11/10/2025
⚠️ A Kind but Important Message from M&B Farm & Hatchery Inc.
This post is not directed at anyone personally, and we want to be very clear: we are not trying to be rude, mean, or unpleasant in any way. 💚
We understand that life can be unpredictable, situations change, and sometimes people simply don’t know where to turn for help.
This message comes from a place of love, honesty, and education—not anger.
However, the truth is that these situations have become a serious issue, costing us thousands of dollars every year — money that could have been allocated toward feed, medical care, habitat improvements, and the care of the animals already here.
We’re sharing this because we care deeply about both the animals and the people who reach out to us.
We are not saying we won’t help — we just need things to be done the right way, so that everyone (and every animal) stays safe, healthy, and within the law.
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🚫 Please Do Not Dump Animals 🚫
This year alone, over 20 cats have been dumped over our gates.
More than half were special-needs — sick, injured, or unweaned — and on average, it costs us around $350 per cat to fully vet, vaccinate, deworm, microchip, and spay/neuter them. 💔
While we do hold a domestic animal license, we are not equipped to handle large numbers of cats. Our current “cat hotel” is due for a complete rebuild, and space and funding are limited.
🐾 As for dogs:
This is an active working farm with hundreds of free-range birds and livestock. We are not a traditional dog rescue — our focus is on working breeds such as Black Mouth Curs, Anatolian Shepherds, and Great Pyrenees, which are naturally suited to farm guardian life.
That said, when kennel space is available, we do make exceptions. We’ve proudly fostered for military members while they were deployed, and we always try to help whenever possible — but only when it’s safe for the animals and our residents.
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🚨 Important Legal Notice — Georgia Animal Intake Procedure
Under Georgia law, rescues and sanctuaries are prohibited from legally taking in stray dogs or cats without prior authorization. Only Animal Control or the County Sheriff’s Office may take in strays.
👉 If your county has Animal Control, you must contact them first.
👉 If your county does not have Animal Control, you must contact the Sheriff’s Office.
👉 If Animal Control determines we can help, they may authorize us to perform the official stray hold on their behalf — but only with proper documentation and approval.
👉 If your county has no Animal Control, the Sheriff’s Office can issue authorization for us to assist.
📜 Legal Reference:
> “Impounding or harboring seized, stray, homeless, abandoned, or unwanted dogs, cats, and other animals requires a contract with a Political Subdivision of the State.”
— Georgia Animal Protection Act, O.C.G.A. § 4-11-2(2)
📍 Local Contact Information:
Brantley County Sheriff’s Office (No Animal Control) — 📞 (912) 462-6141
Glynn County Animal Services — 📞 (912) 554-7500
This ensures all strays are legally recorded, held for the proper stray-hold period, and given the chance to be reclaimed by their rightful owners.
We can still scan found animals for microchips, help locate owners, and share trusted rescue contacts that may have space available.
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🐥 Dumping Poultry or Livestock
We’ve also had ducks, chickens, and other farm animals dumped over our gates.
Please understand — we are here to help, but dumping them this way is dangerous and often deadly.
Our contact information is posted clearly at all gates and entrances — you can always call or message us first.
When animals are dumped:
🐔 They don’t know the property, where food or water is, or where shelter is located.
🐔 They are not properly introduced to our flocks, which can cause injury or disease.
🐔 They often aren’t tagged, and we spend hours each weekend catching and identifying untagged birds just to ensure they’re safe.
If you need to surrender poultry or livestock, we kindly request that you complete a surrender form — and, yes, you may remain anonymous.
This helps us document the intake legally and introduce them safely.
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⚠️ Why This Matters:
Every licensed rescue in Georgia has a state-set limit on the number of domestic animals it can house at one time.
When animals are illegally dumped, they count against our licensed shelter numbers, which puts us at risk of reaching our limit — meaning we can’t help others in genuine need.
We’re also legally required to record every animal that comes in or leaves our care — adoptions, fosters, and holds. Dumped animals put those records—and our license—at risk.
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🚔 A Final Note:
If this continues, we will have no choice but to contact the Sheriff’s Office regarding the illegal dumping of animals.
That’s not something we want to do, and we have not called out anyone personally — this message is about education and prevention.
Please be aware that our gates are under surveillance. If dumping continues, we will provide footage to law enforcement as part of the reporting process.
This is a last resort, but it cannot keep happening.
💚 We are not saying we won’t help — we’re simply asking that things be done the right way.
We love this community, and we will always strive to help when we can, but we must do so safely, responsibly, and in accordance with state law.
We do what we do because we care deeply.
Please, call or message us first. We’ll always do our best to guide you in the proper, legal, and humane direction.
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💚 We love and care for every life here — but please, don’t make it harder for the ones already fighting to heal.
📍 M&B Farm & Hatchery Inc.
630 Sloan Hill Rd, Hortense, GA
🌐 www.mbfarmhatchery.com
📧 [email protected]
📞 (912) 289-7509
💚 Licensed 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Rescue & Sanctuary
Our family farm started as a 30-acre hobby farm for personal enjoyment and self-sustainability. As we grew, our love for our animals and our community grew.
