many times, to the many great folks at HfH for most kindly welcoming RASTA's animals into their loving family and look forward to hearing them share some happy and uplifting stories about those in their charge.

Photo credit: HfH