Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary
My kids love animals, I think most kids naturally do. They see them for what they are, sometimes they are cute and fuzzy so they want to pick them up for a cuddle. Sometimes they are awkward looking and they still want to pick them up for a cuddle. Sometimes they are really large and scary looking, even to adults, and they still want to have a cuddle. I love this about kids and I’m not entirely sure at what point we decide that maybe cuddling every type of animal is not the best idea. After our visit at Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary though, I’ve decided to go back to that. I hereby declare that I am going to cuddle more animals! 🙂
Of course, being an adult I also realise that this is not always possible, especially when said animals are on someone’s farm behind a fence. See there goes that adult logic again.
I am always on the lookout for interesting experiences to share with my kids. Experiences that ‘fill our cups’ in one way or another. Things that make us feel good about just being. So, when I came across a Facebook event advertising a tour of the Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary in Waroona – during the school holidays nonetheless – I knew I had found the perfect school holiday adventure for the whole family.
We had never visited an animal sanctuary before so was a little unsure what to expect. I am an avid follower of Edgar’s Mission in Victoria and love hearing the heartwarming stories that come along with each resident. Turns out the owner of Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary actually connected with Pam Ahern from Edgar’s Mission when she was starting out, and has built this gorgeous property with similar clarity.
Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary is located in Waroona which is only 90 minutes drive from Perth, so you can easily head down for a day trip. However, if you would rather make a trip of it there are overnight stay options nearby including campsites, caravan parks, and AirBnB options. We took it as an opportunity to get back to nature and camped overnight – let me just say that while the setting was beautiful, it happened to be on one of the most freezing nights in June. We were not equipped for the occasion but that is a story for another occasion.
Our tour was booked for Sunday morning, so after taking things a little too slowly after wake up, we hurriedly packed up (read this as literally threw the tent on the trailer without folding it down properly – mental note: take notice of how it was folded when setting up) and drove just 10 mins from our campsite to the sanctuary.
On arrival at the Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary, we were greeted by a very loveable pig named Jimmy. Baby Jimmy found Greener Pastures Sanctuary when he was a tiny piglet. He was found orphaned in the forest in the middle of Winter and now is well and truly at home. He welcomes you with nudges and will roll over for a belly rub at the first indication. He had such a personality and it was the perfect welcome.
From there we were guided around the sanctuary by owner Rachael Parker to visit with so many of their rescued animals including:
Tiny the rooster – Tiny is called this as he is really little for some reason. He was so friendly and happy to be snuggled by the kids. Rachael explained that he is pretty clever too as he will start to shiver if he wants a little extra attention. He did this early on and then happily snuggled in with Ruby for a cuddle.
Raspberry the sheep – Raspberry was another of Ruby’s favourites. This cute black and white sheep had the softest coat and came running over like a puppy if you knelt down.
Magic the racehorse – Magic was a racehorse that had won over $500k in his racing days but was retired due to injury and would have had a much shorter life, had the sanctuary not stepped in. He was beautiful and majestic along with his fellow horse buddies.
One of the many roosters – The rooster pictured below had a name but there were quite a few of them and it was a little hard to keep track. This one took a liking to Chase. And Chase took a liking to him too, and wanted to carry him around all morning.
Carol the pig – Carol was rescued from an abattoir after living a life in a restrictive pen where she had well over 120 piglets. She has sad eyes but surprisingly loves human attention. We loved meeting Carol!
Kristoff the Christmas turkey – Kristoff was rescued from a local family and saved from being Christmas dinner. His features were so silky and his skin so soft.
Each one of these gorgeous animals comes with a story of survival and are so welcoming of visitors. You could tell they all loved the affection they were given under the watchful eye of Rachael. It’s important to note that a sanctuary is not a cuddly animal farm type setting, so you do have to keep your kids close and respect the animals. Some of them won’t want to be held, or it may not be in their best interest to be held. It’s not hard to tell though which ones want your attention as they are very quick to make it known. They nudge you like a dog would and allow you to stroke them while returning the affection.
Our visit to Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary was the perfect excursion for the kids and one I know they will cherish. I felt we were really able to connect with these animals and to see them for who they are.
Rachael truly is a saint who works tirelessly to help those in need. Just through her caring nature she reminds you that there truly are so many good people out there. That alone leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
I really recommend you visit Greener Pastures because by doing so you can help make a difference.
Make sure you like their Facebook page to find out more about what they are up to and when they are open for tours. It is an experience not to be missed!
Greener Pastures Animal Sanctuary
