Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Darrowby Farm Sanctuary, Animal Rescue Service, .
(3)
Darrowby Farm Sanctuary provides a safe and lifelong home for farmed animals, and educates people about living a mutually beneficial life with those animals in ways that do not use them for food or forced labor.
Get ready, friends! Our annual fall Open House is happening on Saturday, September 21, from 12 to 3. It’s going to be a lot of fun with lots of community involvement and activities. Please join us, but please let your pups sit this one out at home. See you soon!
The first time I met one of Andy’s brothers, he mentioned having recently been in London, and I said, “Oh, that’s my favorite city,” and then he told me I was wrong. His attitude is one I have about people who say they like fencing: they’re wrong. Fencing is terrible. It’s just about as hard to do a little fence as it is to do a big fence, because all the tedious little pieces still sit there being tedious and stabbing your hands. Anyway, my point is that Andy finished The Comets’ permanent fence this evening, and tomorrow we’ll haul out the old one and the babies will have more room to play. They will eventually join the big kids when they’re old enough; they just need a little more space now, and we need all the gates that make up their old fence for other purposes. Thus ends today’s post about fencing. En garde.
Six years ago this October, I bought this tshirt at when Andy and I took a tour of sanctuaries for our wedding anniversary. We wanted to learn about the farm sanctuary movement and see if this work was something we could do. I think the Us of six years ago would be pretty happy to discover that it is in fact work we can do.
Jake is such a handsome big boy now. We’ve known him since he was only a couple months old, and he’s grown from a sweet, curious, affectionate baby to a sweet, curious, affectionate adult. We are so proud of him. Please also enjoy Nova’s and Ferdinand’s snoots full of beautiful soil, and our manure pile pumpkin patch, which is doing incredibly well for a garden that’s gotten zero attention beyond me shoving some seeds into horse manure in May. Happy Monday, friends.
This August makes 12 years since Felix and I found each other, both of us alone on a highway in Wyoming. From the minute I pulled over and he jumped into my car, to riding shotgun as we drove across the country to be with my Gramum, to years of hard work and tears, Felix has been my closest friend, an extension of myself. He’s the reason I’ve met all the best people I know, the reason the sanctuary can exist, and the reason I get to take long walks in the woods. I hope I’ve brought him a little of all the good he’s brought me. Thank you, best boy.
Most weeks I get six to a dozen requests to take in new residents. In one day today I was asked about 16 different animals. No one who runs a sanctuary wants to turn animals away; it is devastating each time we have to say no. We do this work because we want to save as many animals as possible from suffering, but the truth is that most of us are at “as many as possible.” It is so hard not to focus on this, instead of the positives. This photo of Stardust shows how far she has come in the less than four months since she arrived. Her eyes aren’t sunken or fearful; she is hopeful, curious, and confident— VERY confident when it comes to sneaking into the feed room to look for snacks. And her babies, who we did not know to expect when Stardust arrived, are happy, healthy, and full of joy. The way we save animals in need like Stardust is through donations. If you’ve been toying with the idea of becoming a sponsor of Stardust And The Comets, please think of this as a sign that it’s time. By becoming a monthly sponsor you do the most good for them and for all of our residents. And check on your sanctuary founder friends if you have them. We are all in need these days.
Saturday!
This is a Melinda appreciation post. In addition to the uncountable ways Melinda makes the sanctuary— and everywhere lucky enough to have her around— a better place, she gives so much to Andy and me personally. Today she ran the entire show here so that both of us could take our girl to college. I can’t express the combination of pride and loss, excitement and sadness we feel knowing that is ready to take this next step without us. We are so proud. And a little weepy. Back to piglet pics tomorrow, I promise.
The Rowdy Three were feeling very photogenic today. We introduced a mirror to The Comets, with adorable results. Their curiosity and joy over being alive is the biggest gift.
Lucy, Flash, Harriet, and Viola are taking over tonight’s post to share some face time with The Comets. They want you to know that they were once equally cute, but now they’re both cute and full of wisdom. The full package.
Have you kissed an equally evolved sentient being today?
Yesterday Andy put in a 14 hour day on a single job: building a patio for the steers. Mud is such a problem around here, around the steers more than anywhere else. It’s dangerous and unhealthy for us and for them. So using some of the footbed grid we had left over from the horse paddock, and the rocks that have been sitting in our driveway for two years, he built a patio. This morning he compacted it, and the boys checked out the final product. They now have a place where the hay hut can sit free of mud, so they can eat without standing in trenches made by their own hooves. These kind of projects are so challenging to complete because of all the other tasks on our plates, but they are so worth it when we can block out the time. And of course, please enjoy some piglet photos too. I would never hold out on you.
What’s better than playing in the yard with your siblings on a summer evening? Then you get a snack, get some snuggles, and get tucked into bed. The Comets have a life that all sentient beings deserve, and we— and all of their sponsors— are making sure that this life is the only one they’ll ever know. Please join us in sponsoring these incredible babies. Also, a new newsletter just dropped, so if you want the behind-the-scenes info on these kids, make sure you sign up for the newsletter at our website. Everyone’s life could use a little more piglet joy, couldn’t it?
Every mom deserves to be pampered from time to time. Stardust loves strawberries at least as much as she loves watermelon. But they require more finesse, and it is hard to believe that less than three months ago Stardust had lived a life of so much fear and cruelty that when we offered her bites of food, she panicked. Hands in Stardust’s face were a very scary thing for her, and it took weeks— and a few accidental bites as she adjusted her mouth-eye coordination— for her to learn to take food from our hands. I’m so proud of how far she’s come. And I’m so proud of her babies. Stardust is an amazing mom to The Comets, and they are all strong, curious, and confident. They still need sponsors! Please join these babies on their life journey by supporting them each month— you can sign up on our website.
Comets here with a friendly reminder! We know that we are very cute, and apparently we are kind of famous too. But the humans around here work really hard to care for everyone who lives here, not just us. They are more than happy to give tours at scheduled times, but drop in visits really don’t work. They are bad for our safety, your safety, and they make it hard for our humans to do their jobs. If you love us and want to support us, you can become a monthly sponsor! Monthly sponsors get extra social media access, and once we’re old enough to have playdates, monthly sponsors will get to have a private meet and greet with us! That’s the best way to show us love these days.
Gorgeous August weather today. Happy Sunday, friends.
It’s a great day to be a spotted pig in a wallow. Violet, Arthur, and Harriet shared some cooling off time today. And Lilac got the wallow all to herself. Pigs don’t sweat, so on very hot days like this, a wallow is very important to their health: it keeps them cool and the mud protects them from the sun. The Comets are enjoying their tiny pool and some time with their mom, but most of the time I visited with them today they were napping. This heat makes all of us groggy. If summer comes, can fall be far behind?
We had the best afternoon today! Some friends of the sanctuary volunteered a couple hours of their time to clean out the goats’ stall and— very excitingly— cut and set down stall mats in the steers’ new stall in our ruminant barn. Moving stall mats and cutting them to fit a space is a Herculean task and it makes such a difference to have help. Or, in this case, to have someone just do it for us. We are so grateful to have this job taken care of! Some time for the wet mats to dry off, and the steers will be able to enjoy their stall as well as the porch they’ve been enjoying. Thank you, Chase family! You’ve made such a difference to us!
This little guy in frames 1-4 is a special soul. As The Comets start to grow into their personalities, this guy is the most likely to come to me for comfort and snuggles. When he and his brother have wrestling sessions, he runs to me afterward for some tummy rubs and cuddles. He is currently the most likely to stay close to me. I can’t describe the bond I feel with him. We are chipping away at names for everyone; their names will all be related to Stardust’s name: celestial proper names: planets, constellations, stars, but no zodiac signs because that’s not really our jam. So far we’ve named Orion, Vega, Nova, Artemis, Diana, and Apollo. This guy needs a name that speaks to his gentle nature. Still ruminating on that.
Let me know if you’re getting sick of piglet content yet. I probably won’t stop, but you can let me know.
This is the face of a mom who is getting some time to herself. Stardust has actually doubled down about wanting to keep The Comets close, but she very much enjoys her walks outside The Milky Way. We all need breaks every now and then. All the monthly sponsor postcards for August were ordered today (I am slightly behind, sorry, friends) but there is still time to jump on the August postcard train if you sign up to be a monthly sponsor tonight! Don’t forget that sponsors of Stardust And The Comets not only play a crucial role in establishing this family in the first year of their lives, but also get a few special perks.
“I’m ready for Tahiti!” Someone is perfecting her surfer stance.
A truism I grew up with is that you endure Maine winters to earn Maine summers, a saying possibly aimed at those with the funds to winter south of the Mason-Dixon line. Every year Maine summers worth earning slip further into the past, and they will definitely not be missed come February. The this-or-that attitude towards winter and spring doesn’t move me; we may get a hard winter but you will not catch me missing a dew point of 74, steam rising off the pastures after a rain, animal residents too hot to move, and familiarity with a constant babbling brook of sweat pouring down my body. And the flies. Flies are bad every year, but they’ve been really plaguing Bertie’s face this year. Bertie and his horns have major objections to fly repellents, so I got him a fly mask, which only requires one moment of horn wrestling rather than a daily match. Andy got Bertie’s mask on him this afternoon and he looks very handsome. More importantly, it’s already making a difference in his comfort, and his health. It’s also making a difference in our health as we don’t have to try to sneak up on him with fly repellent and get ready to run. Oh, and if you want to fight climate change and have decent summers, going vegan is a great way to do that.
It is very hot and I’m short on words. Please enjoy some highlights from this Friday. The amount of love around here is a beautiful thing.
Ahem. Representative of The Comets here, to let you know that it’s the first of the month, which means that the boss is about to start ordering the first round of postcards for sponsors of my mom (Stardust) and my siblings (The Comets). So if you’ve been thinking over the idea of sponsoring us, now is the time! We need food, and vet care, and electricity, and all the other stuff that everyone who lives at the sanctuary gets. Won’t you join us and help our family out?
Good morning from the glamorous women of Darrowby. A huge part of sanctuary life – possibly the biggest part – is dealing with manure. Not just dealing with it, but examining it, finding it on your person, and figuring out how to dispose of it. We are lucky that we have a site a good distance away from our residents where we can dump our manure. This is a huge improvement from the towering piles we used to have. I remember Charles Simic telling our class that in France, people would pile manure in front of their houses as a representation of wealth. If only we could spin our “wealth” into gold, we would never have to hold a fundraiser again. But anyway. Shoveling wet cow manure out of a cart in 90% humidity is probably no one‘s favorite part of the job, but of course Melinda makes it look easy. I don’t know what we would do without her. We also got to visit our manure pile pumpkins, which are doing really well. So that was a nice bonus.
Stardust and The Comets are always the highlight of my day no matter how many times in one day I see them. Knowing only three months ago Stardust was starving to death, and she is now a successful mother of a full, healthy, happy family is something that’s hard to take in. But today I also got a competing highlight— my mom and I went to our second annual play at Sanctuary founders don’t get much or any time off, and I was changing into work clothes before I was fully back through the door, but it was so wonderful to see such a beautifully, timed, comedically, staged, and gorgeous production. Monmouth has been a presence in my life ever since elementary school, and I’m so glad to have wrestled a couple hours for something I’ve always loved. Also, I don’t think I’ve seen Mark Cartier since maybe 2007 when I had much bigger problems than running a farm sanctuary. It’s always such a treat to see old faces there. Recognizable faces I should say.
Little Girl Spots discovered today that she fits perfectly in a one-quart feed bowl. Because she really knows how to capitalize on her adorability. Please be aware that I’m about to order the first postcards for the monthly sponsors of this adorable family, and you really really want to be in on it. Monthly sponsors also get access to Stardust And The Comets’ private instagram account, which has extra videos and Comets content. Go to our website to sponsor these delectably cute babies!
We had a great meeting with our board today, and I’m so grateful to have a group of such incredible, thoughtful, compassionate people on the side of our residents. These people lift us up, encourage us, and move us forward. The Comets are also moving forward— every day they are noticeably bigger, and they’re all eating watermelon, which is also my favorite fruit, in little and big bites now. We are so proud of them. And of Stardust, who continues to be a fabulous mom. Happy Saturday, friends.
The Comets are getting so good at trying new foods! I can’t express what an honor it is to be able to care for these beautiful souls, and for their mom Stardust, who will never know pain, fear, or hunger again. This family needs you to make sure that the first year of their lives provides all the things they need to be healthy and happy! We are so grateful to all of you who have committed to be a monthly sponsor for their first year! Please consider joining these generous humans! And if you can’t do a monthly donation, we are grateful for each and every donation in support of this beautiful, loving, perfect little family.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Darrowby Farm Sanctuary posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Darrowby Farm Sanctuary:
I think if everyone in the world knew they had someone who would give them a cuddle after they did something brave, the world would be a much better place. Ferdinand is the sweetest boy. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets #rubmytummy #love
Stsrdust’s journey here has been truly amazing. From her arrival, emaciated and scared, to now a healthy, caring mom who is able to raise healthy growing babies that will never be taken from her. We are so honored and grateful that we get to do this work for her. That she will never know hunger again. That her babies will live a life of peace and love in sanctuary. It is truly an awesome gift. Thank you to all who have supported us to make this possible. Especially those who have sponsored Stardust and Her Comets 💫 ☄️. If you can, please consider a donation. Of course liking, commenting, sharing, and following is a great way to support us and to share her story. Thank you! #darrowbyfarmsanctuary #stardustandhercomets #sanctuary #farmanimalsanctuary #friendsnotfood #someonenotsomething #rescuepig #piglets #peace #compassion
Fresh round bale day! Bertie did not appreciate being made to wait all day for a new bale. He’s been yelling at us all afternoon. The bottom of the old bale was far too shabby for him. Our boys can be extremely particular when it comes to hay bales, so I am relieved to see that they approve of this one. #farmanimalsanctuary farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer
A beautiful start to Sunday. Family breakfast out in the sunshine. #darrowbyfarmsanctuary #farmanimalsanctuary #friendsnotfood #rescuesteer #mainenonprofit #sanctuaryfamily #compassion #peace #sanctuary
Sorry, I won’t be coming inside tonight. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets #rubmytummy #love
Goodnight friends. May all living beings sleep as safely as Ferdinand, knowing love like he does, knowing peace like he does. You can support him and his mom and siblings by becoming a monthly sponsor. Our monthly sponsors make a direct impact on the lives of our sanctuary residents. We are grateful to every one. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets #rubmytummy #love
A little salad with The Comets. These babies love new toys. Just like humans, their developing brains crave stimulation and learning. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Piglet Tricks: the automatic flop. These Comets are amazing. Growing so fast and learning about sanctuary life daily. #darrowbyfarmsanctuary #farmanimalsanctuary #stardustandhercomets #comets #someonenotsomething #piglets #compassion #peace #sanctuary
Happy Friday friends, from Diana. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets #rubmytummy #love
Working with Miss Honey is amazing and takes lots of attention and patience. She is 650 pounds and knows it. She has a cracked toenail. Which is painful. So we have her on stall rest. I’ve been working with her the last few days to let me look, medicate, and do small trims. Today I am hoping for a bigger trim. Doing this work without sedation is so much healthier for her, but can take more time and patience. Sometimes I sit for almost an hour to get a couple of good snips or to be able to apply medication. This job is awesome and I love it. #darrowbyfarmsanctuary #farmanimalsanctuary #rescuepig #hooftrim #patience #misshoney #roalddahl #maine #compassion #peace #sancturay
Artemis just led The Comets in the most amazing round of tag. Gilbert makes little woofs just like that when he’s playing with his family or when he wants everyone to run. Pigs are incredible. INCREDIBLE. Also please disregard how messy their play yard is by the end of the day. They are kids, after all. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Sound up! Stardust makes her own “boop” sound effects. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets #teacuppigsareamyth #boop #BOOP
I want to share this video Melinda took, because it is such a momentous… moment. Sir Grummore did his first wallow! We are incredibly proud of him. We know that other pigs have grown their trust and confidence faster, and some have balanced their weight more easily, but Grummy goes at his own pace, no matter how much you encourage (or, as he might put it, pester) him. So you can be certain that everything Grummy does, Grummy does on his own initiative. So nice to see him finding joy in being a pig. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Doing a little piglet sitting while Stardust gets to stretch her legs and graze a little bit. Soon we will work on weening and these small steps help us all get ready for that (people definitely included). These Comets are just amazing. Thank you to our amazing sponsors who have stepped up to help us make sure this family is well cared for and gets all that they need in their first year of life. If you want to know more about sponsoring Stardust and Her Comets, or any of our other residents check out our website. #stardustandhercomets #darrowbyfarmsanctuary #farmanimalsanctuary #pigletsitting #rescuepigs #compassion #peace #sanctuary #cute #maine
We— and Miss Honey— need to offer a huge thank you to @sundog_oe for the help they have given us this month! Our lower pig pasture has become completely overrun with persicaria. The pigs don’t eat it, so they have essentially eliminated all of its competition and now it’s covering almost the entire pasture. I don’t think I’ve ever hated a plant, but I have no very cordial feelings towards this one. Sundog’s campers and adults put on their gloves and joined us this morning for a steady hour of pulling this stuff up. They got us off to an amazing start— look at that pile! We will continue on our own and soon will be able to recede the pasture. Every Wednesday this month, we have met the greatest kids, and we are so happy to have been able to partner with Sundog. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Melinda caught this interaction between Abby and Cleo this afternoon. Abby is 13 and Cleo is 3, and just like the piglets bring joy to the sanctuary, Cleo and her two brothers, typically known as The Rowdy Three, have brought so much life to our elderly goat herd. Herd health is about so much more than food and shelter; goats are herd animals and they need family around them in order to feel safe, and literally to survive. Having a herd made up exclusively of elders is not sustainable. We’re very happy that The Rowdy Three are keeping our seniors young and literally on their toes. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Please enjoy a few moments of piglet indoor recess this afternoon. It’s hard to keep nine babies entertained on a rainy day! Luckily, The Comets have turned a corner today and are much more curious and confident around me, so they enjoy my company enough to give Stardust a bit of a break. For the full length video, become a sponsor of Stardust and the comments, help this little family achieve health and success for the first year of their lives, and get access to the @stardustandthecomets Instagram account, which provides extra baby content. Stardust had such a brutal first four years of her life. We want to make sure we do everything we can to bring her peace and let her know that she will never suffer again. #farmanimalsanctuary #withusnotforus #someonenotsomething #friendsnotfood #veganforthem #mainenonprofit #rescuegoat #rescuepig #rescuegoat #rescuehorse #pigsarefriendsnotfood #rescuecow #rescuesteer #stardustandthecomets
Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?
Darrowby Farm Sanctuary provides a lifelong home for farmed animals in need of safety and love. In 2019 alone, hundreds of animals were seized from neglect and abuse in Maine. Thanks to the work of animal shelters and animal welfare laws, domestic animals have a fair chance of escaping these horror stories. Unfortunately, farmed animals have fewer legal protections, fewer advocates, and fewer places capable of taking them in.
We believe that all livings creatures deserve the respect and security that comes from having a single loving home. We are proud to provide this home for our animals who would otherwise have very different fates.
