Welcome To Greener Pastures
Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary is located on 5 peaceful acres in Arroyo Grande, California in San Luis Obispo county. We rescue, rehabilitate, and provide lifelong care for dozens of animals saved from neglect, kill pens and factory farms. Here, rescued residents are given the love and care 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. 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 rehabilitated, we share the animals with others to teach about kindness. 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.
Once rehabilitated, we share the animals with others to teach about kindness. 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.
Help The Animals
With These Fun
Upcoming Events!
Mark your calendar! Klondike Pizza in Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria is helping our animals by hosting a fundraiser throughout October! Join us in Arroyo Grande on October 28th and WE will serve YOU! (You may even see Joe dressed like a pizza!) Join the live auction, and have fun while helping the rescued animals of Greener Pastures!
Adopt An Animal
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1. Symbolically adopt one of our residents in our Animal Friendship program.
You will receive:
2. Send a one time donation.
No amount is too small when it comes to helping the animals, it all adds up!
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Volunteer
We are looking for reliable volunteers who can commit to a couple of morning hours once a week. Help us clean the barns and coops, refill water buckets, refill the duck pools, and tend to our organic vegetable garden. We have fun and it's a great 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: [email protected]
Dinkey's Amazing Transformation
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. (We named her "Dinkey" after Dinkey Creek, which explains the spelling.)
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 she continued to lose weight is now at a slim 110 lbs. We have seen her walking around the barn, meandering up the long driveway, basking in sunshine outside, looking for food crumbs in the office, exploring the pastures while nibbling 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. (We named her "Dinkey" after Dinkey Creek, which explains the spelling.)
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 she continued to lose weight is now at a slim 110 lbs. We have seen her walking around the barn, meandering up the long driveway, basking in sunshine outside, looking for food crumbs in the office, exploring the pastures while nibbling 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.
Dinkey's Transformation:
From Obese and fat-blind to Thriving with New Best Friend, Kip!
Dinkey 270 lbs, 2019
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Dinkey 110 lbs, 2022
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Dinkey and her Best friend Kip, 2023
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Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary of San Luis Obispo
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 [email protected]
EIN 81-4222022
Greener Pastures Farm Sanctuary of San Luis Obispo
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 [email protected]
EIN 81-4222022