I have wanted to visit Catskill Animal Sanctuary for a while, and now that spring weather is here, we took a trip to visit the farm. Located in Saugerties, New York, this sanctuary rescues farm animals. Years ago in college, I did an internship where I worked at a farm animal rescue, and I have been a vegetarian since I was a child (plus my kids are vegetarian), so I was looking forward to checking it out.
We had no problem finding the farm, which is just over an hour south of Albany, and about two hours north of NYC. Signs guided us as far as where to park, check in, and begin our tour. There is a welcome building where you can buy tickets, get information, and also has a gift shop inside.
It was fun to see the sheep roaming free around the farm as we waited for our tour to begin. We thought these synchronized grazing sheep were pretty cute.
Although some were shy, it was adorable when this sheep came over to visit us.
The rules of the tour are simple, and include to be respectful, no running or being loud (so as not to scare the animals), and not feed the animals.
We took a family tour, and one of the first stops was to visit the pigs. The pigs were cozy in the barn (as it happened to be pretty cold out), but came over to visit us, which was so cute.
We visited the chickens, learning about things like their personalities and how they are smarter than most people think. Our guide knew so many things not just about the farm in general, but the animals too, and it was nice to see such compassion.
We walked around the rest of the farm, visiting cows and other animals. We enjoyed interacting with different animals, respecting those that were shy or did not feel like having visitors.
It was nice to learn about the animals, the history of the farm, and more, as we took the tour. We just love animals, and truly enjoyed getting the chance to see what the farm does for the animals that are rescued as well as educating people.
There is an information center near the welcome building, which talks about animals and farming. The kids were able to see what a battery cage looks like, which is how hens are housed when it comes to factory farming.
We had a great time visiting Catskill Animal Sanctuary!
Some tips:
~ wear boots or shoes that can get muddy or dirty (its a farm!)
~ put food away before going on the tour (we were informed that pigs have an amazing sense of smell and will know all about those snacks in your pockets!)
~ If you have younger kids, you may want to bring wipes on the tour if you want to wipe hands in between petting the animals
Trips like this are so great for the kids to learn from. I love taking them places they can get hands on.
Such a wonderful day. My children even though they are older would enjoy visiting a place like this!
How fun! What a great experience for your kids! Can’t wait to take my daughter to a local sanctuary! My parents volunteer for a wildlife rescue so she’s already gotten to go to a few rescues and see wildlife up close, I love she gets to experience that!
This looks like a wonderful place to visit especially with kids.
We have several great animal sanctuaries not far from us (PNW), & I love the chance to get a “virtual tour” of those in other parts of the country, like this one!
I especially liked how they used plush chicken toys inside a battery cage as an educational tool – oftentimes a visual representation can be so much more powerful than just a description.
Sanctuary looks like a magical place. I am sure, our kids would enjoy a lot the place
That sanctuary looks so beautiful and it so nice to see animals treated in such a humane way. I became a vegetarian for similar reasons because I can never eat an animal with feelings.
This looks like a beautiful and peaceful place. I’m sure your children loved it – it’s great to see them treating animals humanely there.
What a wonderful place. My kids are all about animals, so they’d love it here. It’s great that the animals are treated with respect!
What a great place to visit and learn all about farm life. My grandkids would love it. I love sheep and that photo is so cute.
This is amazing and I love all about the farm life- my kids love being on the farm and learning about the animals that live there.
This is so awesome! Anywhere that gives animals a refuge is doing great work. There are so many neglected and mistreated out there.
I love taking the kids to our local farms. They get to learn so many new things about animals. And this is amazing to see that animals are being treated properly because there are many that aren’t getting that treatment.
That’s such important work that they are doing there. I am glad you got to visit! Animals need our attention, too!
It looks everyone had a great time! I’m sure this sanctuary is not only helping the animals who live there but also helping more people to become vegetarians and vegans.
I have heard of Catskill Animal Sanctuary before. I love visiting places like this that rescue animals.
This is a fun trip! I wish we have places like that in here so I can bring my niece. There are lots to learn in a farm.
I have never heard of this particular sanctuary before. It looks really informative and educational.
Looks like a fun place to visit, escape and make great memories!
What an amazing place to enjoy with kids. I love going out to the farms with our kids, they are so happy and enjoy those days a lot
Those sheep were too cute! We used to have goats. I miss them!
I love visiting places like this. We have a similar type rescue zoo close to us.
This looks like so much fun. My son and I would be in heaven to go on a trip like that.
Aw I love this so much! We are a vegan family so we only go to sanctuaries and often donate to a local one! 🙂
Oh my gosh I wish I lived closer to this!!! Such a great sanctuary idea! Livestock are animals too!
What a great thing this sanctuary is doing !! And all that green grass has me craving Spring!
My daughter loves to visit such farms. Loved this place
Animal sanctuaries are so great for many reasons, most importantly for the animals to have a home and safe place to be, and two because it’s a great way for kids to learn about the animals.