7 Incredible Animal Sanctuaries You’ll Want to Escape to This Summer

7 Incredible Animal Sanctuaries You’ll Want to Escape to This Summer

  • Sarah Von Alt
  • Sarah Von Alt

Have you ever snuggled with a cow? Or fed pigs their favorite snack? Now’s your chance! Here are seven incredible animal sanctuaries you’ll want to escape to this summer:

1. Woodstock Farm Sanctuary 

Located in upstate New York, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is home to dozens of pigs, rabbits, goats, and more!  The sanctuary is open for tours on weekends and even hosts a few special events. And if you have some extra time, they could always use an extra hand!

2. Edgar’s Mission

Edgar’s Mission is giving a second chance to over 450 abused and neglected farmed animals near Melbourne, Australia.  Tours are by appointment only, and guests have a chance to connect with the animals and hear their inspirational rescue stories.

3. Animal Place

With the variety of tours available at this 600-acre sanctuary in Northern California, Animal Place is a must-visit for animal lovers on the West Coast. It also offers a great opportunity to visit with animals rescued from the food industry. And you can even stay at the guest house!

4. Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary 

It’s time to meet Esther the Wonder Pig! When Esther was adopted, her family believed she would grow to be only 70 pounds, but they quickly found out that Esther would actually become a full-size pig.  Now her family runs a sanctuary (and offers tours) in Ontario where animals once raised for food can live out their lives in peace.

5. Catskill Animal Sanctuary

Located in the Hudson Valley, Catskill Animal Sanctuary is home to over 300 farmed animals, including pigs, sheep, and horses. Public tours are available, and visitors can book a stay at The Homestead, a renovated pre-Civil War residence that offers a complimentary vegan breakfast.

6. Hof Butenland

Nestled in Northern Germany, Hof Butenland is a retirement home that works to give abused former dairy cows a wonderful life. It also fosters the extraordinary human-animal relationships that can form when these sweet, sensitive creatures are not viewed as food.  The sanctuary offers limited tours on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

7. Sunrise Sanctuary 

Sunrise Sanctuary in Ohio provides a permanent safe haven for over 170 animals. The sanctuary was also featured in MFA’s award-winning documentary Fowl Play.  Sunrise offers fun seasonal events and “open barn days” when the public can visit with the animals.

Want more? Click here for 10 amazing getaways for farmed animal lovers.