Animal House

My friend Aubrey is a huge animal lover. People casually throw around cliches like, "Awww, MaryJo? She's so sweet she wouldn't hurt a fly!" Well, Aubrey literally would not hurt a fly. Or an ant, or a mouse, or anything that lives and breathes like you and me. She is one of the kindest, most warm-hearted mammals I know. When members of our group were researching activities to do this past weekend, Aubrey suggested we visit the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, NY. We were so glad that she did, because it was a beautiful place doing wonderful work. 

CAS provides refuge for mistreated, neglected and abandoned animals. Many of the animals suffered blindness, illness, and  post-traumatic stress symptoms after years of abuse. Here, on this beautiful 100-acre farm, they are treated with respect and kindness, as all living creatures should be. 

Our tour guide, who is the owner and director of the place, was an extremely enthusiastic hostess. She gave Aubrey a run for the money in the #1 Animal Lover contest when she stood on the fence, cupped her hands on her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, "I LOVE YOU, PIG!" into the fields. I now yell this to my boyfriend every night before drifting off to sleep.

This is Franklin. He was rescued from a pig farm after he was left to die because he was the runt of his litter. He now weighs several hundred pounds and don't take bull from anybody.

One of this guy's fine-feathered friends tried to eat the bracelet straight off my friend Kerri's arm. She handled the situation much better than I would have.

If I remember correctly, this sweet horse was completely blind and very old. 

Is there any animal more beautiful than a horse? Seriously, I think they are just the most magnificent creatures.

This is Zen. A worker at the farm called him by name, and he turned right around and came running down the hill. He was rescued as a sickly infant wandering around NYC's Meatpacking District, of all places.

If you're ever in the Catskill region of New York, I highly recommend a trip to this very special place.