All Gifts Are Being Matched Up To $80,000!
We need your help! Winter is here, and it’s one of the hardest seasons for our rescued animals. The cold and wet weather takes a toll, especially on our senior animals, whose aging bodies require extra warmth and care. With The Gentle Barn now 25 years old, the spaces that have sheltered and nurtured our animals also need upgrades—just like any home does over time. To keep our animals safe, warm, and comfortable, we’re focused on critical upgrades that will enhance their care during this harsh season.
Why Essential Upgrades Matter for Gentle Care:
At The Gentle Barn, gentle care is our guiding principle. It’s about more than providing medical treatments—it’s about creating environments that nurture both the physical and emotional needs of our animals. This winter, your support will directly impact the lives of every animal in our care, improving their living spaces and ensuring they thrive despite the season’s challenges.
Here's how your support will directly support rescued animals' gentle care plans:
Build New Living Spaces for Senior Animals: Our senior animals need extra support during the winter months. We’re building heated barns and shelters closer to their pastures, so they can stay warm without the stress of long walks. For example, Henry, one of our senior pigs in Tennessee, has difficulty making the trek back to the barn with the other pigs. While there is a shelter in the pig woods, it needs improvements to ensure he stays warm and comfortable all winter. These new and upgraded spaces will help animals like Henry feel safe and secure, with easy access to warmth and care tailored to their needs.
Personalized Gentle Care Plans: Each year, we allocate over $100,000 toward essential preventative care, including holistic therapies, and farrier services, to ensure our animals are thriving. These therapies include red light and massage therapy, which help alleviate pain and improve mobility, especially for our senior animals. These treatments are essential in ensuring they remain comfortable and healthy through the colder months, receiving the individualized care they need as they age.
Upgrading Winter Essentials: Preparing for winter means making sure our animals are surrounded by warmth. This includes replacing cooling sand with warm hay bedding and providing extra blankets to keep them cozy in their barns and shelters. In Tennessee, we’ve built new stalls to care for our animals, and now we need to install heaters to complete these spaces, ensuring every animal stays warm and comfortable.
Flooding and Winter Storms: Flooding is a significant issue at both our Tennessee and California sanctuaries, with winter storms turning pastures into unsafe, muddy terrain. Heavy rains erode the dirt, creating craters and riverbeds that must be leveled and filled to restore safe footing. With winters growing harsher each year due to climate change, the need for better drainage systems has never been more urgent. By stabilizing pathways with decomposed granite, we can prevent flooding and provide a durable, slip-resistant surface that keeps our animals—especially seniors—safe, dry, and comfortable.
For 25 years, The Gentle Barn has been a sanctuary of healing, hope, and transformation for rescued animals. Your generosity now ensures that this legacy of care continues for years to come. By donating today, you’re directly supporting the well-being of every animal in our care, from seniors receiving specialized therapies to young rescues finding their footing. Together, we can provide the gentle, loving care that transforms lives and create a home for every season—one where every animal feels safe, warm, and cherished.