Farmed Animals

We hope that by getting to meet our animals--in person at the sanctuary or through reading their stories and seeing their photos on our website or social media--helps to illustrate that in all the ways that truly matter, the animals our society typically considers “food” animals are every bit as deserving of consideration, rescue, and compassion as our beloved companion animals. Just like us, other animals have thoughts, feelings, preferences, and friends. They have lives that matter to them.

Though we can’t fit all the stories of the 600+ animals who call Peace Ridge home on any given day, much less all the stories of the thousands of animals we have rescued since our founding, each and every animals we’ve helped has their own story. Most of these stories are both heartbreaking and triumphant with animals taken from the worst conditions imaginable coming to a place where they can heal, trust, love, and make friendships with other rescued animals in a place where their needs always come first.

Each day, we have the power to leave the world a better place by making choices that help animals, people, and ours shared planet thrive. The single easiest thing we can do to show our love and respect for animals is to live vegan.

It isn’t just the animals on farms that you’ll save by going vegan, the research is clear that a vegan lifestyle is the best way to reduce our environmental impact. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of climate change, deforestation, land degradation, ocean acidification, and a whole host of other environmental harms while also being an inefficient way of feeding our planet. Fortunately, we can live happy and healthy lives without using animals.

So please, consider joining us in living vegan - for the animals, for the planet, and for our future.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the animals we rescue here at Peace Ridge, the ways we use animals, and how we can all help them.

Cows, Steer, & The Dairy Industry

Nearly all of the rescued cows and steer here have come directly from the dairy industry, and most of them have come from state cruelty cases where animal welfare agents have shut down “local, small, family” dairy farms for extreme neglect and starvation, seizing all of the dehydrated, emaciated survivors (many of whom were pregnant or had newborn calves) and bringing them to PRS. Our facilities are the only ones in the state that can handle these type of herd rescues where we open our doors to so many farmed animals needing emergency rehabilitation.

Often, people have been taught to believe that cows just produce milk and that we are “doing them a favor” by milking them. But what we aren’t usually taught growing up is that cows are mammals, just like us, so they only produce milk to feed their young babies.

Each year, dairy cows are impregnated (often through artificial insemination) and give birth to a calf who will be taken from them moments to hours after giving birth. Cows are deeply maternal animals and it is common for them to bellow for days for their stolen babies. Selectively bred to produce massive amounts of milk (up to 10 times what they should), cows are only milked twice a day (if allowed, calves nurse repeatedly all day long) often resulting in painful mastitis infections. Female dairy calves are typically raised to join the herd as their mothers are killed at a fraction of their lifespan when their bodies start to give out and their production declines. Male dairy calves, who can’t produce milk and don’t grow as profitably as breeds selectively bred to be slaughtered for their flesh, are routinely killed at birth or as babies for veal. The veal industry is the dairy industry. The only “happy cows” are rescued cows—please join us in ditching dairy (and all animal products).

Goats & The Dairy Industry

Goats are smart, curious, playful, social animals. While eating goats is common worldwide, in the U.S., most goats are exploited for dairy. Just like cows, humans, and all other mammals, goats only produce milk to feed their babies. So if you are consuming goat milk or goat cheese, it is because a kid was taken from their mother at birth and wasn’t allowed to drink the milk his or her mother made just for them. Goat dairy has become increasingly popular over the years, but it is just another product that humans have no biological need to consume - we only require human milk, and only before we are weaned, for proper nutrition and growth. Unwanted kids are killed, sold to petting zoos where they are exploited until they are discarded when they are old and “less cute,” or subjected to the same sad fate as their mothers.

Chickens & The Egg Industry

Chickens are smart, social animals who deeply love their families. Most people know that chickens are being used for their flesh and their eggs, but many people may not know that chickens have been selectively bred over the years to maximize profit at the expense of these wonderful animals.

Today, most chickens are classified as “broilers” or “layers.” “Broilers” have been manipulated to grow very big, very fast.  The average chicken today is four times bigger than in the 1950’s and is killed at only 42 days old. Their hearts, lungs, and legs struggle to keep up with their rapid and unnatural growth and their bodies often start to give out at only weeks old. And “layer” chickens have been bred to lay 300-350 eggs a year instead of the 10 - 15  eggs they would naturally lay each year - this is incredibly depleting for their bodies and they are killed after only a year or two. Male “layer” chickens can not lay eggs and they can’t grow as fast as “broiler” chickens, so they are typically killed the day they are hatched - suffocated in garbage bags or ground up alive in chippers. These hatcheries supply farms (and backyard flocks) of all sizes and often chicks are shipped in the mail - a process that is not only cruel, but can often be deadly.

Pigs Are Friends, Not Food

Pigs are intelligent, social, loving animals who have a higher cognitive capacity than dogs or human toddlers. Not that we should use intelligence as a standard for whether or not an animal should be allowed to suffer or be killed - any sentient being should be spared from unnecessary suffering. But pigs are undeniably smart and can be taught to play games. They form social hierarchies, have a wide range of vocalizations (even singing to their nursing piglets), they recognize their own names from a very young age, and easily learn to do tricks like sitting for treats. Pigs are also very clean animals, most preferring to never go to the bathroom where they sleep or eat. But because most pigs are kept in conditions where they have no choice but to relieve themselves where they are, pigs have an undeserved reputation for being dirty animals. They also do not sweat and rely on evaporative cooling from soaking in wallows they dig in the mud to regulate their body temperatures and provide natural sunscreen, this exacerbates the false belief that pigs are messy. On farms, piglets routinely have their tails docked, their teeth cut, and are castrated - all without pain relief and are killed as babies at only six months old.

Turkeys & Kinder Ways to Show Thanks

Turkeys are wonderful, intelligent, and unique birds. Like “broiler” chickens, turkeys have been selectively bred to grow very big, very fast. Because their bodies are unnaturally large, they aren’t able to reproduce on their own and are produced by artificial insemination. Most turkeys are killed at only 3-5 months old and by that time, it is common for them to already be suffering with debilitating joint problems and heart problems as their bodies struggle to keep up with their massive growth. Most turkeys raised for food are kept in crowded conditions and have the ends of their sensitive beaks cut off to keep them from injuring each other.  On sanctuaries, turkeys are fed very restrictive diets to try to keep them at a healthy weight, but as is the case with all farmed animals, they have been designed to suffer for the sake of higher profits.

A staggering 46 million turkeys are killed each year in the U.S. for Thanksgiving Day alone. You can join us in showing thanks and gratitude on Thanksgiving and all days, by leaving turkeys and other animals off your plate.

Sheep & The Wool Industry

While most people think that sheep naturally produce excess wool and that we are “helping them out” by regularly shearing them, wild sheep grow just enough wool to keep them properly insulated so they stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. As is the case with all farmed animals, sheep have been selectively bred over the years to maximize profits at their expense - in their case to have them grow excess wool, and for some breeds even excess folds and flaps of skin that give more surface areas for wool production while increasing the chances of infections for the sheep. Sheep are routinely tail-docked, having their sensitive tails cut off or banded to cut off circulation until their tails become necrotic and rot off. Because shearers are paid by the sheep, not by the hour, often they move very quickly and sheep can get cut or suffer spinal injuries. Because domesticated sheep grow too much wool for the summer heat, we carefully shear each sheep in the spring to keep them cool and scatter their wool in the woods for wild animals to build nests.

Ducks, Geese & Saying NO to Foie Gras & Down

Here at PRS, each of our rescued ducks and geese enjoy living in a place where their needs are always prioritized, but for most farmed waterbirds, their lives are very different. Having access to clean water to swim and bathe in is very important for the physical and emotional well-being of ducks and geese who are raised for their flesh and/or their down, which involves painfully plucking feathers out of the live birds over and over. Ducks and geese are also exploited for foie gras, being force-fed massive amounts of grain by a painful tube inserted down their throat, into their stomachs until their livers become a fatty and diseased “delicacy.” Like all farmed animals, they are denied virtually everything natural and important to them.

Rabbits—the Third Most Euthanized Animals

Rabbits are sensitive and fragile animals who can make wonderful companions when people understand the unique needs of their species - this is true for all farmed animals, even though in our society we tend to think of caring for them as “easier“ than dogs and cats. Perhaps this misunderstanding is why rabbits are the third most popular companion animal in the U.S. and the third most euthanized. All too often, rabbits are seen as good “starter pets” and “gifts” for young children who quickly lose interest or can accidentally hurt them. Living in outdoor hutches leaves them at a higher risk for parasites, suffering or dying from the elements, or getting killed by predators. Rabbits are also commonly used in painful and fatal animal experimentation to test household and cosmetic products, even though these outdated testing methods are not required in the U.S. and are unreliable, as there are important physiological differences between humans and other species.

Horses Aren’t Here for Us

Most of our rescued horses are survivors of the racing industry. Horses often begin rigorous racing training before their bones have fully developed, making them more prone to injury. Of the many horses bred for racing, only the most promising horses are kept, with the others often ending up at auctions or slaughterhouses. Drug use to keep injured horses running through pain is prevalent, as are broken bones and even dying on the track. Often when horses are seriously injured in racing or training they are killed on site or sent to slaughter. Even though horse slaughter is technically not allowed in the U.S., horses are routinely sent to slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Some of our other horses, like Maven and Max, are draft horses that were being used for physical labor. Their living/working conditions were so egregious that the other horse on this farm was worked and starved to the point where he died, prompting the investigation that saved the lives of the others. Max was skeletal when he arrived, weighing less than half of his ideal weight. After lifetimes of use and abuse, our rescued horses are finally free to live their lives in peace when they come to PRS. While horses are often expected to “give” people something in exchange for their care, here nothing is ever expected or taken from them.

Donkeys Need Help Too

Globally, donkeys are the most common “beast of burden” being forced to perform free labor for humans. There is also a large demand for their flesh, milk, and their hides (to make Eijao - a traditional Chinese medicine from the gelatin of their boiled skins) internationally. Also known as burros, wild donkeys are routinely rounded up and sent to be killed (along with wild horses) to keep them off the land farmers want to cheaply lease from the government for grazing farmed animals, for big game hunting, or other for-profit, commercial uses of our public lands. Many unwanted donkeys here in the U.S. are sent to Canada or Mexico (just like horses are) where they are slaughtered. Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn, but they are actually just very cautious animals by nature. When asked to do something they have never done before, donkeys carefully consider what they are being asked and try to assess the risk before acting.

The Ongoing Dog Shelter Crisis

While dog rescue has always been an important part of Peace Ridge’s mission, post-pandemic our national shelter system has been pushed into a crisis, we have significantly stepped up our effort to help our canine friends. Many of our dogs are coming from animal control here in Maine, though we also partner with shelters in the hardest hit parts of the country.

Our dogs typically fall into two main categories – dogs that are traditionally considered the “difficult to place,” primarily senior, high-needs medical and hospice dogs, semi-feral dogs, and dogs with other behavioral issues, typically from past trauma. Most of these special needs dogs will remain here as sanctuary dogs for the rest of their lives and they account for about half our dog population right now. The other half of our dogs are good candidates for adoption, and we focus on finding good, high-quality forever adoption homes. Because no one is ever given a time limit, everyone has a safe home here as long as they need it – even if that means for the rest of their lives.

Most of our dogs live in on-site staff housing, including in large pack houses managed by live-in sanctuary stewards, who live on-site to maintain our 24-hour-a-day care systems, and in smaller packs in on-site cabins with caregivers and interns. These home environments provide a soft place to land for dogs that would never know they are actually living at a shelter – and that is how we want it. This is their home.

Protecting Our Wild Friends

In addition to the many rescued farmed animals, equines, and sanctuary dogs who call PRS home, countless wild animals - including threatened and endangered species - have also found safety and refuge within the nearly 2,000 acres we steward and protect for wildlife conservation and land preservation. We partner with licensed wildlife rehabbers to provide spots to release rehabilitated animals in our hardwood forests, wetlands, along streams and waterways, and other diverse, protected habitats at the sanctuary. We follow a re-wilding ethic and philosophy, allowing natural systems to restore habitats and encourage biodiversity.

 Animals in Laboratories

Of all the ways we use and abuse animals in our society, vivisection—experimenting on living animals—is among the darkest. Estimates show over 15 million animals are killed in U.S. laboratories in outdated, unreliable, cruelty biomedical research as well as for household products including cleaning supplies, beauty supplies, gardening supplies, and more.

Did you know 70,000 beagles (and millions of other animals) are killed each year in the U.S. alone in painful experiments for the products people buy for their homes? Beagles are the victim of choice because they are gentle and not likely to bite. This testing is not required by law. It is unreliable, barbaric, and unnecessary. Meet Isaac, a vivisection survivor. Before his rescue by one of our PRS managers in 2013, he endured nearly five years as a living, breathing test tube in painful experiments. After making it out alive, he was sold to a veterinary school to practice surgical procedures. For years, he suffered from lingering PTSD and multiple medical issues after years of abuse. While he passed away in 2024, we hope his memory stands as a reminder and a plea to every to please, live cruelty-free.

Check out these links to find products that aren’t tested on animals.

Leaping Bunny—Compassionate Shopping Guide

Cruelty-Free Kitty—Brands to Support, Brands to Avoid

Smart Phone App—Scan Products to see if they are Cruelty-Free

Social Justice & Expanding Our Reach

Throughout our 25 year history, Peace Ridge’s work has always been grounded in social justice. We believe society needs to rethink the way that it views and interacts with animals in order to become a more peaceful and just society. We believe that social justice cannot be achieved unless we acknowledge the social injustice we perpetrate on animals.

Comprehensive humane education is an important part of our nonprofit mission work. Our educational programs bring the public to our shelters each year for educational tours, events, summer camps, classroom tours, lectures, and other learning opportunities, while our online and social media educational efforts reach countless people.

Sanctuaries Provide a Stage where people can come meet farmed animals while also starting to understand the interconnected ways that our broken food system harms animals, people, and our shared planet.

Each year in the U.S. alone, we slaughter roughly 10 billion land animals for food, yet most of us have no interactions with farmed animals. This is intentional. Billions of animals are hidden in plain sight, the vast majority of whom are living on filthy, crowded factory farms where they will never even go outside in their brief, miserable lives before being sent to slaughter at a tiny fraction of their natural lifespan.

Most people have been conditioned to think that farmed animals are lesser, that they don’t share the same emotions and thoughts and personalities that our beloved companion animals do. But when people meet the animals at our shelters, it is undeniable that in all the ways they matter, they are no different than the animals we share our homes with.

Most people aren’t used to seeing farmed animals as individuals with unique personalities, especially if they are seeing them in a farm setting. And that makes sense, if an animal is just trying to survive, if they can’t engage in normal species-specific behaviors, or form stable social hierarchies, you’ll never be able to see their personalities shine. Just like you’ll never see other people for who they truly are in an environment where they don’t feel safe.

And here, our animals feel safe. They have predictable routines, people they trust and often learn to like or love, friends in their own species, they have all their basic needs met and then some. This is their home. There is a peace in their eyes and an energy that you can’t fake. When we take in new rescues, while we work to build trust and report with them, it is seeing the others animals happy and safe that helps them let their guard down to realize maybe they too are finally ok.

In our modern world, where people are disconnected from farmed animals, Peace Ridge and similar sanctuaries provide a place where people can come meet the animals on their own terms, in a place where they feel safe. Year after year, we hear from people who tell us that coming to the sanctuary was a life-changing experience.

Sanctuaries are vegan makers – because once you make that connection, you can’t un-make it.