When I first pulled up the vast gravel driveway a feeling of peace immediately washed over me. I spotted the metal blue heron nailed to a pine tree and chuckled, happens to be one of my favorite birds, and also happens to be the name of the street that the ranch is tucked into.
The irrigation ditch flowed under the road, and the cows roamed openly, the place was nothing less than tranquil.
Once I pulled the car up to the barn, I hesitated. I had read a lot about HartSong on their website, and I’d anticipated the day with excitement, but I knew it would not be without some feelings of sadness.
I opened the door and headed for the main house. The gravel crunched under my cowgirl boots, and the smell of manure was very faint in the air, the place was immaculate, perfectly kept. A familiar feeling darted from my toes all the way up through my chest. It was one of those moments in time, when the clouds in the sky, the shade the light casts on the surrounding grass and the aroma takes you instantly back to a place in your past, a comforting one.
That’s when I first saw her, a beautiful white horse. I reached my hand through the slats in the fence and offered my finger tips in peace; she let out a deep exhale and backed up. My eyes wandered from my open palm up her long nose to her eyes, but they did not make contact.
Kathy, the ranch owner, came wandering up and offered a friendly smile. She had warmth in her eyes that radiated from her soul.
“That’s Bess!” she said excitedly.
“Bess might be one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.” I replied with weight in my heart.
“Oh, but you are so wrong,” she offered. “Bess is one of the happiest girls I know.”
After a few more minutes of observation I realized Kathy was right. Kathy must’ve seen the softening of my face, because after a few moments she said, “Let me show you around.”
As we began to make our way around the ranch I couldn’t help but become a kid again. I’ve always been an animal lover, and have spent many hours volunteering at the Humane Society among other similar type facilities, but there was just something about this place that was so different.
“This is Lacy, our blind goat.” Kathy said as she squatted down for Lacy’s arrival.
Lacy and her crooked head came bounding right up over to me and didn’t leave my side until we moved onto the next pasture.
“Down here is Woodrow, he’s an Angus calf, he was born blind and his mother abandoned him.”
Story after story: a thoroughbred race horse from Southern California, found on the slaughter truck from a minor injury; a horse whose owners packed up and left her to die in the stall, found skin and bones head down by a neighbor months later; a hen whose beak was attacked off by a dog; a kitten named Itty who loved people more than he loved being a barn cat, but still running the roost on the ranch; a sheep who was left abandoned to watch all of the other sheep in the pack attacked by mountain lions.
As I walked with her from place to place, I began to realize that she is “one of those people” the one that we all strive to be. The type of person who has lived their life fully and realizes that true fulfillment comes not from gaining, but from giving back.
I couldn’t help but think of the little things I’ve done in my life to try to achieve that feeling of self purpose, and some of the most rewarding, like adopting a retired racing greyhound.
But as I stood there, surrounded by a beakless hen, a blind horse, a mangy sheep, I began to have an epiphany…All of these animals, against all odds were not only surviving together, but they were living in harmony.
Inspiration for the story came in so many different ways, but the strongest was the fact that these animals passed no judgment one another, they accepted each other for their disabilities, and lived together.
Kathy told me the story about Bess, who was at the slaughter house, with a colt when she was rescued, and Bess’ strong maternal instinct was breaking her down. She told me about how when Bridget arrived, it was shortly before the moment where she went from having eye sight to utter darkness, she talked about the fear and the confusion, and being there as a witness, and offering love to these animals during difficult times.
She believes in them, she trusts them, and she learns from them. It is something we as humans have little capacity for. The ability to overcome the toughest obstacles, survive in the face of fear and flourish in the arms of love.
I’ve never felt such a sense of self worth in life, as I did right then. If these animals could live together in peace and harmony, why can’t we? I don’t suppose that question will ever be answered in my lifetime, but to be surrounded by the compassion, lit a spark in my soul that will burn deeply.
I’m blessed to have been in the presence of these amazing beings, creatures of this Earth, that have been given something we as humans oversee because our eyes are fogged with what we perceive to be important.
* Kathy and Jim Hart run an animal sanctuary in Greenwood, California. They hope to continue to raise enough money from donations to allow them to continue rehabilitating animals in need and to continue spreading awareness for the humane treatment of "animals we eat." HartSongRanch.org