My husband and The Gentle Barn’s cofounder, Jay Weiner, has brilliantly established connections with the owners of slaughterhouses, auction houses, and stockyards so that when animals…

This month marks the 13th anniversary of our cows Holy Cow and Madonna’s rescue and arrival at The Gentle Barn. They came to us at only a few weeks old, injured, scared, lame, and sick. We had to work hard to save them, and it took many months until they were healthy.…

Jay and I have had many animals in the house with us over the years, including sick pigs, baby goats, disabled chickens, senior turkeys, an injured pigeon, an orphaned gosling, and a mouse with a head injury. But I will never forget the time we had a cow in the living…

Knowing how to support teenagers is hard. When they were young and dependent on us, it was a bit easier to manage, but once they turn into teenagers, they often reject our advice and…

Father’s Day is coming, and it is time to let our dads know how much we appreciate their hard work, strength, and love. When I think of a dad, I think of someone who is the provider, the protector, and the hero. Huge hands holding…

Not all animals come to The Gentle Barn old and broken, some come to us as youngsters and grow up at The Gentle Barn enjoying many years of love, fun, and happiness. Zazu, Eclipse and Penny have been with us since they were babies and don’t remember life before The Gentle Barn. They get to be nurtured by our volunteers, cared for by our staff,…

Sometimes we rescue pairs or groups of animals that come to The Gentle Barn to live their very best lives together, encouraging each other through their recovery, learning to trust humans at the same time, and offering up companionship as they acclimate to us, our barnyard, and our other animals. Then some animals come to us as lone survivors…

Some rescued animals spend years trying to forgive, learn to trust, and find joy again. But not all rescued animals are eternally traumatized from their pasts. Many become full of life and gratitude once they realize who we are and what kind of life we are offering. Some knew all along that they deserved something better and once they have it,…

Many empaths, caregivers, and healers are so great at giving but have a hard time receiving. Many of us feel uncomfortable when even given a compliment. Many of us who have had struggles or challenges in our childhood even believe that we are undeserving of love. Receiving definitely did not come naturally to me and over the years, desperately…

Cows are a matriarchal society, led usually by the oldest and wisest female. For the last 12 years, the matriarch in our California barnyard has been Karma.…