Bella the goat is doing great now! She was rescued some months ago from being attacked by a dog and almost lost her leg and her life! She was so angry when she first arrived and would try to bite us, but she is now peaceful and happy here! She still walks with a limp so we are giving her acupuncture and muscle stimulation to see if we can improve things farther. She is happy and walking and we saved her leg. Bella loves being an ambassador here and delights in visitor’s attention and sympathy every Sunday when we are open to the public. During the week Bella inspires at-risk and special needs children to overcome obstacles and challenges with grace and charm.

Hero’s leg is healing very nicely! It was a huge gaping hole infected down to the bone when she first arrived and for two months we have changed her bandages, drawn blood, given her meds, chiropractic, ultrasound and supplements and she has trusted us and stood still for it all! Her knee is still swollen but the wound is almost gone now! We will continue her treatments until her knee is no longer swollen and her injuries are completely healed. Even though she still has a ways to go, her spirits are great and she gallops and plays every day like a filly!

Louise and SusieQ are doing very well in The Gentle Barn nursery. SusieQ is getting slightly bigger every day and she loves her mom! It is amazing to us that after the extreme abuse Louise has gone through, she is so gentle and kind not only to her baby but to the other cows and to us!

We needed to raise money to support our vet bills and The Gentle Barn and we wanted to celebrate this baby’s life with all of you, so we did a naming auction. We put all of the suggestions together and randomly selected a name today. The new baby’s name is Martin. We are grateful to all of you for participating and for donating; we cannot save animals and heal at-risk children without you!

Our violence prevention program, or peace enhancement program as we like to call it, is ending for the year, this month. Our program is for ten months each year starting in September and ending in June. This year we hosted foster kids from the DCFS, at-risk youth from Watts brought in by The LAPD, teens on probation, struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, and in danger of joining a gang. Many of the kids came in failing in school, fighting with their peers and parents and not communicating with their therapists. Through the interactions with the animals and the stories of the animals many of the kids started improving in school, making friends, opening up to their therapists, cultivating self awareness and gaining hope for their futures. This program is integral to their self-esteem and it builds confidence and changes their lives forever!