Our Animal Residents

Learn about our permanent
residents and their rescue stories.

Meet The Pigs!

May-21

Bogart

Bogart was born at a ranch that breeds pigs for FFA & 4H. His whole litter got very sick when he was a baby, and he was the sole survivor. His rescuer was told that Bogart would "never get bigger than 150 pounds" since he was so ill as a baby. As his rescuers searched to find him permanent placement, Bogart quickly grew to 400+ pounds and could no longer stay at a property that was not zoned for a pig of his size. We are so grateful we could offer this gentle giant (who now weighs about 700 pounds!) a forever home at Open Barn.

Bogart is a big ball of love and very gentle. His favorite food is watermelon!

Mar-22

Pua

Pua was raised as an FFA project but the student who raised him ultimately had a change of heart and decided they wanted sanctuary for him instead of slaughter. Thanks to them, and also @farmanimalrefuge for connecting us and going above and beyond to offer support, this cutie’s rescue story came true. We picked him up at the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds the day before he would have been shipped off to slaughter.

Pua is completely unaware of his size (about 600 pounds) and has the personality of an overbearing golden retriever puppy.

Jun-20

Charlie & Otis

Charlie and Otis were rescued from a test lab where they were being used for dermal testing. They spent the first 6-8 months of their lives in the lab. Coming to The Open Barn was the first time either of them had ever felt sushine, dirt, or even another pig (the lab keeps pigs in single cell kennels) and now they are happier than ever with big pig friends. Thankfully today there are so many easy and affordable alternatives to products that are tested on animals - just check for cruelty-free versions of your favorite products!

Charlie and Otis are both rambunctious, but they love cuddling up next to their bigger pig friends Bogart and Pua. We apply sunscreen on Charlie and Otis since they are hairless, as an added measure of protection from the sun to prevent skin cancers.

Jun-21

Hank

Hank was abandoned at a property after the original owners moved out of state. The new owners were unaware of how to care for a pig, and a concerned neighbor contacted us after the learned Hank was not being fed at this property. He was also without any safe housing at night and at risk of a coyote attack. He has fused joints in his front legs that aren't correctable by surgery, so he has a custom, tailored environment and routine here at Open Barn to suit his needs. We are so grateful for the opportunity to care for this special guy and give him a soft landing at Open Barn.

Hank is a very guarded boy and it takes some time for him to warm up to people, but he is a huge fan of pumpkin treats in the fall and will usually happily welcome a piece of smashed pumpkin from visitors!

Oct-19

Abner

Abner was originally used at a petting zoo, and then rehomed to a place where he was neglected and abandoned. He was one of the first rescues at Open Barn, and an only-pig in a big herd of goats and sheep. He has since learned to "pig" and has potbelly friends at Open Barn.

Abner is the most submissive pig at Open Barn, but quickly warmed up to the most dominant potbelly here (Wilma). They have often been found cuddling and sunbathing together throughout the day.

Jan-21

Nicholas

Nicholas, aka Nicholas the Feral Christmas Pig, was rescued by Hannah Shaw (Kitten Lady) from a large hoarding case of 300+ pigs. He had to be treated for severe mange and needed lots of socialization to warm up to people, but he is now one of the happiest and most grateful pigs at Open Barn. We love this boy so much!

Nicholas went from being completely feral, to one of the most social pigs with people! His girlfriend at the sanctuary is Lola Boo (they choose to go to bed in the same barn every night) and he will eagerly sit for treats as an enrichment activity thanks to his rescuer and foster mama, Hannah.

Mar-20

Wilma

Wilma was found as a stray and brought into the Humane Society. During the pandemic, the Humane Society was short-staffed and seeking fosters which we agreed to be for Wilma. But within 24 hours, we couldn't just foster her - we fell for her sweet personality and decided to offer her a forever home at Open Barn!

Wilma quickly became the "top pig" in the potbelly area, but she also quickly became fast friends and barn buddies with Abner, the most submissive pig at Open Barn. We like to think of her as a gentle leader! She also smells like maple (if you don't trust us you can meet her in person and see for yourself)!

Mar-18

Zeus & Zoey

Zeus and Zoey were originally born at a property that was breeding potbelly pigs for profit. Unfortunately breeders often assure buyers that "mini pigs" stay small, but this is actually a myth and many pigs are abandoned because of this. All pigs get big! Zeus had an eye injury that caused blindness in one eye as a baby, but has since made a full recovery.

Zeus and Zoey are brother and sister! They are very bonded and share the same barn every night. They also know a few tricks ("turn around" and "back up") and find this activity to be enriching and rewarding for snacks!

Sep-20

Lola Boo

Lola Boo was found abandoned in a box. A good samaritan found her and brought her to a cat rescue, Kitty Bungalow, to foster her until she found her forever home at Open Barn!

Lola Boo was a full-time house pig and couch cuddle bug when she was a baby before she graduated to a barn and met her BFF and boyfriend, Nicholas (they choose to share a barn together every night).

Meet The Turkeys!

Jul-20

Uno

Uno was mailed to a feed store alive as a baby, as this is common practice for feed stores. After he arrived he had a leg injury and the store manager was attempting to sell him at a discounted price. We offered to take him in for free, and gave him a second chance at life. He fully recovered and is the proud supervisor, project manager, and volunteer greeter at Open Barn today!

Uno's favorite thing to do is show off to visitors. He is a social butterfly and will follow new people around. He is also known to get quite opinionated about bright colors and wheel barrows.

Dec-22

Frida

Frida was found abandoned in the streets of Sacramento. Lucky for her, a good samaritan bought her to Herd and Flock sanctuary to be fostered until she found her forever home here at Open Barn.

Frida is a total lap turkey once she's had the time to warm up to you, and will welcome cuddles and pets!

Dec-22

Sugar

Sugar was the last turkey left at a property after her baby was tragically killed by dogs. With safety being an urgent concern, her caretakers worked hard to find her a safe and loving forever home and we were so happy we could be that place for her.

Sugar has a very big personality in a small package, she is one of the most curious and quirky residents. She loves being a part of the action, and even likes being around power tools and ladders (roosting on them or sitting underneath) when her humans are building her aviary!

Meet The Sheep!

Oct-19

Sampson & Ramshid

Sampson and Ramshid were originally used at a petting zoo, and then rehomed to a place where they were neglected and abandoned. They were a few of the first rescues at Open Barn! They came together with our pigmy goats and Abner, the potbelly pig.

Ramshid may look intimidating with his big horns but he is pretty shy around new people. However, he LOVES fruit and veggie snacks from even new visitors. Sampson is often remembered for his handsome "baaaa" and will usually lay down to ask for more pets after a few minutes of someone petting him, implying, "please, stay a while".

Jul-24

Coa

Coa was going to be auctioned off for slaughter at the fair, but the student who raised him for the FFA (Future Farmers of America) program ultimately decided they wanted to seek out sanctuary for him instead! We are always touched when students find the empathy, courage, and foresight to think about outcomes for their animals and try to do something about it (Pua, Dolly, Devin, and Gilbert were all FFA animals before they came to Open Barn too!). A great alternative to FFA/4H programs is LEAP, where students gain all of the same hands-on experience learning how to care for farmed animals but they do this in a sanctuary setting and therefore they do not have to send their animal to slaughter at the end of the program.

Coa is the biggest sheep in our flock of 5, and he is super social with people! His favorite snack is grapes!

Jul-20

Indy & Franklin

Indy and Franklin are both hair sheep that came from a neglect case. Indy's birth mother had passed away during labor, and she was also found at the property with her tail "chewed off". Franklin was rejected by his mom and required bottle feeding as a baby. They were both rescued on the 4th of July.

Indy is by far the most skittish resident so we respect her space, but she is also very curious and will approach you for a greeting or a snack if you are patient. Franklin befriended our dog Takoda when he was a baby, and The Dodo featured them on their series, "Odd Couples". It's a must see!

Meet The Goats!

Jun-19

Dolly

Dolly was the first rescued goat at Open Barn! She was going to be auctioned off for slaughter at the fair, but the student who raised her for the FFA (Future Farmers of America) program ultimately decided they wanted to seek out sanctuary for her instead.

Dolly knows her name and will often wag her tail like a dog when she gets excited to see you or hears her name out loud. She makes funny vocalizations when she follows us into her barn every night for snacks, expressing that she is excited!

Jun-19

Canela

Canela was the second goat rescued at Open Barn! She was a backyard "meat goat" but a concerned neighbor offered to take her in and brought her to the Humane Society to spare her life. We decided to take her in at Open Barn as a companion for our first rescued goat, Dolly!

Canela is the leader of the goat herd. She can be bossy toward other goats, but is a total attention hog with people. She has a crush on a few of the boys: Buffalo, Einstein, and Duncan (they have a crush on her, too).

Apr-21

Peggy

Peggy was used as a dairy goat before being sold to a few members of a UCLA fraternity, who paraded her around campus wearing a basketball jersey. Fortunately a good samaritan stepped in and offered to take Peggy in and foster her until she found a forever home at a sanctuary. We are so grateful to them for stepping in and allowing us to offer Peggy a safe, happy forever home!

Peggy is likely our oldest resident (our vet based this off of the wear on her teeth), possibly around 14. She is a little shy, but one of the sweetest goats. She is very intelligent and has probably seen a lot in her days as a dairy goat. We helped her recover from mastitis after coming to Open Barn, and she grew to LOVE fresh produce snacksduring her time here in quarantine.

Dec-21

Noel

We were contacted by @farmanimalrefuge after they learned about a baby Boer goat who was rejected by her mama and needed bottle feeding every 4 hours! She came to Open Barn at just a few days old. She was born at a property that breeds goats for weed abatement, and since bottle feeding would have put a strain on time and resources, the weed abatement business planned to send Noel to an FFA program where she would be slaughtered in 6 months. Lucky for her, she was rescued and brought to Open Barn to live out her years.

Don't let the sweet and adorable look on her face and small size mislead you: Noel has a reputation for bossing around new visitors or volunteers (blame it on being a sanctuary baby, perhaps?). Lately though, she has had a pretty good report card. She also does 360 spins out of excitement every night when she follows us into her barn for her dinnertime snack.

Jan-20

Buffalo & Einstein

Buffalo and Einstein were born at a goat dairy, and like any dairy industry, boys who are born in the industry will never produce milk and so they are viewed as a strain on resources and not of much use, so they are often euthanized as babies. Lucky for these two, a friendly neighbor of the dairy offered to take them in before they found their forever home at Open Barn,

Einstein is probably the most social goat here. He is quite vocal from afar when he sees a human coming. Buffalo is a little more reserved than Einstein, and he relies heavily on his brother Einstein for comfort. The two of them are very bonded and we catch them cuddling together often.

May-20

Gilbert & Devin

Devin & Gilbert were being raised for FFA, but since the fair was cancelled during the pandemic, one of the students raising Gilbert listed him on Craigslist as an alternative means of selling their animal. We offered to take in Gilbert for fear he would be slaughtered, but only if the student agreed to give him up for free. They agreed and one of their classmates raising Devin also reached out to ask if we could take them both in. They got to quarantine together here at Open Barn and now are happily merged in with the rest of our goat herd!

Devin is well known by our volunteers as he likes to be a part of whatever you are doing! He will often stand on top of the pile of hay that you just raked up. Gilbert started out a little shy around people but has since warmed up to pets and love. He is usually not too far from his buddy Devin.

Nov-19

Greta, Bella, Duncan, Winter (family of "minis")

Greta, Bella, Duncan, and Winter (the family of "minis") were originally used at a petting zoo, and then rehomed to a place where they were neglected and abandoned. They were a few of the first rescues at Open Barn!