Silver Willow Farm is a haven for injured, sick & abused farm animals

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

For farm animals that are old and sick, abandoned, or abused, quite often there is no place for them to go when they finally are released from the situation in which they were trapped.

At Silver Willow Farm Rescue, no farm animals are turned away.

The farm is a shelter for animals that have had a hard life, are injured, or simply have no where else to go.

Laura McArthur has been operating her farm rescue since 1996.

Laura has a lifetime of experience caring for all types of farm animals. She works with OSPCA officers, police, stock trucks and transport drivers as well as emergency care veterinarian services, to get animals to her farm.

With the larger animals it can be a dangerous situation transporting an injured or sick animal to their new home.

While many animals can recover and be adopted out, some may never leave the farm and will spend the rest of their lives there in peace and safety.

The farm is filled with many different animals including horses, cows, pigs, ducks, chickens, and sheep. One loft in the barn holds pigeons of various breeds that have been neglected.

“This was supposed to be my retirement plan, but things didn't quite work out that way,” Laura mused. “Instead, I've got two full time jobs. It started off with mostly horses and then I realized there was a huge need for rescue for farm animals. Since the start of factory farms there has been a huge need for animal rescue. The old farm where there is a few cows and they treat them well and they are out in the sun – it's not like that any more. Factory farms create awareness – people don't want these animals suffering. There's animals that fall off of trucks, there's OSPCA rescues. There wasn't anyone to do this. I was the only farm in Ontario that took in farm animals – no questions asked.”

Silver Willow is unique in the fact that it specializes in farm animals. They don't accept domestic dogs or cats or other similar house pets.

While some animals are kept together by breed, others are mixed in the pens and seem to get along fine. Some are skittish around people due to former abuse, while others welcome a visitor and a pat on the head.

It costs a lot of money to feed and care for these abandoned and abused animals, and the farm welcomes sponsorships to help cover the costs.

They are currently having a bottle and can drive so donations of those items can be dropped off a the farm as well.

Silver Willow farm rescue is located on 5 Sideroad in Mulmur, just east of Mansfield.