Sanctuary and the City: Animal Acres to Open Barn Doors Oct. 22

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ — Farm animals have a new home in Los Angeles. On Saturday, Oct. 22, the Animal Acres farm animal sanctuary will open its barn doors.

With Grand Opening Honorary Chairperson James Cromwell (who became a vegetarian while starring as Farmer Hoggett in the movie BABE), and other noted friends of farm animals, the new sanctuary hopes to put a “face on food”.

The Animal Acres sanctuary will provide refuge for rescued cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals. The sanctuary’s newest residents are 25 chickens who were victims of Hurricane Katrina and traveled from Louisiana to find safe haven. Other residents include two calves rescued from a Southern California stockyard, and nine turkeys who will be the guests of honor at the sanctuary’s upcoming “Save the Turkeys” celebration in November.

Animal Acres is located in Acton, Calif. on a 26 acre farm. The Grand Opening activities include health food booths, music, shelter tours, films and speakers. Guest presenters include Matthew Scully, former speechwriter to President Bush and author of Dominion, actress Persia White, and syndicated cartoonist Dan Piraro.

The Animal Acres farm animal sanctuary hopes to change the way society views and treats farm animals. Most states specifically exclude farm animals from anti-cruelty laws, and there are no federal laws to protect farm animals from abuse on the farm. As a result, farm animals in the United States are raised, transported and slaughtered in conditions considered so cruel, they have been banned in other countries.

The sanctuary is directed by Lorri Bauston who co-founded the nation’s first shelter for farm animals in 1986. Considered to be the “pioneer” of the farm animal sanctuary movement, Bauston has helped establish dozens of sanctuaries around the country and her efforts have been featured in several documentaries. According to Bauston, “Farm animal sanctuaries like Animal Acres help people learn that farm animals are animals. Like all animals, cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals feel pain or comfort, or happiness or sorrow, and they deserve to be protected, and loved, too.”

For more information please visit http://www.animalacres.org or call 661-269-0986.

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