Dear John,

Winter is coming! That means the days are getting shorter, the air is getting crisper, and harsh winter weather is upon us. That also means the Farm Sanctuary team is preparing our facilities to keep our rescued animals safe from the brutal elements.

We are actively prepping for the long months ahead, and we could really use your help. We don’t know what type of winter awaits us. Hopefully, it will be mild; but with more than 800 animals in our care, we must prepare diligently.

From checking water lines so they don’t freeze to stocking up on sand to keep the animals’ pathways free of ice, to adding supplemental straw for the barns and hay for the animals, it’s important for us to be proactive. With the potential for another harsh winter on the way, we cannot afford to take shortcuts.

John, please help us prepare our shelters for winter and continue our lifesaving work for farm animals. Support our annual Winter Farm Maintenance Fund by joining Farm Sanctuary with a gift today. When you become a member, you will receive exclusive benefits including a free subscription to our member magazine, opportunities to sign petitions and speak out for farm animals, early access to book our cabins and tiny houses, updates on urgent rescues, and more.

Our animal residents depend on us for food, shelter, warmth, and care—all of which are especially important in the winter. Your gift will help us provide for animals like Howard steer, who couldn’t stand or walk on his own. The farm where he was born quickly realized they weren’t able to treat all of his medical needs. They connected with a local rescuer, who then reached out to us.

Thanks to the continued support of caring friends like you, Howard is now healthy and loving life at our New York shelter. We are grateful for every day we have with him, and with all of our amazing animals, and are committed to keeping them safe, happy, and healthy—no matter what obstacles come our way.

That’s why we are hard at work right now making our shelters as secure and comfortable as possible for the long, unpredictable months ahead. We’re prepping sand and straw bedding, winterizing barns, and stocking up on food supplies—including hay for our sheep, cows, and goats, who will no longer have summer grass to graze.

And that’s why your support is more important than ever. Your gift to the Winter Farm Maintenance Fund will help us secure the funds needed to keep animals like Howard and all our shelter residents safe, warm, and protected.

In 2020, we spent $100,000 on hay alone. This year, we’ve already ordered $10,000 worth of non-slip supplies to keep the paths around our New York shelter clear of ice. The colder it is outside, the more our animals must eat to stay warm and the more difficult it will be to keep them protected from the elements.

Winterizing our shelters gets expensive fast. That’s why I hope I can count on your support for our Winter Farm Maintenance Fund this year. Your special gift today will not only help in Watkins Glen, New York, but also at our shelter in Acton, California, where the rainy season requires significant flood prevention measures across the farm.

Thank you, in advance, for sharing the warmth of your heart with our animals this winter and beyond.

Please join now to help Farm Sanctuary raise the $175,000 needed to prepare our shelters and care for our rescued animals this winter.

Winter will be here soon, and we must be ready.

Yours for farm animals,

Megan Watkins,
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. 2021 has been a year full of challenges, but your gift will help keep our Sanctuary residents warm and protected all winter (while also supporting our lifesaving rescue, education, and advocacy work!). If you see farm animals in crisis this winter or at any time, please contact Farm Sanctuary immediately at 607-583-2225 ext. 223.