Where’s Maanasa? – Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary.
Hey PawSquad! It’s Maanasa, back with a new adventure! Today we’re going out to Nokesville, Virginia, to visit the Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary.
What is a farm sanctuary? A farm sanctuary is like a rescue/shelter for farm animals. For example if you have a pet that is a farm animal and can’t care for it anymore, a farm sanctuary would be the place to bring it! At Hope and Serenity, these animals will live the rest of their lives out at the sanctuary, happy and healthy!
Renee is the owner of the sanctuary, and has been a licensed vet tech for over 30 years, so she knows a lot about husbandry! Husbandry means proper animal care.
Hope & Serenity Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit animal sanctuary located in picturesque Nokesville, Virginia. This amazing rescue is dedicated to providing a nurturing home for over 250 animals. Their mission is to create a loving and beautiful environment that encourages relationships between their amazing farm animals and the people who visit them.
Hope & Serenity Farm Sanctuary welcome visitors by appointment and are thrilled to offer tours of their sanctuary. If you’re passionate about animal welfare, they also offer volunteer opportunities where you can help make a difference in the lives of our furry friends. One of their mottos is “Building Relationships, one animal at a time”! We think they truly are super heroes for farm animals. You’ll probably agree to when you get a chance to learn more about them!
Are you ready to meet some really special animals that love their humans?
Let’s start our tour of the farm with the guinea pigs:
Guinea pigs are a common pet that many people get for their kids, but most people don’t understand the immense care needs they have! Hope & Serenity has over 30+ guinea pigs because people didn’t do their homework before getting them as pets & these delightful creatures wound up in a regular animal shelter before Renee & her staff rescued them. Did you know that guinea pigs need to eat 3 cups of leafy greens every day? A diet of pellets isn’t good for them! Or that they need to be kept in groups to be happy? They’re super social creatures!
At the sanctuary, all the guinea pigs live together in a large enclosure with bunnies, mini chickens, and a tortoise. The enclosure is kept safe from predatory birds with covering over their cage. It is also guarded from the outside by the super nice farm dogs who keep animals away that would try and harm these gentle creatures inside! Many animals can learn to cohabitate like this and live very happy lives!
Next let’s visit the paddocks! Hope and Serenity rescues mini horses, horses, cows, and donkeys. Today we’ll visit the mini horses and donkeys!
Did you know that grass isn’t actually very good for the stomachs of these animals? It can make them very overweight which isn’t good for their health. So the sanctuary does their best to keep minimal grass in the paddocks! But don’t worry, these animals get the appropriate nutritional food and have plenty to eat daily!
Do you think mini horses are a different type of horse, or just baby horses? I’ll give you three seconds to guess: 1… 2…3… did you say a different type of horse? That would be correct! Mini horses are full grown horses, just a different breed than the big horses you might be picturing.
Have you ever seen a field of horses with only one donkey amongst them and wondered why that is? Well, donkeys help protect horses from potential animals that might hurt them, like stray dogs. Horses run away from scary things, but donkeys run towards them to scare them off!
The Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary also has an open area for pigs with lots and lots of mud and water for them to splash around. Also some wading pools that humans often have in their own backyards! Why do pigs love the mud so much? It’s because they are super smart, and know that mud is their friend. It helps keep the pesty flies & other bugs from biting them. They also cover themselves with mud as a natural sunscreen to help keep them cool and from burning! Gosh, pigs really are so smart & resourceful! (By the way, their super loving humans that care for them, also put a safe, animal friendly, sunscreen on those animals who are more likely to get sunburns).
The sanctuary is open to all types of people, whomever may be able to benefit from the unconditional love of an animal. They have goats, ducks, chickens, sheep, turkeys, dogs, cats, and more! When you visit, you can get a tour to see all of these animals for yourself, in person! The farm animals love being loved on so much, that you’ll find many of them cuddling with humans (and each other!). Isn’t that so sweet. Every animal loves compassion and kindness!
Here are some things you can do to help the sanctuary out:
1. Sponsor an animal (this means paying a certain amount every month to support the care needs of that animal)
2. Volunteer on the farm (there are opportunities for all ages)
3. Go to their year-round events at their farm (like the PAWS Grand Birthday Celebration for the Animals on August 19th from 11am – 1pm)
For more info & to register to attend the Grand Birthday Celebration for the Animals – : https://www.hopeserenityfarmsanctuary.com/events/a-grandbirthday-bash-at-hope-serenity-farm-sanctuary
The Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary is an amazing place full of hope and future opportunity for their rescue farm animals of all abilities! As Pawtectors we try and give compassion to all animals no matter what their background is or what other people think of them! Just like Shiloh, the sheep who has a deformed front leg. Hope & Serenity Farm had a prosthetic leg made for her to help her enjoy life just like her other animal friends. Another example of humans being super hero Pawtectors for animals with special needs.
Your PawSquad Summer friend,
Maanasa
Join us for PawSquad Summer on Facebook from July 3 – August 18! – @pawtectorsprogram
If you haven’t signed up for PawSquad Summer, here’s the link for more information & to sign up on our online learning platform: linkin.bio/pawtectorsprogram
Follow The PawSquad on Instagram – @pawtectorsprogram
Watch more fun videos on our Tik Tok! – @pawtectorsprogram
Visit the Pawtectors website for more information – www.thepawtectors.org
Credits:
– Animal Angel Aid
– Maanasa S – photos
– Debbie H – photos
– Renee S
– Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary
If you haven’t signed up for PawSquad Summer, here’s the link for more information & to sign up on our online learning platform: linkin.bio/pawtectorsprogram
PawSquad Summer “virtual” weekly camps run July thru August. Once a camp week goes LIVE, you will have access to it ALL summer. Super cool! You’ll never miss a day of animal fun & experiences.
