- Jul 10, 2004
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Abused kids and animals healing each other. Awesome idea. Apparently this organization also has a Facebook page.
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"Do you know it's impossible to hug a cow and have a bad day at the same time?" That's what Ellie Laks, founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, tells visitors to her six-acre barnyard in Santa Clarita, California.
The nonprofit organization is a sanctuary for animals. "We rescue severely abused and neglected animals that no one else wants," says Laks. "We bring them in, and we rehabilitate them. And once they're healed and happy, they stay here for the rest of their lives and then they help us heal abused and neglected children."
Laks describes The Gentle Barn as one "giant storybook." The Gentle Barn has 170 animals, from horses and donkeys to sheep and goats to turkeys and pigs. Each animal has its own story of abuse and, thanks to Laks, healing. She believes the animals' stories can help children who also suffer from abuse and neglect. "There's an animal here that mirrors every single solitary person's story. Whatever a person's gone through, there's an animal that's gone through it as well here at The Gentle Barn," says Laks. "When you can see that that animal has learned to trust and ended up with a good life and gotten everything that you dream of, then that animal is then inspiration for that child to know that he can make it, too."
Rescued Animals Make a Difference in the Lives of Kids
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"Do you know it's impossible to hug a cow and have a bad day at the same time?" That's what Ellie Laks, founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, tells visitors to her six-acre barnyard in Santa Clarita, California.
The nonprofit organization is a sanctuary for animals. "We rescue severely abused and neglected animals that no one else wants," says Laks. "We bring them in, and we rehabilitate them. And once they're healed and happy, they stay here for the rest of their lives and then they help us heal abused and neglected children."
Laks describes The Gentle Barn as one "giant storybook." The Gentle Barn has 170 animals, from horses and donkeys to sheep and goats to turkeys and pigs. Each animal has its own story of abuse and, thanks to Laks, healing. She believes the animals' stories can help children who also suffer from abuse and neglect. "There's an animal here that mirrors every single solitary person's story. Whatever a person's gone through, there's an animal that's gone through it as well here at The Gentle Barn," says Laks. "When you can see that that animal has learned to trust and ended up with a good life and gotten everything that you dream of, then that animal is then inspiration for that child to know that he can make it, too."
Rescued Animals Make a Difference in the Lives of Kids
