Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 31, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 31, 2014 6 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 31, 2014 6 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS 
Happy Tails 
ANIMAL PLACE 
Sanctuary For Farmed 


Of late I have been wondering if I might be 
spending too much of my free time (what little 
there is) diddling around on Facebook, and I’m 
pretty sure I’m not the only one who has such 
thoughts. Although I must say it has been a 
godsend for me to keep in touch with family and 
friends that I might not otherwise have frequent 
contact with, social networking is a relatively new 
addition to my daily routine, and I sometimes 
wonder if my incessant need to “check in” might 
be not-so-healthy. 

However, just when I start to question my 
apparently ever-growing urge to participate, I 
find myself encouraged by a friend’s timeline 
post, sharing about a remarkable blessing they’ve 
just experienced, or an inspiring quote to help 
make my day brighter, or a link to an heartwarming 
video about rescued animals or troops 
returning from war. It is then that I am reminded 
that socializing on the internet can indeed be a 
very positive thing for me, if I let it be. 

Here’s an example of a link a friend shared on 
Facebook last week, that made it all worthwhile. 
Having rummaged through numerous seemingly 
senseless ‘shares’ and photos depicting what one 
had for dinner that night, or sharing a selfie of 
a new outfit one just put on before heading out 
to a party, amongst all the mundane mish-mosh, 
there was that one morsel of wisdom that had the 
capacity to change the way my day would play 
out. It was a link to a video created by Animal 
Place, a farm animal refuge located in Grass 
Valley, California. 

The video, entitled Mr. G and Jellybean, was 
all about a goat named Mr. G that had been 
rescued from an animal hoarding situation 
in southern California, where he’d lived in 
neglect with a burro named Jellybean for years. 
Jellybean had been rescued by another sanctuary. 
Unbeknownst to both rescuing parties, the goat 
and burro had formed a very close bond during 
their years together at their previous inhumane 
home. 

When Mr. G arrived at Animal Place, he became 
very depressed. He refused to eat and would not 
leave the corner of his stall for 6 whole days. The 
caretakers decided they had to do something to 
encourage the goat to eat and go out for some 
exercise and fresh air. They got in touch with the 
people who’d rescued Jellybean, and asked if they 
could reunite the two animals just to see if that 
would help raise Mr. G‘s spirits. 

Animal Place volunteer, Jeff McCracken drove 
14 miles round trip to bring Jellybean to their 
sanctuary, and what happened next was amazing 
and emotional. When Mr. G saw Jellybean, he 
immediately jumped to his feet and ran over to 
him, nuzzling his muzzle against his cheeks and 
neck! He then proceeded to strut about the corral, 
encircling the burro, and rubbing himself along 
the fence in a gesture of pure pleasure! When the 
caretaker filled a pale with feed and put it down 
for them, Mr. G went for it and helped himself to 
his portion, sharing the same pale with his best 
buddy, Jellybean. They gobbled up every bite, 
and even appealed to the caretaker for more! 

Well, I have to say that is when the tears started 
rolling down my face 

Animals 

uncontrollably. I felt like I might become 
overwhelmed with joy to witness the precious 
bond that those two farm animals had formed 
while living together in such neglectful 
conditions. It was clear that they had taken refuge 
in each other, just to survive. I was elated to know 
there were people who cared enough about those 
two furry four-legged friends to realize they 
needed to be together, and made it so! 

It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? How we humans have 
managed to morph into isolated beings who 
spend more time with machines than our own 
species, while the animals are becoming more 
and more social, not only with their own kind 
but with others that are very different from 
themselves. Indeed, they seem to have a better 
understanding of each other that penetrates the 
surface, allowing them to find the friend within 
regardless of how different they may be. 

I have seen a lot of animal videos, true stories of 
cross-species relationships that made me smile, 
but none has ever touched my heart the way this 
one did. It took me a while to compose myself 
enough to call Animal Place and thank them 
for understanding that Mr. G and Jellybean had 
formed a close relationship in the same way 
that we humans do, and that they needed to be 
together. I just had to share the story with anyone 
who would listen, and obviously felt compelled 
to write about it. 

Founded in 1989, Animal Place is one of 
the oldest and largest sanctuaries for farmed 
animals in the US. Nestled on 600 acres in Grass 
Valley, CA, they provide refuge to hundreds 
of farmed animals. In addition to permanent 
sanctuary, Animal Place’s Rescue Ranch is a 
60-acre adoption center, placing needy farmed 
animals into permanent homes. They also have 
a dog rescue program where they work with 
dog shelters and rescue agencies to provide 
temporary housing for adoptable dogs. 

Animal Place is open to the public for self-guided 
farm tours Tuesday through Saturday 10:00-4:00 
pm. They also offer school tours and private tours 
by appointment only. I can’t wait to visit Animal 
Place, hopefully in the near future. Meanwhile, 
I will support their efforts in any way I possibly 
can. Let’s just say they have become another new 
favorite on my growing list of animal rescue 
organizations. 

With so many sad and scary things happening in 
our society today, it is such a pleasure to know 
there are people devoted to helping animals 
simply live out their lives in a loving and healthy 
environment. Too many people take animals for 
granted, not considering what they have done for 
us, but those who do care and take action for the 
better are the ones I can definitely identify with. 

For more information about Animal Place, visit 
their website at animalplace.org or check their 
Facebook page and click “Like”. You may even 
want to make a donation, and it is real easy to 
do just that through their site. It only took me 
a few minutes to click and give using my Paypal 
account. The work they do has got to cost lots of 
money, and I am sure they would appreciate any 
amount you are able to donate. After all, every 
little bit counts. Now I bid thee to go forth, love 
and let live! 

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND? 

THINK MIKEY! 

He is a very sweet and smart 12 lb. black and 
rust colored Miniature Pinscher with a very 
cute and friendly little face, a slender shaped 
body, a docked tail and long slim legs. He 
is so striking and handsome that he always 
turns faces when he is out in public. 

Mikey is very alert, spirited, and curious 
about everyone and everything around him. 
He is very friendly to both people and other 
dogs. He is a very energetic and athletic 
boy who loves to go on walks, run, and play 
in yards. He is looking for an active family 
or best friend who would love joining him 
in many outdoor adventures. He has an 
affectionate side to him as well, and because 
he is so agile, will jump up into your arms and reward you with many kisses! 


Mikey is very intelligent and responds quickly to basic commands. He is eager to please and would 
be a pleasure to train. He is estimated to be about 1 ½ years old and has a great future ahead of him. 
He wants you to know that he is very eager to get out of the shelter, go to his forever home, and start 
his new journey with a lucky family! 

He currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
Gabriel. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of Mission and south of Las Tunas. 

To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Mikey, please stop by any time from 10:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
thru Sunday. 

His adoption fee is $120 which includes a microchip, neuter surgery, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Mikey. 

See our newly designed website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our available 
pets. Meet us at the ‘Art Walk’ on Friday, June 6th from 5pm to 9pm in Sierra Madre where we will 
be holding an adoption event at The Shabby Dog, 31 East Montecito Avenue. 

PET OF THE WEEK: AUDREY 
ANIMAL ID #A471300 
Good things come in tinypackages, as is the case with 
the sweet and petite Audrey(A4713300)! Audrey, also known 
by the cute moniker “Duckie”, is 
an unforgettable 8-year-old gray 
female Short Haired Chihuahua 
who arrived at the Baldwin Park 
Animal Care Center on May 23rd. 
Weighing only 5½ pounds, Audrey 
is a pint-sized wonder with pretty 
coloring and cute pug-like eyes.
Though a bit overwhelmed in the 
shelter environment, she is highly 
cooperative with her handlers 
and wants nothing more than to 
be held close to them. This low-
energy lady will make the perfectlap or purse dog. She will be easy to care for in her golden years by asking only for 
a soft pillow and lots of pets and belly rubs. A volunteer favorite, Audrey would be a 
spectacular pup for anyone lucky enough to adopt her! She will make a truly special 
indoor buddy for any individual or family with older children (who will be careful not to 
injure her small frame), but we imagine that she might also be a perfect fit for a senior. 
To watch a video of Audrey, please visit the following link: http://youtu.be/qyI9NBHh1Jk 
To meet Audrey in person, please see her at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 
N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She is 
available now. For any inquiries about Audrey, please reference her animal ID number: 
A4713300. The shelter is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 
10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. 
For more information about Audrey or the adoption process, contact United Hope for 
Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@hope4animals.org. 
To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter 
through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and 
sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/
about-us/shelter-support-program/.