Meet Mindy
Mindy is the original heart and soul of Sunrise Sanctuary.
She created the sanctuary to give these animals a place to be accepted and loved. Mindy cares for the animals on a daily basis; giving healthy foods, fresh water, ensures they all have proper vet care, and lots of love. She knows and respects each animals personality.
Mom Mindy
She does a lot of rescue work, which gives the animals an opportunity to get out of inhumane and miserable treatment, and many times, an upcoming horrible and painful death. Recently, she welcomed two sweet and scrawny chickens. They are now healthy and socializing with the other animals. Let's not forget the two chinchillas named Diamond Lil and Twinkle Toes.
A few months ago, she noticed baby ducks following a very confused rooster. No Mama to be found, so the ducklings were raised in the animal nursery, and they are growing beautifully.
One big happy furry and feathered family.
You will find Mindy has an aversion to cages. Sunrise animals are free to roam, bask in the sun, cuddle into the straw, slop through a puddle, and sleep as long as they want to. After all, they have earned it.
Although one of the pictures above (with Sam the pig) shows Mindy laying down on the job, let me explain... Sam was a baby while he was at a local college research department. Someone snuck Sam out to protect him from experiments, then death. So, here is Sam (the snuggly) pig doing his favorite thing- snoozing. Sam has gotten (humph) a little bigger since then. He is so friendly, and he loves to have is belly rubbed.
Wesley is a calf who was tied to a 10 foot rope, and was starving. He was so weak his legs shook terribly trying to hold up his body. Mindy talked the farmer into selling Wesley. He is now a happy, healthy, and loving cow, who has no idea how big he is getting! Wesley just might meet you at the gate when you come to visit. His best friend is Chance the dog.
Mindy has gathered animals from all sorts of places. One thing they all have in common; they were abused, mistreated, neglected, or just plain unwanted.
Well, not anymore... won't you help support and feed them?
We are thrilled to announce Mindy received The Hope Award from Mercy For Animals on 12-5-09 for her rescue work.
As you may have seen in the movie Fowl Play, Mindy was interviewed after one of MFA 's undercover investigations at an Ohio "farm" discovered an abused hen left for dead, lying on the top of a full trash can of dead hens.
MFA took this poor animal, who was barely alive, to a vet for treatment. They named her Hope. Nathan Runkle brought Hope to Sunrise Sanctuary.
Hope flourished and within a few days started all the natural behaviors a hen should do (socialize, dust baths, fresh air, sunshine, walking freely, roosting, love and care). Hope had never seen the sun, walked freely or had fresh air before.
She lived in a dingy, filthy cage so small she couldn't even expand her wings.
Hope was lucky to have that opportunity.
Please contact Mercy For Animals to help the other "Hope Hens" out there.