Volunteer work parties help provide abused and neglected farm animals with shelter, care and love at Scio Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary
by Mackenzie Dixonedited by James Tollefsen
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| Turkeys, ducks and chickens lounging at Lighthouse Sanctuary. Mackenzie Dixon photo. |
What appears to be a typical farm located in rural Scio, Ore., is home to hundreds of stories of hope. More than 250 farm animals have been rescued and rehabilitated by Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary after surviving horrible pasts.
“We provide those with the most heartbreaking stories a promise of companionship, of love, and of care,” the farm’s website reads. “Every day the animals amaze us with their profound abilities to love and be loved, even after the tragedies they have endured."
With at least one of every farm species, even a bison, Lighthouse Farm is the largest sanctuary in the state. The farm works with local police, animal control, and other sanctuaries in the area to find animals who are in desperate need of care.
The American Sanctuary Association has accredited almost 200 such sanctuaries nationwide and seven in Oregon, including Lighthouse Farm.
Residents of the sanctuary have suffered a large range of neglect and abuse. They come from abandoned farms, research labs, and anywhere in between. Animal care is the sanctuary’s number one priority, provided through quality vet care, nutritious food, and safe shelter.
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| Many larger farm animals rely on the main barn for shelter. Dixon Photo |
Volunteer work parties are held every Wednesday and Saturday in the winter months to help provide clean shelter and food for the animals.
Ten volunteers showed up ready to help on the foggy and muddy morning of Saturday, Nov 17. Recent heavy rains flooded the main barn, so cleaning it out was the main task.
Lighthouse has been around for 15 years. Current care-takers Gwen Jakubisin and husband Peter moved into the farmhouse in 2015.
The Jakubisins used to just volunteer, but stepped in when the founder and executive advisor left in 2015. They have operated the sanctuary ever since.
The sanctuary faced severe financial problems that threatened foreclosure right before the Jakubisins stepped in. The Board of Directors was unaware of the debt the organization had run up under the founder and former executive advisor.
“The farm was in serious debt and the animals weren’t being taken care of,” said Jakubisin, who originally just wanted to bring some money in and then find someone else to take over. She laughed as she said, “We only planned on staying here six months. This is definitely not what I expected.”
“It is a lot,” Jakubisin said, about the work load required to operate the farm. “Peter and I both have full time jobs on top of this.” Volunteers help with mucking out stalls and refilling waters, building and repairing structures, and providing companionship for the animals.
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| Harold the sheep says hello. Dixon Photo |
The newest addition to the sanctuary is a sheep named Harold, found down the road three weeks ago. Brought in with a body condition score of one, Harold was in the worst shape he could be in, having never been sheared before.
Jakubisin said Harold’s transformation has been amazing and he has warmed up to people over the last few weeks.
Texas resident and volunteer Amy Kohlert has a mission to find sanctuaries wherever she travels for her job as a financial advisor. She got started at a sanctuary in New York years ago.
“I have always been an animal person,” Kohlert said, as she raked hay off the barn floor. “This was always meant to be. It’s amazing how many sanctuaries there are in Oregon.”
Jakubisin pointed beyond Harold to two cows.
“We rescued Betsy from a dairy when she was pregnant,” she said. “Oliver is her baby. They spend all their time together. It’s so hard to think what happens to [the cows] in a place like that.” Betsy faced slaughter in the dairy industry, which euthanizes cows when their milk production starts to drop.
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| Jakubisin shows love to the pigs. Dixon Photo |
“My heart has such a soft spot for these pigs.” Jakubisin said. “When they got here they were tiny, hairless, and so scared.”
Last spring Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary held Pig Yoga for the community. Forty to 50 people came for yoga in the enclosure, and the pigs did their best to imitate the poses.
Another favorite rescue of Jakubisin’s are some of the sheep, who roam just past the pigs. They were found, “knee-deep in mud, with no access to food or clean water, and no shelter whatsoever. Strewn around the property like garbage were the decomposing bodies of their friends and family members.” One of them was found under a collapsed shed, and all of the rescues were pregnant. Now, “they are now a close-knit family who enjoys roaming the sanctuary grounds and getting lots of love from visitors and volunteers.”
Another volunteer came for the second time on Saturday after a friend took her the previous week. “Have you been out to see the bison yet?” she asked. “I brought her carrots.”
Helen, the large bison, was born totally blind. She used to be quite the loner, but now her best friend is one of the cows, and they’re very protective of each other. “This is probably the closest you can ever get to a bison,” Jakubisin said.
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| Helen the Bison hangs out with her best friend. Dixon Photo. |
There are at least seven other sanctuaries in the area, so Jakubisin is looking into relocating it closer to Eugene, eventually.
“There aren’t enough resources, including volunteers, out here for all of us, and there aren’t really any other sanctuaries closer to Eugene,” she said.
Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, so they rely completely on financial support from the community. Donations are appreciated and also accepted in the form of gift cards, high quality grass hay and alfalfa, fresh produce, grain, and tools.
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