Welcome To Greener Pastures
Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary is located on 5 acres in Arroyo Grande, California in San Luis Obispo county. We rescue, rehabilitate, and provide care for dozens of animals saved from neglect, kill pens, slaughter houses, and factory farms. At our shelter, rescued residents are given the care and attention they need to recover from abusive situations. All of the animals enjoy healthy food, clean shelter, and lots of room to roam every single day. When appropriate, we adopt needy animals to good homes. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and rely on donations to care for our animal friends. YOU can help! Click on the yellow "Donate" button at the top of this page.
Once they are rehabilitated we share our animals with others to teach about kindness. Our program has an emphasis on children, but others can benefit as well. We share the history of each animal, their resilience, and why it’s important to show kindness to others. Visitors are invited to spend hands-on time with the animals and experience the unconditional acceptance and healing that animals give naturally. It teaches reverence for all life and helps promote loving kindness for a more peaceful community and planet.
Visit Greener Pastures
Join us the first Saturday of every month April through December. Walk through the sanctuary and meet the rescued residents up close. You will hear their amazing stories of triumph from volunteers who work with them weekly. Pet the donkeys or brush the friendly goats! You will meet potbelly pigs, miniature horses, sheep, goats, miniature donkeys, chickens, ducks, and turkeys!
Once they are rehabilitated we share our animals with others to teach about kindness. Our program has an emphasis on children, but others can benefit as well. We share the history of each animal, their resilience, and why it’s important to show kindness to others. Visitors are invited to spend hands-on time with the animals and experience the unconditional acceptance and healing that animals give naturally. It teaches reverence for all life and helps promote loving kindness for a more peaceful community and planet.
Visit Greener Pastures
Join us the first Saturday of every month April through December. Walk through the sanctuary and meet the rescued residents up close. You will hear their amazing stories of triumph from volunteers who work with them weekly. Pet the donkeys or brush the friendly goats! You will meet potbelly pigs, miniature horses, sheep, goats, miniature donkeys, chickens, ducks, and turkeys!
Volunteers Needed
We are looking for reliable volunteers who can commit to a few morning hours a week. Help us clean the barns and pastures, refill water buckets, clean the duck pools, and tend to our organic vegetable garden. It's also the best way to get to know the animals! To volunteer we request a 3 month minimum commitment. You must be 16 or older and minors must have a parent or guardian with them. Send us an email: greenerpasturessanctuary@gmail.com
Visit Us
When you arrange a private visit at Greener Pastures you’ll see frolicking goats on large pastures, ducks playing in pools, slumbering pigs in soft shavings rather than filthy, crowded stockyard pens. You’ll see donkeys and horses experiencing freedom for the first time in their lives. Few organizations exist that provide shelter and care for farmed animals as opposed to the many that exist for companion animals. Seeing these animals in a compassionate environment is a rich and rare experience.
While you’re here play with the friendly goats, brush the donkeys, hug a miniature horse, talk to the turkeys and ducks, and give the pigs a belly rub! Learn about ruminants, the history and biology of various species. Learn why donkeys have big ears, why goats chew, and how each species communicates using body language. Soon you will see that these animals are not unlike the animals we call pets, they each have unique personalities and can be as affectionate and loyal as a dog or cat. Kids learn how much we all have in common and have the opportunity expand their empathy for all living beings. Contact us for information on private tours.
More Ways To Visit:
* Bring coworkers, club members, neighbors, or friends to Greener Pastures for a live or virtual private tour.
* Plan a class field trip to learn about farm animals and meet them in person.
* Host a birthday party, wedding, reunion, or picnic with the animals. Contact us for details.
Our Farm Stand is Open
This month we have Hass avocados. These are grown on our property and are offered at a great price. All proceeds from our produce stand goes to support the animals of Greener Pastures. Coming soon: Naval oranges, Meyer Lemons, and delicious tangerines!
When we clean the water buckets for the animals the water doesn't go to waste. The old water goes to our veggie garden! We also have plenty of fertilizer to feed the plants. We are growing a variety of vegetables to feed our animals and sell at our stand. Check in regularly to see what's available.
When we clean the water buckets for the animals the water doesn't go to waste. The old water goes to our veggie garden! We also have plenty of fertilizer to feed the plants. We are growing a variety of vegetables to feed our animals and sell at our stand. Check in regularly to see what's available.
Dinkey Can See Again!
Dinkey's Story
When we first got the call about Dinkey in 2019 we knew we had to help. A potbelly pig was going to be euthanized after a family surrendered her to a shelter during a wildfire. It was the shelters' decision to euthanize based on her appearance. There was no history or information on her. No age, name, or weight.
When Dinkey first arrived at Greener Pastures we were were shocked at what we saw. She weighed in at nearly 300 lbs- more than double the weight she should have been! Dinkey was miserable with second and third degree burns, arthritis, obesity, fat-blindness, depression, confusion, and fear. We quickly had her seen by a vet and put her on a healthy diet of soaked mini pig pellets, vitamins, and fresh mixed greens and vegetables. The vet said weight loss alone would not help Dinkey see again, that she needed a "facelift" procedure done at U.C. Davis in Northern California.
Over time Dinkey became healthier and more mobile, yet still had a fat "roll" over her eyes inhibiting her vision. She was beginning to look better, but was still timid about venturing out of her stall. She slept in her crate under blankets all day and only came out only for meals. No matter how much we tried to coax her she would not go outside onto the grass in the sunshine.
Finally, after losing 130 lbs over 15 months, we knew it was time for a trip to Davis to see if Dinkey was a good candidate for the life-changing surgery that would give her confidence back. We began fundraising on social media and reached our goal in just 2 days! We were ecstatic and scheduled her trip for the following week. With a 5 hour-long drive for the medical exam, we arrived hopeful and prepared to leave her for the tentative surgery and recovery of a few days afterwards. The only issue was that Dinkey was so terrified of the new smells and surroundings of the university hospital that she became agitated and would not allow an exam. New plan. We agreed to allow her to be sedated the following day for an exam and if she looked healthy, surgery would follow immediately. If she was not a good candidate I had another 10 hour roundtrip to retrieve her and a lot of disappointment ahead.
After a restless night, we waited for the call. At eleven AM I couldn't wait any longer and called UC Davis myself. "Yes, she is healthy and strong, a good candidate for surgery! We will be starting her surgery now." After warnings that there is always a risk involved with surgery and promising to call immediately afterwards, we anxiously waited. At 3:30pm the call came that the surgery went "Magnificently!" We were beyond relieved. Finally, our precious friend would return home with a brand new lease on life.
Upon returning home I knew she was changed the moment she first entered her stall. She walked directly to her water bowl without bumping into anything, and had a nice long drink. SHE COULD SEE! I bent down to look into her beautiful eyes for the first time and actually saw her blink. It was magical! She even followed me around the stall. A dream come true for all of us and a new life for Dinkey.
The "facelift" surgery has indeed opened a whole new world for Dinkey. Since surgery we have discovered her walking around the barn, meandering up the long driveway, basking in sunshine in front of the barn, looking for the turkeys food bowl in the paddock in hopes of finding leftovers, exploring the pastures while eating a little grass, running(!) down the barn at dinner time, and meeting the other farm animals for the very first time! Her confidence has increased immensely and she is actively exploring her world rather than sleeping in her crate all day. Dinkey now has the opportunity to THRIVE. We couldn't be happier for her.
A BIG huge thank you to Lisa Young of The Rescue Train who alerted us to Dinkey's fate at the shelter and who carefully delivered her to us safe and sound.
When we first got the call about Dinkey in 2019 we knew we had to help. A potbelly pig was going to be euthanized after a family surrendered her to a shelter during a wildfire. It was the shelters' decision to euthanize based on her appearance. There was no history or information on her. No age, name, or weight.
When Dinkey first arrived at Greener Pastures we were were shocked at what we saw. She weighed in at nearly 300 lbs- more than double the weight she should have been! Dinkey was miserable with second and third degree burns, arthritis, obesity, fat-blindness, depression, confusion, and fear. We quickly had her seen by a vet and put her on a healthy diet of soaked mini pig pellets, vitamins, and fresh mixed greens and vegetables. The vet said weight loss alone would not help Dinkey see again, that she needed a "facelift" procedure done at U.C. Davis in Northern California.
Over time Dinkey became healthier and more mobile, yet still had a fat "roll" over her eyes inhibiting her vision. She was beginning to look better, but was still timid about venturing out of her stall. She slept in her crate under blankets all day and only came out only for meals. No matter how much we tried to coax her she would not go outside onto the grass in the sunshine.
Finally, after losing 130 lbs over 15 months, we knew it was time for a trip to Davis to see if Dinkey was a good candidate for the life-changing surgery that would give her confidence back. We began fundraising on social media and reached our goal in just 2 days! We were ecstatic and scheduled her trip for the following week. With a 5 hour-long drive for the medical exam, we arrived hopeful and prepared to leave her for the tentative surgery and recovery of a few days afterwards. The only issue was that Dinkey was so terrified of the new smells and surroundings of the university hospital that she became agitated and would not allow an exam. New plan. We agreed to allow her to be sedated the following day for an exam and if she looked healthy, surgery would follow immediately. If she was not a good candidate I had another 10 hour roundtrip to retrieve her and a lot of disappointment ahead.
After a restless night, we waited for the call. At eleven AM I couldn't wait any longer and called UC Davis myself. "Yes, she is healthy and strong, a good candidate for surgery! We will be starting her surgery now." After warnings that there is always a risk involved with surgery and promising to call immediately afterwards, we anxiously waited. At 3:30pm the call came that the surgery went "Magnificently!" We were beyond relieved. Finally, our precious friend would return home with a brand new lease on life.
Upon returning home I knew she was changed the moment she first entered her stall. She walked directly to her water bowl without bumping into anything, and had a nice long drink. SHE COULD SEE! I bent down to look into her beautiful eyes for the first time and actually saw her blink. It was magical! She even followed me around the stall. A dream come true for all of us and a new life for Dinkey.
The "facelift" surgery has indeed opened a whole new world for Dinkey. Since surgery we have discovered her walking around the barn, meandering up the long driveway, basking in sunshine in front of the barn, looking for the turkeys food bowl in the paddock in hopes of finding leftovers, exploring the pastures while eating a little grass, running(!) down the barn at dinner time, and meeting the other farm animals for the very first time! Her confidence has increased immensely and she is actively exploring her world rather than sleeping in her crate all day. Dinkey now has the opportunity to THRIVE. We couldn't be happier for her.
A BIG huge thank you to Lisa Young of The Rescue Train who alerted us to Dinkey's fate at the shelter and who carefully delivered her to us safe and sound.
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Dinkey's journey with help from @therescuetrain
COVID-19
COVID-19
Times are uncertain during this global pandemic however, our rescued residents continue to receive the very best care possible. Our animal caregivers are here all day, every day ensuring our animals are healthy and happy. Now more than ever, we need your support to make it possible for us to continue to rescue animals, provide medical care, and give them the love and freedom to be who they are, every single day. Please donate today to help us help the animals. Thank you!
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Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 GreenerPasturesSanctuary@gmail.com
EIN 81-4222022
Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 GreenerPasturesSanctuary@gmail.com
EIN 81-4222022