Early Giving Begins for Giving Day for Apes!
This year’s Giving Day for Apes will be held on October 11th, but you can help ape sanctuaries in Africa, Asia, and North America now! Beginning on September 12th, every online donation to participating organizations will count towards their totals and may even help them to win prizes. Visit www.givingdayforapes.org to see who is participating and to make a donation to the sanctuary or sanctuaries of your choice.
And on October 11th, check back to see the leaderboards and find out who will win prizes during the 24 hour event.
Save the Date for the 2022 Carole Noon and
Outstanding Sanctuary Awards Virtual Ceremony!
Please join us on one of our favorite days of the year! Friday, October 21, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. pacific time/3:00 p.m. eastern time, we will be announcing the winners for each category of this year’s awards, and you will have the opportunity to hear from each winner! Keep your eyes on our social media and October’s newsletter for the link to sign up to join the virtual ceremony.
We can’t wait to honor some amazing sanctuaries!
GFAS Set to Amplify True Sanctuary Work at AVA Summit
We are excited to announce that GFAS will be attending and exhibiting at the new premiere conference for farmed animal advocacy: the Animal & Vegan Advocacy Summit. The AVA Summit is dedicated to creating a world in which non-human animals are removed from the food system and other human uses. It aims to accelerate progress and systematic change for animals by empowering advocates and organizations to increase their impact.
GFAS will be there to bring awareness to the crucial role that farm sanctuaries play in animal advocacy, to educate fellow advocates on what true sanctuary means, and to engage more attendees with the farm sanctuary movement. Come by and see us at the booth, October 20-23!
Don’t Forget to Register for the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance Conference!
Register today at the link above and hear from experts on:
- Wildlife behavior
- Geriatric big cat nutrition and supplementation
- Employee retention and hiring
- Disaster preparedness and response
- International permitting
- Creating your sanctuary’s resume
- Member/Donor services, engagement and retention
- Update on COVID in big cats
- Enrichment programs
- Captive big cat population assessments
September Round Table Report
Earlier this month, GFAS hosted another round table discussion for GFAS accredited and verified sanctuaries, this time on the topic of social media. As with all of our round tables, we enjoyed an informal discussion and exchange of ideas, and we learned about how we can help sanctuaries. We hope to present a webinar later this year for our sanctuaries to further explore issues regarding social media usage and best practices!
Congratulations to Lions, Tigers & Bears on 20 years of Animal Rescue!
Hats off to GFAS Accredited, Lions, Tigers & Bears (LTB) in Alpine, California as they celebrate two decades of championing the rescue of animals in need. Over the years, founder, Bobbi Brink and her team have logged thousands of miles in their custom trailers to rescue more than 1,000 big cats, bears and other exotic animals from across the United States. These animals came from an array of horrible captive situations and had suffered immense cruelty. Now, as permanent residents of a true sanctuary, these animals enjoy compassionate and skilled care, healthy diets, and spacious enclosures with pools, trees, and the ability to exhibit some agency over their lives.
Lions, Tigers & Bears is currently home to 60 exotic and domestic animals, representing 19 species. A recent gift of 50 additional acres will ensure there’s plenty of room to expand and save more animals. To support their vital work and learn more about Lions, Tigers & Bears please visit: lionstigersandbears.org
Accredited Pasado’s Safe Haven Celebrates 25 years: A Legacy of Compassion
Accredited sanctuaries set the bar high for what sustainable, compassionate, high-impact sanctuary can look like – and Pasado’s Safe Haven of Washington State is no exception. This year, they celebrate their 25th Anniversary – and they’re far from done.
“Pasado’s Safe Haven was founded in 1997 following the brutal and senseless killing of Pasado the Donkey at a community farm in Bellevue, WA. What started as a tragic event has now created a movement that is changing the world for animals for good. Over the last 25 years our programs have evolved to be among the most impactful in the country. Our four focus areas take a comprehensive approach to solving a complex problem. We are not only helping save individual animals, we are also working to improve the systems that impact animals most in our society.”
In that time, they have helped over 6,000 animals directly, helped strengthen 16 laws in Washington, and reached over 1M people through their education and outreach programs. They have helped with large scale rescues, like that of 1000 hens abandoned to die on an egg farm, provided training to law enforcement on recognizing and prosecuting cruelty cases, and were the first to ever fit a cow with a prosthetic! Their unique shelter model which helps both companion and farmed animals spreads a powerful message about the individuality and inherent worth of ALL species.
We can’t wait to see what they do next.
To learn more about their work, visit https://www.pasadosafehaven.org/about/25th-anniversary/
First Accredited by GFAS in 2011, Glen Ellen Vocational Academy is still going strong.
Glen Ellen Vocational Academy (GEVA) was established in 1995 with two major objectives, to provide care and shelter for horses who are injured, aged, were the victims of abuse or neglect or were merely in need of a home; and to teach people the skills necessary to work with horses in a safe, humane and confident manner. As one of Northern California’s oldest Thoroughbred retirement and rehabilitation facility, GEVA continues to meet the mission by providing a forever home to 32 horses many of which are former race horses.
Since 2011, GFAS has been impressed with the work done by GEVA and their efforts to provide a high standard of care for their horses.
When asked about the re-certification, GEVA President and Founder, Pam Berg remarked, ‘We admire the work GFAS does, and we are happy to have earned the re-accreditation again and to be recognized by GFAS.’
We would like to thank Pam and and her small team of volunteers at Glen Ellen Vocational Academy for their hard work and dedication to helping horses in need. If you would like to learn more about GEVA or make a donation, go to http://www.glenellenfarms.com/geva/.
New Certifications and Renewals
Over the past month, GFAS has certified two new groups and renewed three GFAS organizations! Congratulations to all these groups!
New Certifications
Central Virginia Horse Rescue, Virginia
Hope’s Legacy Equine Rescue, Virginia
Renewals
Brook Hill Retirement Center, Virginia
Catskill Animal Sanctuary, New York
Days End Farm Horse Rescue, Maryland