HSUS Celebrates NFAAW with Farm Sanctuary Animal of the Year Contest

What do an abandoned donkey, a neglected sheep, and an abused horse have in common? What about a pig bound for the slaughterhouse or a factory farm laying hen? The answer is that they have all found permanent, loving homes at one of the more than 50 farm animal sanctuaries across the United States.

Farm sanctuaries rescue abused and neglected animals, and assist in disasters by securing homes and transportation for the animals. Disasters can be natural, such as floods or hurricanes, or man-made, like when a factory farm closes its doors for financial reasons. Thousands, or perhaps millions, of animals need help in those instances, and while farm sanctuaries cannot save every animal, they network to rescue as many as possible.

Many farm sanctuaries open their doors to the public in an effort to educate people about the horrors of factory farming. At the sanctuaries, adults and children alike can see cows, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals exhibiting their natural behaviors in spacious surroundings. The animals are able to roam the fields, root in the ground, or stretch their wings, just as they would in nature. In addition, the animals' own individual personalities can be expressed.

To further the goal of awareness about farm animals, The Humane Society of the United States is highlighting farm animal sanctuaries during this year's National Farm Animals Awareness Week. Specifically, for the 11th annual celebration, scheduled for September 21-27, The HSUS is hosting the Farm Sanctuary Animal of the Year contest. Click on the offsite link below to participate.

On the Farm Sanctuary Animal of the Year site, you can look at photos of the animal contestants and read their heart-wrenching stories. In all, 20 animals have been nominated by 10 different sanctuaries from around the country, including sanctuaries in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, California, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Maryland.

The stories behind these animals are as amazing as the creatures themselves. Each one has his or her own survival tale: One cow literally jumped a slaughterhouse fence on her journey to freedom. A breeder rooster actually survived a starvation diet. A pot-bellied pig couldn't stop raiding the refrigerator and soon found himself with no owner. These, and many other inspiring stories, can be found on the contest site.

Here's how the contest works: You cast your vote by forwarding the animal's "postcard" to a friend. For every person you send the postcard to, the animal receives one vote. Between now and September 27, you can return to the site as many times as you like to see how your favorite contestant is doing. The top four finishers will earn a cash prize for their sanctuary. What's more, sanctuaries will receive half of the donations generated by the animals they nominate. In other words, when you make a donation from a specific animal's postcard, the proceeds will be split 50-50 between The HSUS and the sponsoring farm sanctuary.

To find the farm sanctuary closest to you, contact The HSUS's Farm Animals and Sustainable Agriculture section at farmanimals@hsus.org. And if you live in the area, please visit Green Haven Animal Sanctuary in Coventry, Connecticut or Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary in Salem, Oregon. Both sanctuaries will be hosting open houses in honor of National Farm Animals Awareness Week.

Also, contact The HSUS for our new kids' activity book for National Farm Animals Awareness Week; the book has fun facts and animal hero stories in addition to puzzles, games and coloring pages.

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