A sanctuary kind of day

Here, at Home At Last, there is a quiet and peace which is very special. The sanctuary exists to provide a lifetime home for the animals. The daily activities and chores are directed towards this mission. It is not glamorous or romantic work. In fact, it's pretty mundane and dirty. The thing is, without it, these great animals would be dead. Their lives, which they value as much as we value ours, depend on us. That is a big responsibility. We have been asked, "Why would you work so hard and give up so much to take care of a bunch of unwanted, old, injured, abused, starved animals?". Our answer evolved over the years. We used to try to explain or clarify. Now we say, "It's what we do". It's the content of our day. We take care of the herd and it's needs, but it's not a one way street. They meet our needs. Their peace and gentle ways are always there for us. We have a number of our critters literally in the back yard. These are our most needy. These are the ones that have been the most abused or are old or facing lifetime injuries. Because we are constantly with them, among them, they soon accept us. Animals that have not allowed people near them in years soften and trust and quiet. And, so do we. We're in our late 60"s. We've both dodged the bullet a few times. We know this is a short ride. We wouldn't trade what we do for anything else. Some folks say to us , "You sacrifice so much". Our answer, "For us it's an inconvenience, for them it's life or death". It may not be romantic or glamorous, but it sure is special.