Here - Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary

happytrailsfarm.org w Ravenna, Ohio w 330-296-5914

Happy Trails Farm Animal SanctuaryDECEMBER 2013

Together We AreAccomplishing Great Things!

NATASHA AND ODESSA’S HOLIDAY WISH LIST

for all animals to have a warm bed this winter • to have a kind hand guide those of us who cannot see • to begiven hay as sustenance for us live • to be corrected gently if we have done something wrong • to be respectedfor simply being a creature whose life matters • for people to understand that we can feel pain and sadness •to have friends like me • for people to have compassion and empathy • to spread peace and healing for allanimals everywhere • to stop the madness of “acceptable industry standards” like de-beaking the chickens

and castrating us without anesthesia • to send healing to all those who may be suffering this holiday season

letter from

the director

Dear FriendsOf Happy Trails,

Gratitude. That word sums upthe feeling in my heart when I lookback at the progress we have madewith all of us working together —progress in the number of farmanimal abuse cases we are able tohandle as well as continually improv-ing the facilities at Happy Trails.

I am in awe of the number ofpeople who believe in the mission ofHappy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary.I am beyond grateful for donorswho make the animal rescueservices and educational pro-grams we provide possible. I amhumbled by the kind and thoughtfulnotes and cards that we receive dailyand the letters with words of inspira-tion that encourage us to continue onwith our work. And I have a strongfaith that the organization ofHappy Trails will continue to grow,to prosper, to save lives, to edu-cate, and to make a difference —we’re here for the long haul!

As the year 2013 comes to aclose and I look back on oursuccesses and highlights, I amindeed thankful for many things.Happy Trails currently has the mostdedicated staff members in ourhistory. Our volunteers are die-hardworkers who make up an importantpiece of the puzzle. And our donorsand supporters make miracleshappen daily — you pay for surger-ies that make it possible for abusedanimals to recover and to heal; youallow us to buy medications, jointsupplements, grain, and hay; youprovide thick straw bedding for thecold and the weak; you buy fuel forour vehicles which enables us to pickup animals from rescue sites andenables us to transport them to vet

hospitals and clinics for treatment;you pay for our general operatingexpenses for things such as electric-ity, trash removal, internet service,and insurance; you repair the fencesand fix the leaky roofs on the animalshelters; and you pay for repairs andupkeep for the vehicles so we cancontinue to serve law enforcementand pick up animals at a moment’snotice.

For all of this and more, I amextremely and extraordinarily gratefulto each and every one of you.Together we are making greatstrides in spreading kindness andcompassion for all animals, increating an awareness of theabuses to farm animals in particu-lar, and we are changing minds,opening eyes, and softeninghearts one person at a time. Thankyou for working hand in hand with us,for together, we are an amazingteam bringing peace and healing to

the animals, to our communities andto our world.

Wishing everyone a peaceful,safe, animal-friendly and cruelty-free holiday season!

With kindness and compassionfor all animals,

Annette FisherExecutive Director

Martin LutherKing, Jr.

Life’s most persistent andurgent question is,

Martin LutherKing, Jr.

IN THIS ISSUE

Giving Tree Program .. page 5

Wish List ..................... pages 6, 7

Arena Campaign ......... page 8

Tribute To Joseph........ page 8

Gift Sponsorships ....... page 9

Thank Yous ................. page 10

Adoptions ................... page 11

Special Story ............... page 12, 13

Networking ................. page 14

Recent Rescues ........... page 15

Donation Form............ page 15

Hay And Straw ............ back cover

Visit our website athappytrailsfarm.org

Call us at330-296-5914

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“Good Sam Sheep”

Hope Evans, Social Work Intern, CreatesVeterans Healing Program For Spring 2014

Recently Happy Trails assisted the Greater Akron HumaneSociety and rescued a sheep that had been found as astray near Archwood Avenue in Akron. Not a great place tobe if you’re a sheep. The small but adorable sheep wasfrightened, nervous and covered with dried poo. Here I’llshare with you an excerpt from the nightly animal careupdates that are sent to us by our evening staff. Thefollowing update is from animal care giver and intern,Ashley Kloes: “Hello all! The little sheep is in the stall next

to Kate (the horse) for the time being. She was settling inand eating some hay when I left. She is pretty nervous

about everything but I was glad to see her eat. On the papers that the vets office gave us they referred to the man whobrought her in as a Good Samaritan. For her name they wrote "Good Sam Sheep" for short. So, Ashley E. and I decided that

Samantha should be her name. She is such a cutie! Everything else went well tonight. Good night!” Ashley K.Through aquired information, we discovered that Samantha was being kept by people in the city who intended to kill

her. She escaped when being transfered from a crate where she was kept. Lucky for Sam, she got away and though she wastraumatized when attacked by dogs, she was rescued and brought tothe safety of Happy Trails. Thankfully Samantha has now beenadopted by a very caring family who had already adopted severalsheep from us this past year. Sam is fitting in nicely with her newfriends, and will even taketreats from her mama’s handas long as Sam can standbehind another sheep forconfidence!

(Left) Good Sam Sheep with

her new sheep friend,Pecora.

One of the Happy Trails fall semester

interns is helping us to establish ahealing program for veterans, whichshould be in place by spring 2014.Hope Evans, a social work major atthe University of Akron, plans to

establish a program where rescuedHappy Trails farm animals can interactwith veterans to help promote peaceand healing in the lives of the veteransas well as in the lives of the rescuedanimals. This unique program will beunveiled hopefully this spring. Watchfor details to come on the Happy Trailswebsite and in future newsletters!

The Happy Trails student intern-ship program currently covers market-ing, social work, and animal welfare. Ifyou know of a student who would beinterested in participating in the HappyTrails internship program, contact usat 330-296-5914 for more details.

(Left) Hope Evans hugs a mini horsewho we anticipate will become part ofthe program.

Meet Intern/StaffMember, Ashley KloesKent State biology major, AshleyKloes, had been volunteering withHappy Trails for about a year beforebeing brought on as a part-time AnimalCare Giver staff member. This semes-ter Ashley is also completing a studentinternship with Happy Trails. We hopeto bring Ashley on as a full-time staffmember after graduation in spring of2014. Ashley has a great deal of horseexperience, is safe and reliable, andvery dedicated to the animals in hercare. We are happy to have AshleyKloes as part of the Happy Trails crew!

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As we prepare for the holidays, Happy Trails contin-

ues to try to find creative ways we can raise funds for

the care of the rescued animals.

The old office area has been repainted and is becom-

ing a rather nicely-put-together gift shop that will fea-

ture some great gift ideas just in time for the holidays.

100% of the proceeds from every purchase will go

directly for the care of the rescued animals.

Logo apparel will include hoodies, jackets, long

sleeve shirts, scarves, and an assortment of tops, pull-

overs, t-shirts and more.

Look for calendars, mugs, blankets, mouse pads and

other unique gift ideas.

You won’t find these Happy Trails logo items in any

other store!

November - December

STORE HOURS

Gift Shop

Treat yourself tosomething special orfind great gift ideas.

Either way therescued animals benefit!

Happy Trails GIFT SHOPOpen For The Holidays!

5623 New Milford Rd.Ravenna, Ohio

Wed. Nights.. 5pm to 8pm (Closed Christmas Day)Saturdays ..... 10am to 4pm

Sundays ....... 12pm to 4pm

BLACK FRIDAY

THANK YOU!Thank you to everyone whoshopped at Happy Trails onBlack Friday! A specialshout-out goes to ourfriends, Richard andMarilyn Cowdery and babyEmmie, who drove all theway from Michigan to visitthe gift shop and meet therescued animals in person!We are SO grateful to havesuch dedicated supportersand we are filled with aweto know that the rescuedanimals are very importantto so many caring people!

(Right) Pip At The Plate is a trulywonderful children’s book,created exclusively for HappyTrails. At only $5 it’s a greatstocking stuffer. Can’t make it tothe store? Call us at 330-296-5914 and we’ll mail one out toyou.

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Happy TrailsFarm Animal Sanctuary

happytrailsfarm.org

AHOTE

Happy Trails Giving Tree Program

Participating Locations:

• Pettigrew Feed & Hardware330-325-15006773 Tallmadge Rd, Rootstown, Oh 44272

• Western Reserve Farm Co-op440-285-3143 Chardon12285 Ravenna Rd., Chardon, Oh 44024

330-296-3424 Ravenna467 Cleveland Rd., Ravenna, Oh 44266

• Discount Stables330-628-013941 S. Cleveland Ave, Mogadore, Oh 44260

• Barle Soup & Sandwich216-371-3050 (tree has monetary

donations for medical and other expenses)

2483 Lee Blvd., Cleve. Heights, Oh 44118

How Does The GivingTree Program Work?

YOU CAN EITHER:

1. Visit one of the participatinglocations in person and then:• Select an ornament from the Giving Tree.

• Purchase the item listed on the back of theornament for the rescued farm animals from thestore you are visiting. Leave the item at the storeand a Happy Trails volunteer will pick up donatedmerchandise during the holiday season.

• Take the ornament home and proudly hang it onyour tree as a reminder that you made a differencethis holiday season!

OR...

2. Call in to one of the participatinglocations, and then:• Provide a credit card number over the phoneand request that an amount of your choosing bedonated to Happy Trails. The store will apply thatamount to Happy Trails so we can purchase itemsfor the animals, and you will receive a thank you,tax receipt and ornament in the mail!

Donations are tax deductible.

Happy Trails

We strive to give the rescued animal’s the very best in food, shelter, and medical care, and to providethem with a clean, safe environment. We also strive to give our visitors a safe, educational and

rewarding experience by allowing them to enter the animal’s yards and getting to know them upclose and personal during guided sanctuary tours hosted seasonally.

Listed below are a few wish list items that include needs, wants, hopes and dreams. It

covers everything from something simple like bottled water for our volunteers whogenerously donate their time, to fulfilling a dream of a large piece of land to

be used for expansion, rescue and education, and everything in between.Thank you for helping us provide rescue, rehab and adoption programs for the rescued

animals and educational and experiential programs for our communities!

ITEMS USEDTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR

• Paint brushes, rollers, paintpans, and any painting supplies

• Lime or stall deodorizer

• Leaf rakes

• Pitch forks and stall picks

• Muck tubs

• Wheel barrows

• Power tools (drills, saws,nail guns - we are ALWAYS

repairing somethingand borrowing tools)

• Hammers andnails (all types)

• Bungee cords

• Tarps (any size)

• Rest room products such as paper

towels, toilet paper, kleenex

ANIMAL HEALTH CARE

• Paste wormers such as Quest,Strongid, Zimectrin, Panacur, etc.

• Large pet porters, crates or cages ingood condition

• Over-The-Counter Items: Vaseline,Bag Balm, Vetracyn, Triple AntibioticOintment, Saline Solution, Iodine

• 4”x4” gauze pads

• Thrush Buster or Copertux

• Horse thermometers

• Stethoscopes (for

both large andsmall animals)

GIFT CARDS

• Gas & fuel cards for diesel andgasoline (any station)

• Gift cards :PettigrewFeed inEdinburg;WesternReserve inRavenna; TSC(Tractor Supply Company) inRavenna; Big Ds Tack in Streetsboro;

Carl’s Tack in Atwater

FOR OUR HARDWORKING VOLUNTEERS

• Bottled water

or soft drinks

• Vegan snacks

• Hand and footwarmers

WINTER NEEDS

• 64” to 68” (small sized)horse blankets

• Red heat lamp bulbs andheat lamps• Sleeping bags,comforters, andblankets for thearthritic or injured

animals

ANIMAL NUTRITION

• Hay (and straw for bedding) - notmore than a year old, cannot bemoldy

• Grain: Hog pellets,duck/goose pellets,chicken laying mash orscratch (any brands);Safe Choice forhorses; Mazuri Elder

pot belly pig pellets

TREATS FOR THE ANIMALS

If you wish to donate produce,vegetables or fruits, please checkthe following list before sendingsnacks. The farm animals’ diets areclosely monitored. We allow themto have only certain foods otherthan their grain and hay. Any fruitsor vegetables that are donatedcannot be moldy or rotted. Pleaseunderstand that we can only acceptthe following food and produce

items:below:

• Apples and Carrots• Sealed bags ofGinger Snap cookies or cans ofpumpkin (both actually good for sourstomachs)• Breads, buns, rolls (great for hidingmedicine)

• Bananas, pears, water-melon, lettuce

• Corn on the cob

• Strawberries

and grapes

2013 Holiday Wish List

page 6

page 7

Happy Trails Holiday Wish List Continued

EQUIPMENT/VEHICLES

• A post-hole digger attach-ment for our Bobcat

• A van or SUV to be used foreducational purposes andspecial events. This type ofvehicle would be ideal tokeep display materials drywhen transporting literatureand display items to func-tions. It would also have

plenty of roomto haulsmallerani-malstoeventsto keep them safe and dry without

having to haul the large horse trailer.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

• An automated roll-up tarp door for

our new storage building. Call for sizeand details!• Concrete or other paving materialfor walkways and driveways through-out the sanctuary. We have severalconcrete projects, everything frompouring several small concrete padsto paving the driveways. This wouldaccommodate folks in wheelchairs

who arrive for a tour and will helpprovide safer footing for guests, staffand volunteers. This will also cutdown immensely on mud.

• Fencing supplies to fence in the

remainder of theproperty, includingwooden posts, rolls of5’ tall field fence, and2×8”x8’ boards. Call usfor details on quanti-

ties.

• Sand: We are re-placing the footing inour arena which is sadlyin need of upgradingregarding the footingand sand base. Cur-rently the arena has agreat deal of rockscoming up from below the layers ofsand. We are going to scrape awaythe existing sand and base and start

fresh, resulting in the need forapproximately 40 tons of arena sandat approximately $20/ton.• A sponsor for half of the concretepad which has been poured for the

new storage building. We hadincorrectly listed two concretesponsors in the October newsletter.Many thanks to Barb Miller forsponsoring $1,250, which is half ofthe total cost of $2,500. The otherhalf was incorrectly attributed toanother donor. However, HappyTrails is still seeking donations tohelp us pay for the other half of the

DONATING

If you would like to drop off donateditems this holiday season, please callthe Happy Trails office at 330-296-5914 to set up an appointment. Atthis time we do not have the luxuryof a paid staff person to work in theoffice during set hours. Donationsare tax-deductible and you willreceive a tax deductible receipt foryour donation. Thank you very muchfor your support!

5623 New Milford Rd., Ravenna

happytrailsfarm.org

330-296-5914

concrete flooring, which is a total of

$1,250.

BIG GOALS

• Acreage within an hour of thesanctuary. Our ideal tract of landwould be 100+ acres to expand thesanctuary, create an educationalbuilding, develop larger pasturesand turn out areas, and eventuallyinclude a nursing home attached tothe sanctuary which would focus oninteraction with rescued farmanimals.

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Exciting ArenaCampaign Update!

Raffle Baskets ForFebruary FundraiserHappy Trails is in the process of planning An Evening OfHope And Inspiration to be held in February (details tocome!). We are seeking donations of gift baskets thatwould be appropriate to be used as Chinese raffle items,and we are asking that the items be animal-friendly (thismeans no animal products or animal testing). Themebaskets often range from pet care, wine, soaps andlotions or automotive, to vacations, office needs, a night“in”, and everything in between.If you would like to donate a theme basket, or even just

one item that can becombined with otheritems to create a themebasket, please contactHappy Trails at 330-296-5914. Your dona-tion is tax deductible.Like to plan specialevents? Let us knowyou’d like to be on ourevent planning commit-tees and help us raisefunds for the rescuedanimals! Call us: 330-296-5914.

Tribute To JosephHe was tall. He was extremely

handsome. He was debonair. Hewas friendly. He was loved byeveryone. He was Joseph, arecently rescued turkey who arrivedat Happy Trails in November.Joseph was only with us about aweek before the inevitable hap-pened — he had a heart attack.Like all genetically manipulatedturkeys who are engineered togrow so incredibly fast, sadly theirhearts, hips, and feet are notdesigned to keep up with theenormous amount of weight theygain. If they are not butchered at a young age, they often die ofa stroke, heart attack or broken legs or hips that give out. Weheld Joseph and comforted him as he crossed the RainbowBridge and entered the world of the spirit. Thanks to the goodfolks at Town & Country Vet Clinic for your help and compas-sion. Though you were only with us a short time, Joseph, youtouched many hearts. We will remember you and all yourfriends with kindness and caring throughout this holiday season.

Pretty soon youwon’t be able to seea horse likeCrecencia standingin a muddy outdoorarena at HappyTrails!

Thanks to yourgenerous contributions,we have currently (atthe time this newsletteris going to print)received $46,000 indonations toward PhaseI of the Covered Arena Project which is scheduled toget underway the first week of March 2014. Con-struction, which is being handled by our friends atMetis Construction in Kent, should be completedwithin three weeks of the start date.

Marcel Clopton, project manager, and CaitlinDoherty, office assistant and former Happy Trailsvolunteer, are determined to help Happy Trails savemoney and get the community involved in thisspecial project. If your company would like to beinvolved, donate supplies, provide manual labor,concrete for setting posts, assistance with levelingthe site and removing the old sand, etc., pleasecontact either Marcel or Caitlin at 330-677-7333.

Phase I of the Covered Arena Project is to getthe new building itself constructed. Phase II will beto raise enough funds to get the lighting and electric-ity installed; drainage addressed around the arenaand drain pipe installed; proper footing to replacethe rocky sand that is currently in the arena, and tocomplete any details that will help us finish theoverall project.

After construction is completed in the spring,we will host an open house to invite everyonewho donated to this project to attend a specialgrand opening ceremony. We are grateful for theopportunity to improve the care we can provide forthe rescued animals.

To learn more about the Covered Arena Projectand how this important new addition will help theorganization become self-sustainable, go towww.happytrailsfarm.org. To donate toward Phase IIgo to page 13 of the newsletter.

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I would like to send a gift sponsorship for the following typeof rescued animal(s). Please send their name, story, informationsheet, and a special invitation to visit them to the person above!

q Goat $40

q Pot Belly Pig $35

q Goose/Duck/Turkey $30

q Chicken (Hen or Rooster)

$20

I would like to sponsor a rescued animal as a gift for:

Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________________________

Special Occasion ____________________________ Date __________

email address ______________________________________

Solving The “What DoWe Get Them?” Dilemma!Put some fun into your gift-giving!Farm animal sponsorships can be a fun way of giving somethingvery unique to that special or hard-to-buy-for someone and at thesame time, show your compassion for rescued animals!

• Select the type of rescued animal that you would like to “give as a gift”.

• Fill out this form and mail it as directed. Requests must be received byDecember 15th to gaurantee arrival in the mail by Christmas.

The gift-recipient will receive a gift-sponsorshippackage, including a full-color photo, and

facts about therescued farmanimal. Detailsinclude feed,bedding, shelter,medical, andother itemsassociated withthe specialneeds of thatparticularrescued animal.

And, yourgift-recipient will also be invited tothe sanctuary to meet their spon-sored animal in person!

q Draft Horse $75

q Horse or Mini $50

q Farm Pig $40

q Sheep $40

FARM ANIMALGIFT SPONSORSHIP

My Name _________________________________________________________

Organization ____________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________

Phone (home/cell) ________________________________________________

email address _____________________________________________________

Please return sponsor form and donation by December 15th, 2013.Mail to: Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary,5623 New Milford Rd., Ravenna, Ohio 44266.

q Please charge my ___ VISA ___Mastercard

TOTAL AMOUNT: _______________

Want To Charge It?Use PayPal on our website at

happytrailsfarm.org, charge by phone at330-296-5914, or include the coupon below!

_________________________________________Card Number

_________________ _______________Exp. Date CSC (3 digits on back)

__________________________________________Name On Card

__________________________________________Signature

HAPPY TRAILS FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY

HOLIDAY GIFT SPONSORSHIPS Give The Gift Of Life!

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We could fill anentire newsletterwith stories ofwonderful peopledoing amazingthings for thesanctuary, so wealways try to saythank you to atleast a few folksfor their kind-ness andsupport.

Thank you to:• Mary Ann Graff,morning DJ andshow host for theForum Program atK105FM, a

Cumulous Broadcasting station. Mary Ann welcomesHappy Trails director,Annette Fisher, on theForum Program on aregular basis. The ForumProgram airs on K105FMon Sunday mornings from7am to 7:30am, and on thevarious Cumulous Broadcasting stations throughout theweek.

• Kathy Antoniotti, reporter for the Akron BeaconJournal, for writing and creating ahuge, front-page newsworthy articleto promote Happy Trails CoveredArena Campaign. Thanks to thismajor article and a follow up report,Happy Trails was able to collectenough donations to start construc-tion on the covered arena which will begin in March.

• A special thank you to Jason Wolboldt for installing newfencing yard forPaco and Priscilla,the farm pigs, andfor designing andconstructing afeeding shelter forthem for winter

• To the followingorganizations forbeing willing towork with HappyTrails Internship Program to give our interns a well-rounded learning experience: Medina Raptor Center;Geauga County’s Rescue Village; Alger Vet Clinic; and

the Portage Animal Protective League

• Some of our amazing volunteers who are at the sanctu-ary faithfully — Bentley Hudson, Carl Ehmann, JasonWolboldt, Tari Addison, Angel Brandner, Cindy Dilley,Tony Pappas, Walt Shields, and interns Sarah Kay andKristen Kennedy who go above and beyond

• To Dave Robinson and Dave Roberts for picking upand delivering things, both animals and “stuff”

• To everyone who donates blankets, comforters andsleeping bags for the piggies, and to everyone whocollects Acme receipts - thank you!

• Reporter Donna Miller with the Cleveland Plain Dealerfor always including infoabout Happy Trails in herpet columns, AND foradopting rescued animalsfrom Happy Trails. Shetakes amazing care of heranimals!

• To Appalachian Outfitters for keeping a donation boxfor Happy Trails ontheir counter at alltimes!

• To Jess Tosino andAngela Restifo, hardworking Hudson HighSchool students, whoare performing commu-nity service hours withHappy Trails this year.

• And a huge thankyou to everyone whodoes something,anything, to help therescued animals and tosupport Happy Trails — we are indeed honored to worktogether with you for the greater good!

J U S T F O R F U N . . .

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Their Christmas Wish — A Home For The Holidays

The stark reality is…every animal entering our sanctuary gates is the victim of severe neglect and/or abuse. Our missionis to prosecute the person(s) who commit these crimes in order to bring intolerance to farm animal cruelty everywhere.Happy Trails is a beacon of hope for each animal by providing veterinary care, nurturing and healing. The ultimate goal

is to re-home them. We have a dedicated team and, with over 250+ animals, we do our best. But the sanctuary isin essence a hospital, and most of us can attest to the longing for home even with the shortest hospital stay.

Nothing can take the place of a loving family to provide individual attention and care. There’s no place like home.Please consider adoption to complete their journey and give them a home for the holidays.

Below is just a handful of the 200+ animals available for adoption at Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Austin, aneight year oldQuarter horsegelding, hasringbone in allfour ankles.Austin is agiant puppy.He LOVES to play, gets into things,carries muck tubs around on his head,picks up buckets, and entertains himselfand others on a daily basis He’ll make a

great compan-ion for somelucky horse,but he can alsobe ridden by alight rider.PeppermintPatty, a verybeautiful tan

and white farmpig youngster,needs a homewhere she canget a lot ofattention. Shesimply adorespeople and ifshe had her

way, we’resure that shewould be someone’s house pig.Peppermint Patty is expected to growup to be quite large, so an appropriatehome with anotherpig friend is a must!Jason the ex-cockfighting rooster(right) is a bit on theshy side. He evengot beat up by someaggressive hens,poor guy. He needsa nice calm group of

hens who will allowhim to think that he isin charge of them.Crecencia (right), asmaller 20 year oldQuarter horse mare,is healthy and sound,is ridable, and hasbeen in the systemfar too long. Shewould be grateful fora permanent home

and a family she couldcall her own. Zagato(above right) is a retiredAmish horse who isridable for a light rideraround your back yardor light trail. He wouldbe a great kids horse.He is probably thesweetest and most

gentlehorseever tocome tothesanctu-ary.Galaxyisridableandneeds

an experi-enced rider.

Her markings arebreathtaking, and shetruly resembles apainting of the galaxy,complete with tiny starsand planets etched intoher beautiful coat!These are only six of

over 250animalsavailableforadoptionat Happy Trails. To give an animal inneed a permanent home in time for theholidays, call Happy Trails at 330-296-5914.

Thoughts From Adoptive Mom, Terri Flanagan

(Letter One)

...I find myself reflective. I have justarrived back in our house from thebarn night check. I left Rita (ouryoungest Flanagan) wrapped in ablanket and snuggled next to thestall rail where Tabitha will spendher first night alone.

I have so much I want to share inregard to adopting rescued farmdwellers and our trek after discover-ing Happy Trails…

First, just to explain, I wouldn’t beweaning sweet Tabitha right now ifMama Fleury was holding herweight. But with research and good

advice and direction from our vet., Ihave had to agree this would be inthe best interest of “Her Fleuriness”and would also feed positively intoTabitha’s ground training. And as ithas continually happened, the bestscenario has occurred! Fleury isstaying at our neighbor’s barntonight with two goats and anotherPBP – which means she will hearthe same commotion and havesimilar barn mates and she has ahuge pasture all to herself!! What agreat help to this transition. Tabithahas my daughter Rita – the two havebecome, well, one. And now theyare sleeping together….

If anyonewouldhave toldme a yearago anyof thiswould behappen-ing Iwouldhave toldthemOFF!If only Icouldconvinceanyonethatanythingis pos-sible with

Over the last so-many years, Terri Flanagan and her family haveadopted an assortment of rescued farm animals from HappyTrails. It started with the adoption of a pot belly pig that her son,Patrick, picked out, and went on to include another pig, severalgoats, a mini horse, and their last new family member this pastyear was a then-pregnant older pony named Fleury. Fleury wasrescued from an auction where she was being purchased by ameat buyer. The baby at her side was taken away from her andsold to a private owner. The old, pregnant mare was destined for ameat truck. Happy Trails purchased her, saved her life, andFleury was eventually adopted by the Flanagans later on in herpregnancy. Our friendship with the Flanagan family has contin-ued to blossom over time, and we absolutely cherish the beauti-fully written stories that Terri sends us about the animals, theirantics, the affect they have had on her family, and the way theyhave impacted her life. With Terri’s permission, we are sharingtwo excerpts from a few of her stories that she has shared with us.They are very personal, very precious, and very inspirational.Enjoy..

wayward wonderful animals andturn them ON!How long is it now? A good fewyears ago, our son Patrick, askedfor a pig! A pig. Crazy. We hadpygmy goats that his older brothershad cared for after we acceptedthem from a “hardship case”. Wehad chickens that a local schoolsystem had hatched as scienceexperiment. And we had Amishbunnies that Patrick and his sisterHannah had bought from a little ladalongside a scenic Ohio off road.

PIG? No way.

Patrick continued to ask. Finally, Itold him that if he could and wouldplant and grow enough corn feed fora pig, then he indeed, would get apig.

Patrick hand dug a garden patchabout 50’ by 100’ and grew corn.

I went on-line to find a pig. In theprocess, somehow, I stumbled acrossHappy Trails. Made the call. Col-lected our first “pig” actually“pigs” and we have never lookedback!

4 pigs, 1 goat, 2 roosters, 6 hens, 1guinea, 1 pony, and a pregnantwelsh mare later...I feel compelled topersuade others to more thanconsider… to listen and realize thatevery one of us average people cando a little more. Small amendmentsto our days can and do add up to

Fleury had a baby at her side at the auction, but it wasrudely sold and taken away from her during the sale.Here Fleury gets to bond with her new baby, and neverhas to worry about being taken to an auction ever againin her life.

The new baby, Tabitha, is growing up to be quite the mannerly young ladywith the assistance and careful guidance of Rita Flannigan.

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large adjustments toward a morepositive bigger picture.

In a million years I would neverhave thought I would be checking onmy daughter sleeping in my barnwith a 5 month old foal! Never. Butwhen one is willing – willing to opentheir eyes a little bit wider – let theirheart feel a little bit deeper – allowtheir minds to skip across theimmediate balks & blocks andstretch into important (somewhatsightless) callings & carings … well,amazing things happen and a wholenew history for a family just mightbegin!

Farm Flanagan is a true testamentthat anyone AND EVERYONEshould at least consider adopting/supporting the creatures of thisearth. We have a limited budget thatwe work from. We rely on theknowledge shared from those thatknow -- no formal or previoustraining. We are consistently blessedbeyond words and entertainedbeyond our imaginations. And allthe stories that come to us with thebeloved creatures that arrive here,their experience and energy, areintricately intertwined into who weall are here … and amazinglyenough, that then goes out againback into the world we go into…daily…in one wonderful way oranother.

Call me crazy – but I swear to you,it’s true!

Hope you have a great time enjoyingeach other’s company and that

purposefulpassionshared….Will missbeing a partof it tomor-row, but Imust some-how make ahair-dohappen forthis gal whowill haveslept thenight prior toher first bighigh schooldance in abarn!

Cheers! Terri

(Letter Two)

Hello there Happy Trails!

...having a moment here, as usualthis time of year. My older few havedeparted for college, in particularPatrick who is my right hand in thebarn and with the animals. It is alonesome sort of time. Laddie, ourOld English Sheep Dog, is droopyand trying to sneak upstairs to seewhere his Patrick is.

But what I am really sharingwith you is the remarkable change inour youngest, Rita. She has justcome in from outside, having closedup the barn, brushed and visited thehorses, and has left me with NOTH-ING to check on!! This is a newchapter. And it is all because of dearmama Fleury and sweet Tabitha.Our 15 year old Rita is now takinghorse back riding lessons weekly!She is solely responsible forTabitha’s training right now and isdoing an AMAZING job of it! (Thisis the girl that would only be “sortof” interested in the barnresidents...who had to be firmlyencouraged to help with the “dirty”work...etc. etc.)

I want to thank you again from thebottom of my heart for helpingFleury to be here with us. There isNO way I would have ever foreseenthis. I had only hoped and enter-tained the idea that this would addup to something good. It is incred-

ible how stretching oneself while notreally knowing why you are doingsomething – but you think it feels soright – can become a life changingevent in an amazing direction!

When I watch Rita working withTabs so intimately, helping thissweet filly to learn and not fear andto trust.... while I stay with Fleury,the two of us eyeing up our “daugh-ters” together strolling around theproperty... well, I am just so gratefulfor it all!

Cheers to you for all you have doneand continue to do!

Thank you again,

Terri

To adopt a rescued farm animalfrom Happy Trails, call us at 330-296-5914.

If you have adopted rescued farmanimals from Happy Trails andwould like to share your experi-ence and encourage others toconsider adoption, send your storyand a few photos either via emailto [email protected] to Happy Trails, 5623 NewMilford Rd., Ravenna, Oh 44266.

Happy Trails VeganRunning Team

For all you runners out there,Amy Wagar-Cinch is coordinating avegan running team to representHappy Trails throughout the year atvarious meets. To participate,contact Amy [email protected].

Misc. News

Both Fleury the pony and Terri Flannagan are quite proud of theiryoung daughters. Here Tabitha the baby pony and Rita Flanniganshare a special moment.

page 13

End-Of-Year Giving

Another year draws to a close, and as we bless thislatest chapter in our growth and development and put itbehind us, we are at the same time looking forward to anambitious, prosperous and successful year ahead, a yearfilled with peace and healing for all animals and all peoplewho we come in contact with.

As you consider your year-end donations, pleaseremember the hard work and valiant efforts that HappyTrails puts forth to address animal abuse and neglect in

farm animals andhorses.

What makes usunique is that werescue, we rehabili-tate, we recover, weprosecute, we adopt,we educate, wereach out, weparticipate, we giveback, and then weeducate some more.

Thank you forbeing part of thisamazing organiza-

tion. Together we are making good, no great, thingshappen. We can only provide the animal rescue, rehabilita-tion and adoption services, and our educational and com-munity programs, with your support. Thank you for beingopen to spreading kindness and compassion to allanimals. We truly appreciate the opportunities youprovide for us to serve others!

We’re all about it. Here at Happy Trails we believe inorganizations working together, and we are here to offer supportto any animal rescue organization, humane agency, humaneofficer, sheriffs department, police department, or other lawenforcement agency requesting our assistance.

We have worked together on animal rescues with the PortageAnimal Protective League, Portage County Sheriff’s Department,Brimfield Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Cleveland AnimalControl, Cleveland Animal Protective League, Humane Society OfColumbiana County, Mahoning County Humane Society, MedinaCounty Humane Society, Ashtabula County Humane Society,Greater AkronHumane Society,Capital AreaHumane Society ofColumbus, MedinaSPCA, LoraineCounty HumaneSociety, RossCounty HumaneSociety,Tuscarawas CountyHumane Society,Guernsey CountyHumane Society,Ohio SPCA, FrogPond Draft HorseRescue, andnationally we have worked with Animal Place in California, FarmSanctuary in Watkins Glenn, New York, Vine Sanctuary in Ver-mont, Horsenet Horse Rescue in Maryland, Catskill AnimalSanctuary in New York, the Humane Society Of The United States,Humane Farming Association and Suwanna Ranch in Elk Creek,California, The Pig Preserve in Tennessee, and Miracle HorseRescue in Pahrump, Nevada, to name a few.

Networking

Important CorrectionIn the last issue we listed the names that were bestowed on therescued hens and gave credit to the people who named them. Wehave a correction to share and a heartwarming story to go with it.Thanks to Kyra Kester for sharing this beautiful tribute to RuthColeman with us, and thank you for allowing us to make thiscorrection.

“I was so happy to see all the names for the hens in theOctober newsletter :-), but I do have a correction...I made adonation for six names (Genevieve, Gertrude, Stella, Vivian,Claudette and Esther) and wanted to name them in memory of mydear friend, Ruth Coleman, who passed away last October. I sawmy names listed, but it incorrectly shows Pat P. as the donor. Itwas very important to me to do this in memory of Ruth, becausewe had a dream of someday owning backyard chickens and weactually thought of the names we would give them! So when I firstsaw your “donation name drive”, I smiled, knowing Ruth wouldhave LOVED this! I had actually kept the list of names we cameup with, so that's where they came from!“ Thank you, Kyra Kester

Cal the farm pigs says, “How didyou konw I found a mud puddle?”

page 14

Shout Outs!•Welcome to Kerry Jackson, Amy Wagar-Cinch, and WalterShields, our newest board members.• Thanks to Dr. Gary Riggs and Wild4Ever for includingHappy Trails in their recent fundraiser which was held at theCleveland Aquarium. Awesome event, great people, tons ofnetworking!

• To our friends at Dachschund Delights located inGarretsville for yourcontinued support andthe donation of the storedisplays andother items.Keeprescuing thoseDoxies! For more info go to www.doxidelight.com or call 800-444-9475.

The sign that says without words,“We’re here for you.”

page 15

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE

• Donate on-line via PayPal at www.happytrailsfarm.org

• Call in your charge card information toHappy Trails at 330-296-5914.

__________________________________________________________Card Number

____________________ ________________Exp. Date CSC (3 digits on back)

___________________________________________________________Name On Card (Please print)

__________________________________________________________Signature

Name ___________________________ Address ________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________ Home Phone _____________________

Cell Phone ____________________________ Email _____________________________

q Check enclosed

q Please charge my ___ VISA ___Mastercard ___American Express

Simply fill out the donation formabove and include this coupon!

_____ Yes, I would like tosupport the work of HappyTrails on a monthly basis.

q Please charge my credit cardeach month in the amount of$___________

q Please send me pre-addressedenvelopes so I can send in amonthly check.

DONATION INFORMATION 12-2013

12-2013

Please accept this donation:

q To be used where needed most

q The New Covered Arena: Phase II

q Hay and Straw: Please purchase ________ bales at the currentprice of $5 per bale for a total of $__________.

q Wish List Item(s) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am enclosing.....q$10 q$25 q$55 q$75 q$125 q$_________

Want to become a monthly donor?

Return to Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary5623 New Milford Rd. Ravenna, Oh 44266

Recent AnimalRescues

Grant and Benjamin Button, twohandsome horses, came to Happy Trailsthrough the Guernsey County Humane

Society. After they had been rescued from asituation of severe neglect, the foster homewhere they were placed once againneglected them and they lost weight asecond time. These two boys are in prettyrough shape and we’re going to do every-thing we can to make them comfortable.

Pan came to Happy Trails through theAmish HorseRetirement Pro-gram. He is asweet, lovableStandardbredgelding who retiredat the young age of15 years old. Weexpect him to makea complete recoveryand be able to beridden by a smallerrider.

As this newsletter goes to press, HappyTrails is getting ready to assist theAshtabula County Humane Society andbring in a load of rescued farm animals tothe sanctuary tomorrow. These animalswere removed from a situation of horribleneglect, and we will be welcoming a calf,two goats, an assortment of ducks, andabout 70+ chickens. Some animals on theproperty were already deceased, and theowner is a repeat offender. We’ll provideupdates as their conditions and progress onthe website and in our next newsletter.

Please make a tax-deductible donationtoday, or you can support our work all yearround by setting up a monthly gift to helpthe rescued animals. Together we aresaving many lives, changing mindsets, andopening hearts. On behalf of the rescuedanimals, thank you for your support!

OR CURRENT RESIDENT

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAID

AKRON OHPERMIT NO.12

5623 New Milford RoadRavenna, Ohio 44266

(330) 296-5914happytrailsfarm.org

Happy Trails Farm AnimalSanctuary Inc. is a non-profit501(c)(3) organization thatrescues, rehabilitates, and

provides an adoption programfor abused, abandoned, andneglected farm animals such

as horses, ponies, potbelly pigs,farm pigs, chickens, ducks,turkeys, sheep, goats, and

cows. Happy Trails serves theentire state of Ohio and

any other state requesting ourhelp, and works in cooperationwith county humane societies,animal protective leagues, andlocal and state law enforcementofficers. Animals in our programmust have been removed froma situation of abuse, neglect orabandonment by law officials,and cruelty charges must befiled against the person(s)responsible for the crime.

Our MissionHay • Straw • Hay • Straw • Hay • Straw • Hay

One of

these willeat one of theseevery other

day.About 20 of thesewill eat1,220 of theseby the endof March.

At the going price of $5 per bale, Happy Trails will spend approximately$6,100 from December 1st to March 31st on hay for approximately 20horses. This does not include the amount of hay that the goats, sheep, cowsand other farm animals eat. And when emaciated animals arrive, it’s ideal togive them a giant mound of straw to lay their weary bones down in. Straw isalso going for about $5 per bale and we go through a LOT of straw. To helpbuy a few bales of hay or straw for the rescued animals, go to the inside backcover for a donation form!

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