Last week for early bird pricing!
This year the picnic is in September so it’s coming up fast! You don’t want to miss the fun we have planned — games, tractor rides, a picnic in the cow pasture, great music, and activities just for kids! 🎃 🧺 And every ticket benefits the rescued animals here at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Tap here https://woodstocksanctuary.org/events/harvestpicnic or visit our website to get your tickets today! #whywoodstock
Thank you to our Harvest Picnic sponsors: Roxwell Films Orchard Grocer Mooshoes Whitecliff Vineyard Rondout Savings Bank Kala+Bobis Law rind.cheese Jody Rasch Lagusta's Luscious Sweet Maresa's U_Cajuu Calmbucha Great Life Brewing
At the New York State Fair, a sign at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center reads “Treat each cow as a mother should be treated.” Behind the sign is a stall full of pregnant cows who have been induced give birth in front of onlookers, and then have their babies hurried away from them within minutes. Volunteers emphasize that it’s for the calf’s safety to separate the two — the real reason is that this is the nature of dairy farming. Taking away from the cow in order to further exploit the cow and the calf. Is that an example of how mothers should be treated?We are urging the public to continuing signing and sharing our petition to stop this exhibit at the NY State Fair. The Dairy Cow Birthing Center is a tool used to legitimize and validate the exploitation and cruelty inherent in dairy farming. The petition is here — https://secure.everyaction.com/mJ2jQ9tmXUKiDGHjPeufNA2 please sign today.
Remember when Bumblebee was this small? She’s now all grown up, and needs you 🦆🦆
Help us care for medically complex ducks! We still haven’t paid off Bumblee and Toots’ recent bills (and we’re not talking about the bills on their faces!) Bumblebee and Toots recently had several vet appointments for foot issues, costing over $2k. Toots is currently receiving laser therapy as a part of her plan. Bumblebee is also dealing with pneumonia currently, which adds more to her treatment plan.
If you’ve never cared for Pekin ducks, you might not know that the way humans have bred them has seriously affected their health. Much like larger chicken breeds and turkey breeds, Pekin ducks have been bred to be too heavy to fly, and are typically raised for human consumption. As a result, Pekin ducks like Toots and Bumblebee deal with joint, leg, and foot issues frequently. It’s key to keep on top of these issues when they arise so that they don’t get worse, and the ducks can stay mobile. Despite this, many Pekins will develop some type of disability and so we have to be prepared to care for these ducks in that stage of their life as well. Your support gives the Pekins here access to the critical medical care they need to live their best lives. Donate towards Bumblebee and Toots’ recent vet bills here, or on Venmo at Woodstock-Sanctuary.
IT’S ALMOST PICNIC TIME! Our annual Harvest Picnic is coming up, so we threw a mini “chicknic” in anticipation 🧺🍅🐓 WILL WE SEE YOU at the Harvest Picnic on September 21st? Tickets are on sale right now at https://woodstocksanctuary.org/events/harvestpicnic — We’ll have lots more to picnic on than Cherry tomatoes! @u_rugula is catering — you won’t want to miss this! Thank you to our Harvest Picnic sponsors: @roxwellfilms @orchardgrocer @mooshoes_nyc @whitecliffvineyard @bank_rondout @kalabobislaw @rind.cheese @jodyrasch @lagustasluscious @sweetmaresas @u_cajuu @calmbucha_kombucha @great_life_brewing
New York State Fair Birthing Center
The @nysfair Dairy Cow Birthing Center is still going on this week, but here are some clips from last week. While a calf was being born, the vets taking questions described these cows as “experienced mothers” and noted their “mothering instincts,” right before starting to tell people why it’s best to take calves away from their mothers. The microphone doesn’t pick it up, but this environment is far from quiet and calm — the noisy crowds of onlookers and the loud microphone Q&A are just a few of the stressors these cows deal with. After just a few minutes of being able to clean off her calf, the baby was removed — this is the nature of dairy farming. Separating families in order to exploit a “resource” from the parents. Eventually, the calf born in this video will enter the same cycle. Click here: https://secure.everyaction.com/mJ2jQ9tmXUKiDGHjPeufNA2 to sign the petition to STOP this exhibit at the New York State Fair.
Help us celebrate Sylvia and Marge’s first birthday! Sylvia fell off a transport truck a year ago, and Marge escaped a farm. Both of them found an amazing home here and we have enjoyed every minute of their first year at Woodstock. These two piglets would love for you to send them a birthday present! Tap here: https://www.myregistry.com/organization/send-gifts-to-the-animals-high-falls-ny/4200663 to see some items that Sylvia and Marge want to have delivered to their barn. Wish these two happy birthday below!! #whywoodstock
NY State Fair Birthing Center
This baby was JUST born at New York State Fair . She is already permanently separated from her mother, and is now being dressed up with a ribbon to be on display to fair visitors. She will eventually enter the cycle of dairy herself. SIGN TO END THIS: https://secure.everyaction.com/mJ2jQ9tmXUKiDGHjPeufNA2
Help us with hospital bills for a dumped kitten ‼️ Last week we finally caught a tiny kitten who had been dumped on our property and running loose for at least a week. We took her in and got her immediate medical care because we were worried about how skinny she was and that she had been outside through several severe storms. After two trips to the vet she was diagnosed with serious pneumonia and required emergency hospitalization at a specialist hospital an hour away.
Now that Joey is out of the immediate danger zone, we’re wanted to take a moment to talk about why situations like this are so frustrating We’re an organization that’s committed to the care of animals in need, but we have to be very careful about the amount of animal care we can responsibly take on. We have over 300 rescued animals here, and are constantly balancing helping the maximum amount of animals we can with the budget that we have. So when someone does something irresponsible like dump a baby on our doorstep, it really affects everyone. We’re glad we were able to get Joey the care she needed, but it’s an unexpected several-thousand-dollar bill during a time where multiple residents of the Sanctuary have also needed vet appointments. We can only do this work with your help, and we could really use your help to pay off the major bill for Joey’s lifesaving care. Please send donations here or via Venmo at Woodstock-Sanctuary.
Marsha found something new in the barn! Most of her buddies have ears that flip too far over their eyes to check it out, but Marsha is interested in this installation #whywoodstock
Walt Update
UPDATE on Walt: he still needs your help! Our sheep friend is finally home after a major ordeal last week. Walt was losing significant amounts of blood and had multiple surgeries to stop the bleeding and two blood transfusions. This whole situation has been so scary for all of us, especially for poor Walt. Now that Walt is back home from the animal hospital, we have to take very special care of him while he heals. Walt underwent quite a few different procedures to stop the bleeding from his abdomen. His surgery site is still very delicate and needs regular monitoring. There’s footage in the video but warning if you’re squeamish - it is NOT pretty. Walt has to stay inside on pen rest for at least two more weeks while we monitor and treat his surgery site. We appreciate everyone who has donated SO much, but Walt is still not done with his healing, and we need to finish raising funds for the emergency hospital stay he had as well as his treatment going forward. Please contribute what you can to this brave sheep, either here in-platform or via Venmo at Woodstock-Sanctuary.
Kitten Rescued!
EDIT & UPDATE: WE rushed this baby to the vet and their bill is around $393
Kitten FOUND! If you can believe it during all this terrible weather, we’ve been tracking a little kitten we spotted here on site at the beginning of the month. This morning we were finally able to scoop them up and get a good look at the baby. This kitten is very skinny and has a hole in their shoulder that looks infected and may very well have maggots in it — we’re getting them to the vet asap. We don’t intake cats or dogs here but we’re going to get this little one the care they need and then find them a really good home. This is another unexpected vet trip so please send some support if you can!
WALT IS HOME!
WALT IS BACK HOME!!! We’re so happy to have him back in our care ❤️ It was a hard week for him and for us. Thankfully, everyone is back where they belong — including River who gets to brag to everyone in his barn that he saved Walt’s life.Given everything Walt has been through, he’s going to need a lot of extended time to heal before he joins the herd — and a lot more close monitoring and care. We’ll keep you updated on him as he continues recovery here at home.
Can you believe it’s been almost a whole year since Sylvia and Marge came into our lives as tiny piglets? One fell from a transport truck, one escaped a farm, and both of them are huge parts of our hearts now. This month we’re hosting our very special Twilight Tour once again, which is a really fun evening with vegan cheese and wine and exploration of the Sanctuary at sunset. And this year we’ll be celebrating sweet piglets Sylvia and Marge’s first birthday! 🎉 🎂 🥳 Check the events page on our website to get a Twilight Tour ticket for August 23rd - it’s a really magical time you don’t want to miss. 🐽 #whywoodstock
What does the fair look like when you take off the rose colored glasses?
Here are words from Intern Ellie on her experience at the Ulster County Fair: “Many families travel to the fair as part of an annual summer tradition to transport them back to the nostalgia of their youth. This is ironic considering all the animals on display here will never get to an age old enough for nostalgia to happen. It is evident in the comments and expressions of the visitors that they don’t realize the reality of what happens when the fair gates close, not to mention what’s happening right in front of their eyes. As I walked the fairgrounds, a common theme was the idea that the farmers and 4H members are attentive to the well-being of the animals they have and care so deeply for them. However, the least graphic way to describe what happens to the animals at the fair is “disturbing and inhumane.” To the common fairgoer, this is one of the only interactions they will ever have with farmed animals, except when they are on their plates or in their closets. The immense abundance of propaganda displayed through fair exhibits and signage does a fantastic job of manipulating the public into believing that this is all acceptable, and that the animals are happy to accept the fate that awaits them afterwards. I saw a young chicken with their neck resting on one of the tiny metal bars of the cage, looking lifeless. A farmer came by and hit the cage, and the chicken moved. I think she was checking if they were still alive. It is sickening to see the people in cages with no padding to support their overgrown bodies, to observe them struggling to breathe, to witness families separated just to be further exploited, and to look into their eyes and deeply feel the pain of moms not knowing where their babies are — all while a human mother carrying her baby walks by and explains how cute and well taken care of these animals are.
It is obvious that humans don’t know, and maybe if they did know, they would feel and act differently. A lack of education and under
THANK YOU ALL for the support for Woody earlier this week! He had to be examined by a vet to see about his limp, and fortunately we were able to dislodge the stuff stuck in his hoof/between his claws that was giving him issues!
We’re so grateful both for all the folks who helped us pay for his unexpected vet bill, and the supporters who helped us purchase the tilt table we use to examine the cows and trim their hooves! It’s an essential piece of care equipment, and if we didn’t have it Woody wouldn’t have been able to get help so quickly and easily. He is back with his buddies and roaming the pasture once again. #whywoodstock
Take the Animal Ally Challenge!
You heard it here right from the residents themselves! They want you or someone you know to take the Animal Ally Challenge today! WHAT is the Animal Ally Challenge?We’re asking people to challenge themselves or others to leave animals off their plates for three weeks! In return, we’ll send them an exclusive animal ally sticker (and one for the person who challenged them, too!) Everyone who takes the challenge will also be getting some vegan resources and encouragement from the residents here at Woodstock straight to their inbox.How can you help? Sign up and challenge yourself, or find someone to challenge! Ask a friend, a coworker, a family member who you think is up to the challenge — could even be a neighbor! Ready to get started? Sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/seJ6IRx77U2KTGXzmEKKYw2 You can be an animal ally, and you can help us find MANY more animal allies this year! #animalallychallenge
Please send support to help cover a sudden vet bill! Woody, a six-year-old Holstein steer who we rescued from dairy farming when he was just days old, has been limping over the last few days and we had to call the vet up to come out quickly and check on him. Foot issues with large animals can quickly become major problems so we couldn't delay. Woody is being evaluated by the vet on the "tilt table", which allows them to get a good look at his hoof and leg. Hopefully, we can figure out what the problem is and get him feeling better soon, but we didn't expect an urgent vet visit today so we could really use your help to cover this bill. DONATE whatever you can, and send Woody good thoughts please.
WE NEED YOU! We’re looking for people who’d like to take our ANIMAL ALLY CHALLENGE, and it might be YOU or someone in YOUR life!We know you’re a big supporter of the animals here at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, and we want to continue encouraging people to advocate for all animals. We need YOUR help finding NEW folks who want to take on the challenge and become an animal ally themselves! Could it be you? Could it be your best friend? Sister in law? Coworker? Only one way to find out — challenge them! WHAT is the Animal Ally Challenge?We’re asking people to challenge themselves to leave animals off their plates for three weeks! In return, we’ll send them an exclusive animal ally sticker (and one for the person who challenged them, too!) Everyone who takes the challenge will also be getting some vegan resources and encouragement from the residents here at Woodstock straight to their inbox. How can you help? Sign up and challenge yourself, or find someone to challenge! Ask a friend, a coworker, a family member who you think is up to the challenge — could even be a neighbor! Ready to get started? https://secure.everyaction.com/seJ6IRx77U2KTGXzmEKKYw2 You can be an animal ally, and you can help us find MANY more animal allies this year!
Remy has come SUCH a long way from the little goat we met in 2021. He’s even grown leaps and bounds in the last year! When he was healing from the multiple surgeries his deformed front legs needed, we didn’t know what his life would look like around other goats. Today, it looks like this — navigating his barn like a pro, playing with his friend Fern, and thriving. ❤️ #whywoodstock
