A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary Foundation in Duncan, British Columbia, is the First Farm Sanctuary in Canada to be Accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries

November 20, 2020 (Duncan, BC) – The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only globally recognized organization providing standards for identifying legitimate animal sanctuaries, awarded Accredited status to A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary Foundation (HFH) as of  November 18, 2020. This is the first farm animal sanctuary in Canada to be Accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Accreditation signifies that A Home for Hooves meets GFAS’s rigorous and peer-reviewed farm animal care standards which are confirmed by a comprehensive site visit. Accreditation also signifies adherence to standards addressing the sustainability of the organization, ethical principles, finances, staffing, education outreach, security and safety and other operational aspects. The Accreditation status provides a clear and trusted means for the public, donors, and grantors to recognize A Home for Hooves as an exceptional organization.

“We are proud to announce the Accreditation of A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary Foundation,” said Daryl Tropea, Ph.D. GFAS Program Director. “Michelle and her team ensure the highest level of humane and responsible care for every resident animal. Their animals, some who have special needs, enjoy natural and safe habitats with bushes to hide and mud holes to wallow. Although this is a fairly young organization, A Home for Hooves has been committed to providing best practices in care, governance and sanctuary management from their beginning.”

“Accreditation increases transparency and gives the public peace of mind knowing that their support is going to an upstanding and reputable organization based on a formal process that requires us to meet or exceed specific quality assurance standards,” explained Michelle Singleton, President of A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary.  “It ensures our Sanctuary is meeting objective standards to foster a culture of quality and safety for the animals in our care and for the people who are part of our community.  Accreditation is important since there is no formal criteria that must be met or demonstrated for an organization to refer to themselves as a “Sanctuary”.  Being accountable to an outside authority has helped us advance our planning policies and identify areas that may require change and improvement.  This was a voluntary process that A Home for Hooves sought out as an opportunity for growth in order to ensure we are meeting international standards and providing the best quality of care for our residents.”

About Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the sole purpose of strengthening and supporting the work of animal sanctuaries, rescues, and rehabilitation centers worldwide. The goal of GFAS in working with and assisting these animal care facilities is to ensure they are supported, honored, recognized and rewarded for meeting important criteria in providing care to the animals in residence. GFAS was founded in 2007 by animal protection leaders from a number of different organizations in response to virtually unchecked and often hidden exploitation of animals for human entertainment and financial profit. The GFAS Board of Directors guides the organization’s work in a collaborative manner. While the board includes those in top leadership at The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and American Anti-Vivisection Society, all board members serve as individuals dedicated to animal sanctuaries. www.sanctuaryfederation.org.

About A Home for Hooves Farm Animal Sanctuary
We are a volunteer run non-profit organization registered with the BC Government that offers a forever home for rescued and abandoned farm animals in Duncan BC.  Our sanctuary was founded in September 2017 and we are the second official farm sanctuary on Vancouver Island.  We currently have over 60 residents at A Home for Hooves including pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, dogs, guinea pigs and cats.  We ensure all our animals are provided with the best care and a good quality home where they are able to live out their natural lives. We strive to promote the welfare of animals for the benefit of the public by rescuing and providing care for stray, abandoned, abused, or surrendered animals, and operation of an animal adoption program.  We aim to advance education for the public by providing workshops, seminars, classes, and presentations on animal practices, rescue, and care.

We have over 25 volunteers that help us with the everyday care of the animals, social media, graphic design and event planning.  We are incredibly fortunate to have so many dedicated and wonderful volunteers because they are the reason our Sanctuary runs smoothly, and our animals are well cared for. For more information, please visit http://www.ahomeforhoovesfarmsanctuary.com/