The Animals

Mary Lou (blue Australorp) is the matriarch and Grace (a silkie mix) is one of her offspring. There are 4 bonded chickens: who arrived together: Rhonda (Ancona), Ruby (Rhode Island Red), Felicia (Speckled Sussex), Electra (Brown Turken), Millie (Lavender Orpington) and Harriette (Ameraucana)/// along with Sparkle (Colombian Rock) and Adele (Buff Orphington) who have recently joined the flock from a neighbor’s yard. They are watched over by Roomba (Wyandotte), the resident rooster who was rescued from SD Humane Society Escondido, where there are a lot of roosters looking for a good home!

Oliver & Ruth are the Rouen duck pair rehomed from a suburban breeder who simply had too many ducks. These two are neighbors to the poultry pen but are kept separate so they can enjoy their little pond. Although Ruthie typically produces an egg daily, her love of the pond every morning when released from their overnight duck house, finds her in the pond and not on her nest. Maybe at some point, a broody chicken can help her become a momma. Luke (Pekin drake) was happy to be joined by Lucy, another Pekin rescued from SD Humane Society Escondido. Then SD Humane Society Main Campus rehomed a disabled domesticated duck, Owala (Brown Khaki Campbell), to the Sanctuary where she is living her best life.

There are some big rescue animals as well, such as our BLM (Bureau of Land Management) wild donkeys, Cammy & Tissy, who were a bonded pair and moved to the Sanctuary together. Their names (Camellia & Tisane) pay tribute to Julian Tea Company which is also located on the farm. They have joined the bovine posse of Panda (cow), her son Jefferson (steer), and her sister Avery (heifer) - and the group is tight and travels as a pack of 5 throughout the many pastures on the Sanctuary.

The camelid group started with an alpaca clan: Biff (suri), Bob (suri), Skippy (huacaya), and Scooter (huacaya). This group was from a re-home when former owners moved back ‘down the hill to the city’. They still visit their boys often and even drop by to help with annual shearing/trimming. In 2024, Kronk (huacaya) retired from Helen Woodward Animal Center and joined the Sanctuary with Neptune (huacaya) and Happy (huacaya) joining from California Llama Rescue who also sent 3 llamas Louis, Hank, and Nessie, who watch over the alpaca herd.

Farm animal crew includes Hunter (black boar), Teddy (Dorper wether sheep), and Merlin (a big 1 horned oberhasli goat). They were joined by Wally, another SD Humane Society rescue whose former owner simply gave up after his repeat escapes from his farm. Tessie (kunekune pig) and Michael Cera (corriedale wether sheep) also came from California Llama Rescue as they were in process of phasing out all of their rescue efforts. There are 3 pygmy goats that were re-homed to the Sanctuary: Jack, Trouble, and Sparkle - who turned out to be unexpectedly pregnant and delivered 2 baby girls in July 2024 who have been named Cinderella and Spunky Boots. The goat tribe expanded further with Beli (Boer mini goat) and Chevy (Alpine mini goat), as these two were rehomed from a city life to the mountain county. All are helping keep the Sanctuary fire safe by clearing thick brush and tall grass throughout.

Chili, a sulcata tortoise, is full of mischief and is constantly planning his escape by either scaling walls or digging tunnels. His former owners had to Sharpie their phone number on his shell so he would be returned after his antics in their suburban neighborhood. Chili is currently AWOL but potentially spotted at neighbor’s farm pond/TBD if he is interested in returning? Kona (another SD Humane Society rescue from Escondido) has taken up residence at the Sanctuary in a secure enclosure complete with small wading pool.

Guarding over the Sanctuary are 3 LGD, Bruce (Great Pyrenees), Molly (50-50 Great Pyrenees/White German Shepherd) & Sam (Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd/German Sherpherd/”Super-mutt mix”) - all 3 were rescued before their termination at high kill shelters and they now protect the property and deter predators.

(Shout out to Embark which solved the genetic origins of Molly and Sam)

No farm sanctuary would be complete without ‘barn cats - Lexi is the current resident who love to visit all of the animal and keep the property relatively rodent and gopher free. There is also an occasional visit from another cat, who is either feral or and explorer from an adjacent farm, and given the frequency of visitation, I have named the new feline Tigger. Additional rescue ferels include Spit, Spat, and Spice, 3 saucy black cats who came all the way from LA courtesy of Grandma Betty’s Rescue.