Meet Wilma! Wilma is just a baby who escaped slaughter by jumping off a transport truck headed to a meat farm. Her start to life was a rough one as the others trying to escape weren’t so fortunate. She landed herself in the hands of kind samaritans, who immediately got her help as she struggled with potential blood in her lungs from her hard asphalt landing and lots of scrapes and bruises. It was a touch and go situation for a while as she struggled to heal…but in the amazing hands of Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue, their never ending faith and love, all of their wonderful fosters and volunteers, they worked wonders to save her. She is still healing from a swollen joint that they believe was from impact that day but is on the mend to a completely healthy lady! She wasn’t ready to leave this world that day and her fight to live and escape from the meat industry, captured our hearts and inspired us as her story is a part of everything we believe in…that all animals matter. Wilma was transferred to us rescue to rescue yesterday as she will live out her life with us as a sanctuary resident! 

Meet this beautiful mother and son duo Marley and Millie! These two sweet donkeys are a bonded pair and they are so incredibly cute together. Millie’s motherly instincts are so apparent as she is always checking and watching over her son Marley. Twenty years ago Millie (who is now 26) arrived to her owners and a couple of short months later delivered Marley, (who is now 23) who was a complete surprise to all. Their owners and their kids loved them dearly and they all grew up alongside each other. However as life happens, the kids eventually went away to college and their owner started dealing with disabling health issues of her own. She desperately tried to find someone to help with them but was unable and they started developing painful white line disease/thrush in all of their hooves and weight issues, which overtime can impact their health and make them lame. She knew it wasn’t fair to them and because they loved them so dearly, she knew she had to do what was best for them. Being able to make such a selfless choice like this, even though it is so very hard-is such a admirable and necessary quality to have when making decisions for the animals we love. 

Charlie is a charming and gentle 7 year old mini Juliana. He is severely overweight making it difficult for him to get around. These guys are typically around 75lbs. His weight makes it hard for him to do things like even get up from a lying position, hear clearly or even see. (It appears that he can only tell the difference between day and night but is unable to see anything other than that.)

It will be a long journey to help him live comfortably again but we are determined to get him there!

Our first and biggest concern is pain since he appears to be experiencing arthritis with the extra weight he is carrying around. Since moving is the best medicine for losing weight and it’s already hard, we want it to be as painless as possible so the vet has prescribed him medication that should help.

We have a plan set in place to encourage him to take more and more steps each day. We have to take it slow because he drags his belly and the biggest risk right now are developing scrapes that could lead to infection. Currently he tries to place his feet carefully to avoid stepping on his own belly.

Thank you to Loving Acres for helping us develop a weight watchers plan and suggested supplements for Charlie! He has a long road ahead of him but a village cheering him on along the way!

This cute gal is our newest intake! Petunia is overweight and has partial fat blindness causing problems with her vision. She startles easily due to the fact that she cannot see things that are coming towards her unless she positions her head in a specific way. Our number one priority is to help her lose weight so that she can see better and so we can clean up her eyes a bit. After that the second priority is to have her spayed, which will be pricey but a much needed necessity for her health! Spaying pigs no matter what age can literally extend their lives for YEARS, (yes YEARS) as not doing so can almost 100% guarantee uterine infections, tumors and other reproductive diseases that sadly end their lives very quickly!!! She is such a sweet girl and deserves to be happy and healthy! 

This sweet 1400lb Holstein gal has come to us almost completely blind. We believe that she can see a very small amount (enough to know that something is coming towards her) but that’s basically it. She arrived here startled and scared, but curious. She relies mostly on hearing as she turns her head when she hears noises, relying on her sense of smell more than anything. This older gal has been through her share of trial and tribulations.

Her story began when she was born on a dairy farm. They didn’t notice her little body in the field during a winter storm and it was midday before she was found. Her mom wasn’t interested in her so after birthing she simply walked away.

As a young and wet calf born in the snow, she was lucky she survived. However her ears and tail were so frostbitten that they couldn’t be saved. She was a smart calf and was adamant to nurse from another mom (a big no-no in dairy farming as they rely on the milk for human consumption). Unfortunately dairy cows don’t just make milk on command, (as some people still think) and the baby had to be removed to make a profit.

They moved her in with the bulls to prevent her from nursing other mommas, but soon after being added to the “big boy” pen she developed pink eye. Without treatment she lost most of her vision.

Time passes and she was nursed back to health by a kind Samaritan. She learned how to make life work despite permanent vision loss. She had several horse friends and lived on a farm with other animals and produced a couple of her own offspring. She was a good momma despite her disability.

Life happened and the worry waned of her ending up in the wrong hands. She no longer produced offspring and the cost of her keeping would be more than she could give someone in return. Unless someone could just give her a safe haven, well…just BECAUSE...

She needed to be in a place that could adjust her pasture and lifestyle so that she could adapt, despite now being a blind older lady in completely new surroundings. She easily bumps into fences as she cannot definitively see them and is learning how to find the location of her new shelter and water. She extends her head and bumps them with her nose when she can’t actually tell if something is in front of her.

She’s a very gentle girl and we know with faith and love that she will find her way.

Meet Tina!

Tina arrived to us along with Jolene as we are assisting Hope’s Legacy in socializing these timid girls. Tina is much smaller and very jumpy, but she is much more curious than Jolene. Tina will come right up to you for treats but doesn’t like to be caught as it makes her nervous to be cornered.

Our assumption is that she fails to remember what it is like to be doted on and shown love by someone.  We will work with her slowly so she understands that humans aren’t all that bad.

Meet Jolene!

Jolene is a pony who is very skittish of people…who can blame her when shes been running LOOSE for the last 20 years….no really…she was running loose in a local county for TWENTY long

years.

We transferred her here to assist one of our favorite horse rescues (Hope's Legacy) so we could spend more time helping her learn to trust humans.

We can tell she’s curious but she needs patience and a gentle hand to figure out that we’re only trying to help her. Currently she starts breathing hard and attempts to jet when you try to touch her. She has so many burrs in her mane and tail (which we will work on overtime as she allows us to care for her).

We can tell she’s a sucker for treats though, so we’re sure with lots of TLC it will eventually be a way to win her heart.

🛑 CUTE PUP ALERT!!! 🛑 

SHARE and help Roscoe find his home! ❤️

This happy boy has been looking for a place to call his own for a year now. Saved from euthanasia just in the nick of time only because he was one animal too many. We know that he wasn’t meant to leave that day and he wasn’t meant to live his life out in a shelter. He just needs that special someone to open their heart and home to him! 

He is a sweet boy who loves to play. He is UTD on all of his shots, neutered and in great health. He is 9-10 years old, would do best with older kids and as a only dog. 

Finally Home Animal Haven 

Adoption fee is $75

While stocking up on supplies for the animals, we came across baby ducks that were basically being given away. There were 3 smaller than the others that no one wanted who were shivering, overstimulated, scared and hiding. They were “too old” (at over a week old!! ) to sell and anyone willing to take them and raise them as “meat birds” were encouraged to get them out of there before they would be “of no use” when the other shipment came in. We know we can’t save them all but we just couldn’t imagine walking out that door leaving these sweet little faces behind to have no purpose in life other than being raised simply to be sent to slaughter as soon as they were able. (Which usually happens as early as 7 weeks old!) 

Click HERE to see the ducks at 5 weeks old!

Click HERE to see the ducks at 6 weeks old!

Click HERE to see the ducks now

This lovely fluff is a gentle soul with special needs, searching for a forever home filled with love!

As a laid-back boy, he loves to eat, snuggle, and sleep. He is a sweet guy and soaks up attention!

He is declawed, neutered, and up-to-date on shots. After his owner passed away at 92, he ended up in a shelter, despite her wishes. As a newly diagnosed diabetic, he requires insulin shots twice daily and a prescription diet. He keeps getting overlooked because of his special needs but he is literally the best boy for his shots (which literally take less than 5 minutes a day!)

Can you provide this deserving boy with a second chance? He promises to be your devoted companion. 

Rescue is hard. You save so very many, but you also experience loss along the way. You wish each and every one of them could live forever, but that’s just not how life works. Providing a sanctuary for seniors is even harder. You know from the beginning that their days are numbered and life is unexpected, so you never know how long you have with them. They often require much more care as they age, they develop cancers such as our dear Grumpy, arthritis and many more health issues. However, the need to provide them a place to live out their days being cared for, loved and doted on near their end of life is also what drives us to continue to do what we do. Letting them live out their golden years as comfortably and as painlessly as possible, until their aged souls know it’s time.

Grumpy AKA Fig Newton (who was estimated to be in his late 30’s by the vet) is the reason we’re here. It all started with a 3 year old little girl who fell in love with a donkey. He was very scared of sudden movements and lots of people, but he loved that little girl. He lived near, so she went to visit him frequently, he often stood from afar watching carefully-eventually being lured in with what became his favorite treats (Fig Newtons) and over the years they developed a extraordinary bond that was deep and unparalleled. He taught us how affectionate and loyal donkeys can be if you only give them a kind hand and time to trust. He is the sole reason we fell in love with donkeys.

We were so blessed to have been given the opportunity for him to be with us in his final years and to provide a permanent home with the little girl who is now a 14 year old. He was the inspiration for Finally Home Animal Haven and all the donkeys we have here. He is the reason we will continue to provide a sanctuary for other donkeys just like him, especially seniors. His passing is harder than most, but knowing how much love we were able to give him in his final years helps greatly. He knew he was loved and he gave SO MUCH LOVE to his people in return, he was finally at home.

In his memory, if you’d like to make a small donation in tribute of helping more seniors like him live out their golden years, we would be forever grateful.

With saddened hearts we laid beloved Ester to rest after being able to call FHAH her home for a little over 4 months.

Esters life was not an easy one. This elderly lady weighed in at around 3 1/2 lbs when she was first abandoned…it was clear she had suffered for a very long time. Despite her long fur, her hip and spine bones were easily visible (which had to be shaved on arrival because she was covered with feces). Blind in one eye and arthritic-her owners had let her condition go on for far too long without seeking help. Her life could have very well been prolonged her and her disease may have not taken such a toll on her organs by the time she received help.

When she arrived to our doors we knew she was a hospice kitty and that her time was limited. Regardless, we wouldn’t let her live her last days in a cage (which she hated) so we immediately agreed to have this special girl transferred into our care. Chili Childress (an incredible and fierce animal advocate) knew when she contacted us that Ester would be welcomed with open arms. Thank you Chili for looking out for her like you did, as you do with all animals!

While in our care Ester received antibiotics, small feedings 4x a day, fluids to help her kidneys function better and several supplements to keep the nausea at bay. She gained weight and she played. She couldn’t see well so we kept her litter boxes close because she’d sometimes have accidents.

The moment she arrived she walked in like she owned the place. She claimed her very own couch and we could tell that she felt at home. That’s just who she was.

Ester was a volunteer favorite. She oddly was a cat who LOVED her belly rubbed. She jumped down and greeted everyone at the door, followed them to her couch, waiting patiently to climb in their lap. She laid sweetly at their chest and was a constant purrer. She could spend hours there and easily made people feel like they never wanted to leave. She felt love, she knew kindness, quiet and comfort.

The last couple of days of Esters life our very social girl told us she was no longer comfortable. She slept constantly, didn’t rush to the door anymore and her nausea was making it hard for her to keep things down. Her disease had progressed and her kidneys had become large and painful. We knew she was telling us she was ready to let go.

Allowing hospice animals into your heart is not an easy thing. Knowing that one day (sometimes sooner than later) you have to let them go…even harder. It’s literally impossible not to get attached and they will undoubtedly make a way into your heart. Not only that, but senior and sick animals always have a way of returning a wonderful yet undeniable love in return…like they know you are trying to help. Loosing them is hard, but knowing you may of given them the only kindness they have ever felt..always worth it.

Ester was no exception, her love simply radiated towards anyone she ever met.

Thank you always to the incredibly kind Dr. Sirk (among the many others at Old Dominion Animal Hospital Charlottesville) that helped keep her comfortable on the last leg of her journey.

Rest in peace Ester-you will be missed by so many!