Inspiring Kindness and Compassion towards Animals, Our Planet, and Each Other
Inspiring Kindness and Compassion towards Animals, Our Planet, and Each Other

The Ebb and Flow of Animal Rescue


As 2017 comes to a close, I think back on what a year it has been: so many ups and downs, losses and victories! We said goodbye to Dudley and thought we could not go on. We saved the St. Louis Six and opened a third Gentle Barn in Missouri. We said farewell to Buttercup, who we’ve been blessed to work with and love for an entire decade. Then in came Ferdinand, giving all of us joy and purpose all over again. Boy oh boy, did we need him!

There is a cycle at The Gentle Barn that has been in effect since our inception eighteen years ago. There is obvious universal intelligence going on here! Someone will leave, and then someone else will appear, as if out of nowhere, who needs us. We’ll have a loss and get stuck in the muck and mire of it, and then a victory will move us forward. We’ll wave goodbye as our senior beloved leave their bodies, and then a young breath of fresh air will arrive unexpectedly and renew all of our souls. It is hard to see in the moment, but when we take a step back and look from afar, the pattern is unmistakable.

As most of us, I have a few new years resolutions all picked and ready to go. One of them is to try to remember in the moment that life is a series of ups and downs, twists and turns, all strewn together to make up this incredible journey. I am going to be more like the ocean and let the waves roll in and out, accepting with more grace that angels come and go. No matter how long they are here, we are so blessed to have them, know them, and work with them to open more hearts and reawaken more people to love. That no matter what is happening in the moment, there is always something magical coming around the corner.

I am so excited to enter 2018 with Ferdinand! We’ll watch him grow and turn into an ambassador. We’ll enjoy him playing and making friends. We’ll all fall in love with him and feel better that he is on this planet with us. We don’t know how long he will be ours, but we will love him with our whole hearts for as long as he is ours, and we will feel grateful each and every day! Maybe this was Dudley and Buttercup’s plan the whole time?!

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Upcoming Events

  • Chakra Meditation and Sound Healing (Winter 2024)

    March 2nd 2024 - The Gentle Barn California

    Clear, Balance and Align your 7 main Chakras through guided meditation, chanting, and Integrative sound bath. When your chakras are aligned, the energy moves through you more freely, and you can feel in harmony with all aspects of your physical, emotional and spiritual self.

  • Thermal Horizon - Windsong Retreat (Spring 2024)

    May 4th 2024 - The Gentle Barn California

    Let’s come together as a community as we support The Gentle Barn in their endeavor to enrich the lives of abused animals worldwide. Let’s bring our loving hearts, the spirit of opportunity and fill our cups emotionally, spiritually, and physically as we celebrate unity in community by helping these wonderful support animals.

  • Open Sunday in Missouri

    We are excited to be open to the public again on Sunday, at The Gentle Barn: Missouri.

  • Open Sunday in California

    We are excited to be open to the public again on Sunday, at The Gentle Barn: California.

  • Open Sunday in Tennessee

    We are excited to be open to the public again on Sunday, at The Gentle Barn: Tennessee.