Punky
Punky was rescued from a backyard breeder. She was the runt of the litter and was very sick.
She was
stepped
on by the other pigs, was not able to get enough food, and was very sunburned. A good Samaritan
noticed her,
and
took her in. She joined us after living a couple months inside a house! She now is best friends with
Gertrude
and
getting to know the other pigs.
Petunia
Petunia is a Gottingen pig, a breed manufactured in a laboratory. She was used for animal
testing,
although
we are not sure what for. Her rescue was coordinated by Rescue + Freedom Project. When she came to
Charlie’s
Acres,
she was covered in scabs, had terrible skin, and had never set foot on grass before. She quickly
became the
friendliest
pig around and is a staff favorite!
Bella
Bella has had a bit of a rough start to life. She was living with a family in a backyard, but
had become
massively
obese from eating cat and dog food, chicken food, and candy. After coming to Charlie’s Acres and
eating a
strict
diet, she has lost a lot of weight and has gained her mobility back.
Robert
Robert holds down the fort with so many female pigs around! He joined the crew at Charlie’s
Acres when
his
owners could no longer care for him. Taking care of a pig is quite a bit of work, and different than
taking
care
of a dog. We thought he would cuddle up next to Petunia, but his favorite pig to cuddle and protect
is Bella!
Francie, Penny, Serafina
Our red sex link hens were part of an egg-laying rescue coordinated by Animal Place. They are
considered
“spent,”
and normally would be killed for not producing as many eggs as when they were younger. Today, they
get to
lead
healthy, happy lives, still producing eggs, but no longer required to.
Doris & Delilah
These lucky ducks are happy as can be now living at Charlie’s Acres. They were found in a pond,
abandoned
in the springtime as ducklings. They were having a hard time fitting in with the wild ducks and were
struggling
to survive. Clearly domesticated, they needed a safe place to go. These girls are super bonded and
can’t
stand
being apart, but always have something to say!
Betty
Betty narrowly missed her fate of ending up on a dinner plate, by first being rescued by a
foster mom
after
birth, and then coming to Charlie’s Acres. A typical “meat” breed pig, Betty’s fate was all but
sealed. She
was
lucky she was born a runt and became injured after another pig stepped on her. Her foster mom
stepped in,
took
her in, and then brought her to our sanctuary.
Minnie
Minnie is a Mangalitsa pig, known as the “Kobe beef” of pork. Her breed is a heritage breed,
used by
farmers
to produce high-end pork products. A farmer bought some pigs, started breeding them, and then
through his
vegetarian
mother’s influence had a change of heart. He agreed to give all 14 pigs to sanctuaries! We took
Minnie in,
and
several partner sanctuaries took the rest. Lucky for Minnie, her curly locks are the only thing we
admire!
Brewster
Brewster is our first rooster rescue. This poor boy suffered unimaginable cruelty at a young
age. His
story
starts when he was just a boy, and starting to mature and crow. His owner at the time was angry he
was making
noise,
and threw a two-by-four at him, hitting him in the leg. Brewster’s leg broke and he suffered for six
weeks
before
a neighbor found him, nursed him back to health, and brought this beautiful creature to Charlie’s
Acres. He
now
has a flock of hens to protect and no sign of his previous injury!
Michael
Michael is as cute as a button! He was bound for an auction where he would typically be bought
and
raised
for slaughter. An activist swooped in and rescued him shortly after birth by developing a
relationship with
the
farmer. This guy is a Boer goat and has the potential to get huge! When he came to us a baby, he
needed
round-the-clock
bottle feeding.
Amos
Amos is Michael the goat’s best friend and partner in crime. Amos was found in a field very
shortly
after
birth at a meat farm. He was near death, and needed immediate attention. A good person found him and
took
care
of him for a couple of days before bringing him to Charlie’s Acres by way of Flat Broke Farm. He is
great
friends
with Michael and is getting big and strong!
Willa
From sunny southern California to wine country, Willa made the move to Charlie’s Acres after
escaping a
backyard
butcher. She was picked up as a stray in Los Angeles county, in an area known for illegal backyard
butchers.
She
was covered in scrapes and bruises, and very timid. Farm Sanctuary coordinated her rescue and
brought her up
to
live in safety here in Sonoma!
Hillary, Vivian, Agnes, Laverne, Jesse, Tilly, Florence
These lucky hens were part of a battery-cage egg laying rescue. They were part of a group of
thousands
of
“spent hens” who would normally be gassed, but were given a second chance at life.
Miles, Davey, Mulligan
These Cornish breed chickens were stuffed into cages on a transport truck at only 40 days old,
bound for
slaughter,
when their luck turned. Their cages fell off the truck onto a busy Southern California freeway and
nearly
died!
However, they were the lucky ones as they were taken to a nearby sanctuary, cleaned up, and
eventually
brought
to Charlie’s Acres. Now they will live a full life, rather than end up on a dinner plate.
Mama
Mama joined Charlie's Acres after a devastating injury left her family unable to care for her.
She was
attacked
by a dog and ended up with a gaping wound in her leg. Then, in terror, wrapped herself in electrical
fencing
burning
her already injured leg. She had to have her leg amputated, but has since been thriving at the
sanctuary with
her
new sheep friend, Amos.
Norman
Norman was born at a local dairy. Male goats are not useful to dairies, and are either sold for
meat,
breeding
or to be used as show goats. Norman was born with a birth defect which meant he was no longer wanted
for
breeding
or showing, so we swooped in to give him a home at the sanctuary! He is now Michael’s best friend,
playing
all
day and jumping around the pastures.
Mitch and Judy
Mitch and Judy were born on a beef farm in Oregon. They were both headed to slaughter when a
local woman
stepped
in to rescue them. Then, Judy injured her leg and had trouble walking. Mitch would always walk side
by side
with
Judy, making sure she was alright. The two have been inseparable ever since, and now have a safe
forever home
at
Charlie’s Acres.
Thelma, Martha, Hombre
These three lucky turkeys are living a carefree life at Charlie's Acres. Thelma and Martha were
destined
for the dinner table before they were saved. Hombre was used for a wedding ritual but was pardoned
from his
certain death. Now they're enjoying the sunshine and accepting all the attention from their human
caregivers
they can get!
Carole and Frederick
Carole and Frederick are a mother and son duo who were raised for meat. When Frederick would
not latch
properly to his mother during breastfeeding, the owner asked his neighbor who was a lactation nurse
(for
humans!) if she wanted to take the two goats. She agreed, and got the baby latching correctly. She
did not
want to see them end up on a dinner plate, so she sent them to Charlie’s Acres.
Lucy
Lucy the sheep was born on a meat farm, and unfortunately her mother died shortly after her
birth. That
meant she had to be raised by humans, and the woman who raised her couldn't bear to send her back to
the farm
to be slaughtered. She kept her for as long as she could, and then reached out to us to find her a
forever
home.
Jade and Juno
Jade and Juno are dairy cows who were rescued from a slaughterhouse. They were saved as a
result of a
court case. Activists were protesting outside of a slaughterhouse and the owner sued them. He lost
in court,
and rather than take money, the activists asked for cows to be released. Jade and Juno were two of
the lucky
ones!
Victor, Nicholas, and Gilbert
These three cute boys were born on a family farm in the East Bay along with four other piglets.
An 11-year-old farm helper who witnessed their birth convinced the owner to let him find homes for
the piglets, rather than raising them for meat. All seven piglets are now safe for the rest of their
natural lives, and we are so happy that Victor and Nicholas (who is named after his young rescuer)
have joined the Charlie's Acres family.
Carrie and Saigo
Carrie and Saigo arrived at Charlie's Acres after a long day of travel originating in Puerto
Rico. In the aftermath of 2017's Hurricane Maria, local and international rescue groups worked hard
to help countless displaced animals, including these two potbelly piglets. We are grateful for those
rescue efforts and thrilled to be able to offer Carrie and Saigo a lifelong home and loving family!
Barney and Stanley
Stanley and Barney were fast friends when meeting at Charlie's Acres. Stanley was a typical
"mini pig" who grew into his full size and became unwanted. He was dropped off with several other
pigs at a high kill shelter in southern California before making his way up to Charlie's Acres.
Barney was abandoned at Charlie's Acres, likely with a similar story.
Tofu
Tofu is the happiest guy at Charlie's Acres! He was a pet who grew up quickly, and the family
could no longer take care of him. Tofu loves to walk on a leash, sit for a treat, and swoop in for
all the belly rubs he can get when he sees a human friend in his pasture. He's an excellent
ambassador for the intelligence and sweet personality of pigs.
Gil...
Gil, Jo, Paul, Pat, Reggie joined Charlie's Acres in the fall of 2018. Reggie was a
slaughterhouse
escapee, rescuing himself somehow in the 11th hour. Gil, Jo, Paul and Pat were all rescued from the
Kaporos
festival in New York (an ultra OrthodoxJewish ceremony in which the participants use live chickens to atone for
their sins).
Unfortunately, Charlie's Acres can save only a limited number of animals. Even if we are unable to provide a home for every animal we get asked to rescue, we work to connect potential adopters with animals in need. Please contact us at info@charliesacres.org if you know of an animal that needs rehoming. We’d be happy to promote and list their info with our community.