Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary...prosper. And by the way, our readers know quite a bit about...

October 2015 Newsletter

Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary

happytrailsfarm.org w 5623 New Milford Rd., Ravenna, Ohio w 330-296-5914

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silentabout things that matter.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The

unbelievable

story of

Vernon

letter fromthe director

Dear Friendsof Happy Trails,

This edition of the Happy Trailsnewsletter is doing exactly what it issupposed to be doing — slowly turninginto the Happy Trails magazine! Wehave now added an additional fourpages for this issue, and are filling it withmore stories, more educational materi-als, more photos, and more of every-thing you want to read about! It’shappening with the support of individu-als and businesses who are taking outadvertising to help make this happen.We are grateful for your support of thisendeavor, and hope to keep thingsgoing in this direction. Our readers andsupporters are nothing short of amazing,so I am confident that page by page, ourpublication will continue to grow andprosper.

And by the way, our readers knowquite a bit about what I am up toregularly, so to keep you in the loop, Ihave some news to share. I am planningmy wedding, which will take place onSaturday, November 28th. My fiance,Kevin Bragg, and I are hosting just a fewfriends and family to share our day witha small ceremony, but I will be sure toshare some photos with all of you in anupcoming newsletter.

On another personal note, many ofyou know that in the last two years I lostboth my mom in 2013, and my dad inJanuary of this year. To honor theirmemory, my family is presenting HappyTrails with a pavilion to be constructedat the sanctuary. Depending on the

This lovely lady was spottedrunning by herself near the Rt. 44exit in Rootstown. Fearful that thestray goat would cause an accidenton one of the major roads near thatlocation, the sheriff’s departmentrequested Happy Trails assistance tocapture the shy beauty. Unfortu-nately, the result of the attempt was

that the goat was not caught butwhen crossing the stream in searchof the goat, a rotted log gave wayand one of our crew (meaningAnnette) fell in the water.

But within the next week a callcame in from a Rootstown familywho had a privacy fence up aroundtheir entire property. They left thegate to their yard open during thenight, and the goat in questionmanaged to wander in and for allintents and purposes, capturedherself!

Not too trusting of people, theredish-brown sweetheart kept herdistance, and had to be corraled inthe yard by a team of sheriff’sdeputies and Happy Trails crew.

She has been named Cinnamon,and is getting friendlier with ourstaff every day. Soon she will beavailable for adoption, so if you areinterested, contact Animal Place-ment Coordinator, Rebecca Scalise,at [email protected].

contractors time table, this could still bein place this year. This will hopefully beused for may purposes, and will be agreat testament to their love for theanimals at Happy Trails.

And one more personal note...Iadopted a turkey this past year. Andthen, I got a turkey for my turkey. Myturkey’s name is Bill, and he is the bestcomedian I have ever watched. He isfunny, silly, and a joy to have around.Bill’s new girlfriend is of course namedJill. People often don’t think of farmanimals as pets, but I grew up withducks, chickens, geese and anythingwith feathers that my dad brought homefor me to love and care for. To me,having a pet turkey is as natural as mypet dogs, my roosters, my pot belly pigs,my goat and my horses. There are a lotof really amazing animals at HappyTrails who are available for adoption.Please consider checking out those whoare in need of a home this winter bygoing to www.happytrailsfarm.org andclicking on Adopt/Sponsor.

Thanks for not only reading ournewsletter/magazine, but for sharing itwith your friends and co-workers. All ofus at Happy Trails are grateful for youroutreach and networking. Together, weare making great things happen!

With kindness and compassion forall animals,

Annette FisherExecutive Director

Meet Cinnamon,One of Happy TrailsNewest Residents

On Sat., Nov. 14th Join Usfor a Very SpecialThanksgiving Celebration

Every year HappyTrails welcomes every-one to celebrate thebeginning of the holidayseason with us at a warmand welcoming eventcalled the Compassion-ate Thanksgiving. Thisevent features a uniqueThanksgiving buffet withtraditional holiday foodsthat are created animal-friendly and cruelty-free.And every year, theevent gets bigger andbigger and bigger!

Guests now have anopportunity to start theirholiday shopping at themini-gift shop set up atthe dinner. You can findthe Happy Trails logo oneverything from stockingstuffers such as magnetsand thumb drives tomajor winter apparel likecoats, hoodies andscarves and everything inbetween.

The talented chefs atTodaro’s Party Center inAkron work together withHappy Trails to create amouth-watering menu oftraditional Thanksgivingfoods that contain noanimal products. A veganThanksgiving buffet is atreat to many people whoare interested in environ-mental concerns, animalabuse issues, and who arehealth-conscious.

The buffet is a MUSTfor meat eaters, vegetar-ians and vegans alike —everyone always ravesabout the food, and it’s agreat opportunity tocelebrate the holidays andtry something different.

What is your compassionlevel this holiday season?

Here are some important facts if youwant to learn more about making com-passionate choices as a consumer,especially during the holiday season.

Most people, if given factual information, do their best to “do no harm”. In fact, mostpeople do not endorse nor condone cruel standard industry practices.

- 46 million turkeys will be killed for Thanksgiving 2015 (CNN)

- When the first Thanksgiving took place in November, 1621, the Pilgrims andTampanoag Indians feasted mostly on seafood, not turkey

- More than nine billion chickens and turkeys are killed for food in the U.S. each year.They’re shackled upside down, paralyzed by electrified water, and dragged over me-chanical throat-cutting blades, all while conscious. Millions of birds each year miss theblades and drown in tanks of scalding water. This occurs because the U.S. Department ofAgriculture exempts birds from its enforcement of the Humane Methods of SlaughterAct, which requires that farm animals be insensible to pain before they’re shackled andkilled.- On factory farms, these gentle, intelligent turkeys are packed into dark sheds with no

more than 3½ square feet of space per bird.- Turkeys, like Homer (shown above), are genetically engineered and bred to grow asfast as possible, and often become crippled under their own weight. They are not thecreatures that God created, but rather creatures man altered without empathy orcompassion for the quality of life of the animal.- To keep the overcrowded birds from scratching and pecking each other to death,workers cut off portions of the birds’ toes and upper beaks with hot blades and de-snood the males (the snood is the flap of skin that runs from the beak to the chest). No

pain relievers are used in any of these procedures.

- A documentary video-taped one turkey-farm operator beating sick and injured birds todeath with a pole, a killing method deemed “standard industry practice”.- Turkeys are transported to slaughter for hours without food or water through allweather extremes, and many die on this horrific journey.

There are many ways to not support factory farming, and there are many food alterna-tives out there. You can choose to celebrate the holidays with kindness and compassionfor all animals by not supporting industries that condone severe animal abuse.

CompassionateThanksgiving

Todaro’s Party Center1820 Akron Peninsula Rd., Akron

Satuday, Nov. 14th

Doors Open/Holiday Shopping 5pm

Thanksgiving Buffet 5:30pm

Presentation by Annette Fisher 6:15pm

Tickets $55 per personPre-registration only. No tickets at the door.

Private VIP Cocktail Reception4pm to 5pm. Enjoy unlimited cocktails and

hors d’oeuvres at the private reception tomeet and greet Board members, key staff

and Founder/Director Annette Fisher.

(Add $40 to attend VIP Reception)

330-296-5914www.happytrailsfarm.org

Donations are tax-deductible.Happy Trails is a

501c3 non-profit organization.

qqqqq Yes, I would like to sponsor a stall for a rescued horse for a year.I have enclosed $1,200. Please send me the sponsorship material.

q Yes, I would like to sponsor a stall for a rescued horse for a year.I would like to make monthly payments of $100 every month for twelve months.

I have enclosed $________ at this time and pledge to complete the stall

sponsorship payments. Please send me the sponsorship material.

__________________________________________________________Card Number

____________________ ________________Exp. Date CSC (3 digits on back)

___________________________________________________________Name On Card (Please print)

__________________________________________________________Signature

Name _______________________________________________________________

Business/Company Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip _________________________________________________________

Work Phone _____________________Cell Phone ____________________________

Email ________________________________________________________________

q I have enclosed a check.

q Please charge $_________ to my ___ VISA ___MC

q Please deduct a monthly payment of $______ from my charge

Return to: Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary,5623 New Milford Rd. , Ravenna, Oh 44266

“Horse Cave” Sponsorships 10 -2015

10 -2015

Many thanks for your support!

“Horse Cave” sponsors are yearly sponsorships and stall sponsorsreserve the first option to renew their sponsorship yearly.

Every abused horse that comes toHappy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary forrehabilitation is assigned his very own“Horse Cave”, a recovery stall where heis kept safe and well-cared for.

• Rubber mats for horses with hoofproblems or leg injuries• Electric heated water buckets to keepdrinking water from freezing in themiddle of winter• Stationary feed buckets in the cornersof the stalls for grain and special treats• Hay bags which provide cleaner hay• A ceiling light over each stall for vetexams and grooming• Wooden walls reaching all the waydown to the floor to prevent any anklesor legs from getting caught or breakingunderneath short walls• Thick, fresh, fluffy straw or sawdustfor bedding provided daily — for thecomfort of emaciated horses to havesoft bedding in which to lie down• Fans for the hottest summer monthsto help keep body temperatures in asafe zone• Smoothwelded edgeson the stallframes forsafety pur-poses

For StallSponsors• Four compli-mentarytickets to visitHappy Trailsfor a personaltour

• An engraved plaque hungproudly on the outside of your stallwith your name (and/or your businessname or memorial dedication ifappropriate)

• A photo of your stall cave

• A tax-deductible receipt

NOTE: “Horse Cave” sponsors areyearly sponsorships and stall sponsorsreserve the first option to renew theirsponsorship yearly.

A “Horse Cave” Features

Stall Sponsorships HelpPay for the Care of theRescued Horses

OTHER WAYS TO PAY A STALL SPONSORSHIP• Donate on-line at www.happytrailsfarm.org

• Call in your charge card informationto Happy Trails at 330-296-5914.

The Story of Bell and Solveig

page 5

The stories that come through Happy Trails regarding theconnection between people and animals is nothing short ofmiraculous at times.

This past summer, a wonderful lady by the name of SolveigJentner sponsored a “horse cave”, our tongue-in-cheek namegiven to the horse stall sponsorship program. This programallows individuals or businesses to sponsor a horse stall in thehorse barn, and that sponsor has their personal name, com-pany name, or a memorial honoring a person or animal en-graved on the stall plaque. They also receive a photo of one ofthe rescued horses who is residing in their sponsored stall atthe time. A sweet, beautiful mare who we named Belle wasbeing cared for in the stall that Solveig sponsored. A sponsor-ship package was sent to Solveig including a photo of Belle thehorse, and a beautiful story of healing and a treasure chest ofmemories were shared with us at Happy Trails after Solveigsaw the photo and learned of Belle’s name.

During the time of the Holocaust, soldiers arrived andtook away seven-year-old Solveig’s best friend in the entireworld — her dog named Bell. Now, more than 70 years later,Solveig was chosen to sponsor a horse stall in which a horse bythe name of Belle was residing. Was this sheer coincidence,

“It was 1942 and I was seven years old.My family was caught in a Nazi-occupiedEuropean country, and all borders wereclosed.

I had a young German Shepherd dognamed Bell, which is a Scandinavian dog’sname. (We were Scandinavians.) I adoredmy dog above all else. He accompanied meto school and waited for me at the gatewhen school was done.

One afternoon however, Bell was notthere. I ran all the way home to be told thatmy beloved dog had been taken away bysoldiers who “needed dogs of my Bell’s sizeand weight to find the wounded on thebattlefields”. I was inconsolable! After the...

(Above) Solveig Jentner and her dog, Bell, living ina Nazi-occupied European country.

(Above) Solveig Jentner at Happy Trails, meeting for the first timethe rescued horse named Belle, who recovered in the stall sponsoredby Solveig. Solveig’s story has touched the hearts of everyone atHappy Trails.

For information on sponsoring a horse stall, see page 4.

luck of the draw, or simply fate? No matterwhich answer you choose to believe, thefact is that the sponsorship of Belle thehorse has assisted in the healing process forthe young girl who still lives inside Solveig,the child who continued to miss her dogthroughout her adult life. Solveig wrote ashort essay on her experience to share withour readers. I like to believe the sponsorshipof Belle the horse is a sign from Bell the dogthat all is well, and that it is way past timefor peace and healing to take place forSolveig. We at Happy Trails are honored andprivileged to be a part of the healing. Thankyou, Solveig, for your support of the equineprograms and the horse rescue work ofHappy Trails.

Continued on page 24

Coleman Professional Services and Happy TrailsCreate One-of-a-Kind Farm Animal Group Program

Always seekingways to bring therescued farm animalsand people together,Happy Trails partneredwith our friends atColeman ProfessionalServices of PortageCounty to create a trulyunique, heart-warminggroup program. Thisprogram came aboutthanks to Happy Trailsstaff member, HopeEvans, LSW, andColeman staff member,Camille Pavlicek- Fauser, CaseManager. Camille chose fourclients to participate in this pilotprogram involving farm animals,and the sessions helped the

peopleconnectwith therescuedanimalson manylevels.Theanimals’storiesof pastabuseandneglectwereshared,alongwithdetailsof theirrehabili-tation,theiramazing

recoveries and their progressregarding their physical care,emotional and mental progress,and behavior. We discussed thesuccess stories of animals whohave been adopted into caring,

lovingfamiliesand howthey cameto havesuch animpact onthe peoplewhoselivestouchedtheirs.Manypeople areable torelate to

the stories of the animals, andto how they act or re-act tocertain things as they are goingthrough their healing process.While learning about theirstories, we spent a great deal ofhands-on time with the rescuedanimals, holding the chickens,giving pigs belly rubs,hugging the horses,and playing with thegoats. To be able toconnect with theseanimals on such apersonal level hashelped the partici-pants in many, manyways.

The Happy Trailsstaff has agreed thatwe ourselves havereceived just as muchas the clients whoagreed to participatein the program. Thiswas definitely new territory foreveryone. Working together, theColeman staff, clients, and HappyTrails staff made an amazingteam. Considering the enthusi-asm that this new program wasmet with and its success at theend of the day, we are currentlyworking with Camille to hope-fully make this test program a

regular staple of theservices provided byHappy Trails. We arehonored to be a part ofsuch ground-breaking

work, integrating farm animalsrescued from abuse and neglectsituations with such a uniqueand caring group program for our

communities.And to our four participants

in the testprogram —we love youguys andyou wereamazing!Thank youfor workingtogetherwith us hereat HappyTrails!

Photos printed with permission from clients and Coleman Professional Services.

Vernon the Pig Reminds Usof Why We Do What We Do

That critical link between animalabuse and domestic violence isclearly illustrated time and timeagain. This time, the innocent victimis a very sweet, very badly injured potbelly pig, who with the help of rescueworkers from other organizationsmade his way to the gates of HappyTrails. It’s often difficult to wrap yourhead around the violent acts ofothers, and it is indeed tough to hearabout what happened to this littleguy. However, together let’s try tofocus on the fact that many goodpeople already have outweighed theone bad person in this case, and thatthe team of people working togetherfor the good of the pig is nothingshort of incredible. So be prepared,for here is the story of Vernon.

A call came in to Happy Trails onFriday, Sept. 11th, from Chris Fontes, arescue worker on the EmergencyResponse Team at PETA (People forthe Ethical Treatment of Animals).Could the Happy Trails crew helpcatch an injured pig in Lancaster,Pennsylvania, on Saturday morning?

We wanted to rush overand help, but the timingwas not great on our end.Though we had no-oneavailable to drive toPennsylvania the next day,we offered to help byaccepting the pig into therehab program at HappyTrails once they caughthim. Chris was elated,knowing they would havesomewhere safe to placethe pig once he was ingood hands.

On Saturday we finallygot the news about the pigand how his rescue cameabout.

A pissed-off man witha violent temper who wasangry at his wife took outhis anger on the family pet,a precious, chubby blackand white pot belly pig.

He allegedly repeatedly andviolently stabbed the pig with a knifeand beat him with a long, solid metal

pipe. The pig laid in theyard for about a weekbefore someone calledPETA for help.

During that week,the pig suffered withopen wounds and horrificinjuries from the beating.

On Saturday, Sept.12th, rescue workersfound the pig still aliveand laying under a tarp,his now-week-oldwounds covered inmaggots. A veterinarianwas called to the scene,and he sedated the pig tocheck his injuries. The vetdidn’t think the prognosiswas very good, and hegave him about a 20%chance of survival. Thestabs wounds coveredthe pig’s face, abdomen,legs and hind quarters.Some of the flesh wasdead, and his left ear had

been nearly severed from his headand was now hanging by necrotictissue.

At the direction of the fieldservice vet, Cammy Ripley, a rescueworker with Sunrise Sanctuarylocated in Marysville, Ohio, and hercrew transported the pig to OSU(Ohio State University) VeterinaryTeaching Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.Upon arrival at the hospital, anemergency crew met them and beganto work on the pig immediately.

After examining him closelyunder anesthesia, the vets deter-mined that the pig, now namedVernon, should be given a chance tosurvive and live a full life. As many ofyou folks who work in the healthprofession know, any wounds leftuntreated for a week will start toheal, and stitching up the openwounds up was not an option whenVernon got to OSU. His left eye wasswollen shut, and there was immedi-ate concern that the eye would haveto be removed. An assortment ofknife wounds covered his legs andabdomen, some open and raw. He

Sweet Vernon’s left eye was badly damaged by thebeating he sustained. His left ear had to be surgi-cally amputated by the veterinarians at Ohio StateUniversity Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Colum-bus, Ohio, where he remained for over a week.

Though Vern suffered a terrible injustice, his spirit,his optimistic outlook on life, and his love for peopleremains intact. He is friendly, kind, polite and lovesbelly rubs. Apparently Vernon chooses to forgive andmove on, putting the violence of his past behind himand concentrating on healing and on a bright future.

Continued on page 8

The folks from Sunrise Sanctuary in Marysville handled the transpor-tation of Vernon from Lancaster, PA, to OSU. They stayed with himand visited him throughout his stay at OSU. Happy Trails considers itan honor to work together with other rescue organizations for thehigher good of the animals. With everyone working together, greatthings can be achieved!

(Above and left) Here open knifewounds on Vernon’s legs show justtwo of many punctures across hisabdomen, legs and face.

(Above right and bottom left) Both ofVernon’s ears were badly damagedduring the vicious attack. His left earhad to be amputated by the surgeonsat Ohio State.

was covered in scabs from scrapesfrom either the knife or the metalpipe where it cut into his skin. Hiswounds were cleaned up and whatremained of his left ear was surgicallyremoved. They also determined thathis eye was intact and that hewouldn’t lose the eye, but if he wouldever regain his sight was unknown.Everything was cleaned, treated andbandaged, and the pig was taken to astall to wake up. During this time, therescue crew from Marysville held vigilwith him and waited to make sure hewould not wake up alone.

The pig’s original name was“Hammie”. Somehow it’s funny tosome pig owners to name the animalafter the food they represent to them.I can’t tell you how many people thinkthey are being original by naming pigsHammie, Kevin Bacon or Pork Chop. Ipersonally feel it’s disrespectful to theanimal. The rescue workers fromSunrise Sanctuary re-named the littleguy, Vernon — a fitting name for ahandsome, lovable pig.

Authorities plan to charge theowner with domestic violence,vandalism, and animal cruelty.

In the meantime, Vernon spentmore than a week at OSU beingtreated for multiple injuries. WhilePETA was kind enough to pay for hisinitial expenses, Happy Trails haspicked up the bill for the second partof his stay and of course all the follow-up treatment and special care.

When it was time for Vern to bereleased from the hospital and cometo Happy Trails, Board Member,Walter Shields, and myself went topick him up. The little guy wasabsolutely precious, and we intro-

duced ourselves to him as his newcaretakers and friends. He was loadedinto the back seat of the Happy Trailslogo truck, and sat on a pile of soft,comfy blankets like the king of hiscastle. He rooted around for a littlewhile, then laid down and slept fornearly the entire two hour ride backto the sanctuary.

As we entered the front gates, anassortment of excited staffand volunteers were on handto meet and greet ournewest arrival. Immediately aramp appeared from no-where and was snugged upto the back seat so he couldexit the vehicle safely. Ahuge, satin comforter waslaid on the ground in front ofhim so he wouldn’t have towalk on any rocks as heheaded into the vet clinic. Onceinside the vet clinic, he explored hisworld, ate a few snacks, and laiddown in a heap of comforters for yetanother nap, this time surrounded bya group of well-wishers wanting toshow their support for Vernon.

There have been times when heseems like he just can’t get comfort-able, and as things are healing, theyare also starting to itch. Vernon is

more than happy to itch his face,sides, belly and butt on anythingand everything within reach.

If any person or animal has areason to be grumpy, aggressive,angry, or even hateful, it would be

Story continued from page 7

(Above top) Vernon quickly settledinto the back seat of the logo truckfor the two hour ride from Ohio StateUniversity in Columbus to HappyTrails in Ravenna not complainingone bit. He and Happy Trails BoardMember, Walter Shields, became fastfriends.

(Above left) Vern fell asleep snuggledagainst his pink stuffed toy pigcompanion he acquired while in thehospital. The cherished toy wascompliments of his admirers andrescue workers from Sunrise Sanctu-ary in Marysville. We made sure tobring his little stuffed buddy with himon this next leg of his journey to anew life.

(Above) Vernon is carefully escorted outof the back seat of the truck and downthe ramp. His little piggy hoovestouched down on a teal-colored satincomforter to help him on his waywalking into Happy Trails mini vet clinic.

Vernon. To realize the pain andsuffering he experienced, anyonewould understand if hewere fearful and distant.However, he is none ofthe above. Vern does notappear to hold anythingthat happened in his pastagainst the loving, caringpeople who are now inhis world. Vernon adoresbelly rubs, he cooperatesto have his open woundscleaned and scrubbed, hetakes his medication like achamp, and he standspolitely while we examinehim multiple timesthroughout the day.Vernon is very forgiving,very sweet, and very easy

to fall in love with.He looks at you out of

that one eye he can stillsee with, and comes overto itch the bad eye on theside of your leg. You ticklehis lumpy, stabbed bellyand he falls over in bliss tohave his tummy rubbedand his wounds tended to.Offer him a piece of banana and hetakes it very gently out of yourhand.

We can learn so much fromVernon about forgiving, abouthealing, and about moving forwardin life.

In animal rescue, we havelearned that forgiveness doesn’tmean cruel owners still can’t beprosecuted - they can and they are.In fact, we help make sure they areprosecuted to the fullest extent ofthe law. But that also means thatwe don’t let the past hinder orrestrict a bright future for theanimals, for that is the goal — tohelp them heal and find a peaceful,loving home.

There are several ways you canhelp Vernon.

Adopt: We will be seeking anindoor home for this handsomefella. He is potty trained, lovesblankies, and should live indoorswhere it is heated to help him getthrough the remainder of hishealing processes during the winterseason. He should be placed in anenvironment free from stress, and

if other animals are present, they

Continued on page 10

Vernon’s manyvisitors include(from top right)Walter Shields,Jason Wolboldt,Hope Evans (whogave Vern his meds in a delicious cup cake), and(above left) myself, Annette Fisher. His fans aremany, as he is a great teacher and his story hastouched many hearts.

(Above) Here Vernon ventures outdoors at Happy Trails tosee what he can see. His suite in the mini-vet clinic allows himindoor/outdoor access to either a warm, comfy room or to gooutside to explore the great outdoors. He can see other pigssafely through a fence, so he can have friends while recover-ing. The bright pink ointment visible on Vernon is a productcalled SWAT, and it keeps flies away from wounds. His spiritof adventure has not been dimmed, and his curiosity oftengets the better of him. He loves to root and find treasuresin the grass and dirt that only pigs know about. He seemsto know that life has taken a turn for the better, and forright this very minute, Vern is content.

should be calm and gentle.Donate: PETA graciously picked up Vernon’s expenses

through the Wednesday of his stay at OSU. From Wednes-day on, Happy Trails is picking up Vernon’s tab, and thatincludes not only his hospital expenses, but his daily care,bedding, grain, medication, and staff time to address hisspecial needs. Donations may be sent to Happy Trails,5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266 with a notefor Vernon; donations can be made via the website atwww.happytrailsfarm.org and make a note the donationis for Vernon; or you can call in a donation to the office at330-296-5914and donate viacredit card.

Story continued from page 9

44 State Road,Manuta, Ohio

330-569-8674

Pick-UpsWelcome

or DeliveryAvailable

Thank you for supporting Happy Trails sponsors!

44 State Road, Mantua, Ohio

Children’s HospitalHoliday Tree Festival

page 11

Every year, more than 200 decoratedtrees, 85,000 strings of lights,wreaths, miniature trees, and count-less other holiday creations aredisplayed at the Holiday Tree Festivalat the John S. Knight Center in Akron,Ohio, and the proceeds from theholiday display items benefit AkronChildren’s Hospital.

For the first time, Happy Trails will be donating anddecorating a beautiful “country” tree entitled “ACompassionate Christmas”, celebrating farm animalsand horses. In this way we are able to spread a holiday

message of kindness and compassion for animals, whileraising funds for the Akron Children’s Hospital throughthe auction of the tree.

The 2015 Holiday Tree Festival takes place Nov. 21 – 29at the John S. Knight Center. Admission to the festival isfree.

Festival hours are Monday - Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8p.m.; Thanksgiving, 2 to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Holiday Tree Festival has been the volunteers ofAkron Children’s Hospital’s gift to the Akron communityfor more than 30 years and has raised more than $4.7million for the hospital since beginning in 1982. Lastyear, the Holiday Tree Festival raised $300,000. HappyTrails is proud to help raise funds for Akron Children’sHospital through our “Compassionate Christmas” tree!

For more information about the festival, go to https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/holiday_tree_festival/

“Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion toembrace all living creatures and thewhole of nature and its beauty.”

— Albert Einstein

Happy Trails participates in the AmazonSmile Program! You shop, and Happy Trailsgets funding — it’s as easy as that!

Use (and share) this link —http://smile.amazon.com/ch/34-1968434

When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazondonates 0.5% of the purchase price to HappyTrails. Bookmark the link and support us everytime you shop!

Happy Trails also participates in GoodShop!GoodShop — the site that donates to us whenyou shop and save — just got easier!

Simply personalize your home page byselecting your favorite stores. It’ll help youraise money for Happy Trails and save you $$with just one click! Make Goodshop yourstarting point to help us with every purchase!

Go to www.goodshop.com!

Happy Trails Wish ListListed below are a few items that we would be grateful to receive. The listcovers everything from simple wishes like bottled water for our volunteerswho generously donate their time to larger needs such as emergency rescuesupplies and heated equipment for animals suffering from hypothermia thiswinter. Whether you choose something big or something small, you don’tneed to go out and buy any of these items. Simply indicate on your donationform what you would like us to purchase with your donation, and we willgladly carry out your request. Gift Cards

Emergency RescueSupplies

Equipment/Vehicles

Winter Needs

Animal Health Care

Bair Hugger 505 Warming Unitwith Roll Stand.....$595 plusshipping

This 3M™ Bair Hugger™ therapytemperature management units havebecome the standard of excellence inforced-air warming and can be used atHappy Trails to assist with warming ourfurry friends who may be rescued andare suffering from hypothermia thiswinter. The Bair Hugger therapy Model505 provides safe, quiet and effectivewarming and can be used underblankets.· Small size frees up more usable workspace· Light weight makes transport and set-up a breeze· Built-in hour meter makes it easy tomonitor usage for preventative mainte-nance· Unique snap-fit hose swivels at threepoints for easy blanket attachment andpositioning

Nikon Coolpix AW130 16.0Megapixel Water Proof DigitalCamera at Best Buy.....$349.99

We currently use whoever’s phonetakes the bestphotoswhen weare docu-mentinganimals and

evidence at an investigation. To providebest quality photos for prosecution, wereally need to use a good quality digitalcamera. For about half our rescues, weare often working in sleet, rain or heavysnow, so a water proof camera will lastmuch longer.

20 Quart HeatedHorse WaterBuckets at Big D’s.....$44.95

Right now all horsestalls have heated waterbuckets to make sure horseshave access to fresh waterduring the coldest winter days. How-ever, every winter several buckets willneed replaced, and emergency stalls areoften constructed in the arena to allowspace for multiple horse rescues. Ourgoal is to have ten heated buckets onhand this year for those buckets thatbreak or for those emergency rescues.

Safe Paw Non-ToxicIce Melter...$20.99

For the safety of theanimals at thesanctuary, we tryto always use anice melt productthat won’t hurtour furry orfeathered resi-dents. Safe Pawcomes in 8lb. 3 oz.containers. These

are easy to handle and one containercan be placed in each shelter. Wecurrently have 13 areas where acontainer of Safe Paw should be kept.To purchase 13 containers, the costwould be $272.87. Shipping on thisorder is free.

Orchard Equestrian DigitalThermometer...$12.95This digital thermometer comes with its

own plastic storage caseand has a guaranteed accuracyfor 300 hours of use. It would be idealto have five thermometers to keep atthe various horse locations at thesanctuary. All five thermometers wouldcost a total of $64.75

Gift Cards...$any amountWhen out on arescue, we canend up haulinganimals tohospitals, fosterhomes, or back tothe sanctuary. Fuelcards are mosthelpful becauseoften we usevolunteer haulersto assist withhoarding caseswhere multipletrailers are needed to haul large groupsof animals. Other gift cards to grocerystores such as Giant Eagle allow us topurchase prescription medications for theanimals at their pharmacy, or to purchaseelectrolytes in the form of Gatoraid orprotein in the form of Ensure at thedirection of our veterinarians.

Repairs to Sanctuary Vehiclesand Machinery...$3,354Happy Trails has an assortment ofvehicles, trailers and farm equipment

that constantly keeps us on our toeswith repairs and maintenance. Therescue truck needs a rusted-out light barreplaced and rusted back quarter panelsreplaced at $2,500 which also will meanreplacing the logo graphics at $235; thetwo-horse trailer needs four new rims at$46 each; the Bobcat skid steer needs anew key start at $260; and the dumptruck needs shocks at $35 each timestwo and brakes at $145. It would begreat to have a reserve fund set aside forour vehicles and machinery for whenthings break and repairs are needed.

Sponsorship Opportunities

There are a variety of sponsorshipprograms for those individuals,businesses, groups or otherorganizations who want to showtheir support of the work ofHappy Trails through a sponsor-ship opportunity.

Here are several new projects andpromotions:

Fence Banner SponsorsThousands of people come

through the gates of Happy Trailsevery year - people attending educa-tional seminars, taking tours, adopt-ing animals, volunteering, visiting,dropping off donations, reportersarriving to cover rescue stories,businesses send employees out forgroup community service days,veterinarians come and go daily, andsenior centers and schools schedulespecial visits. The first thing thatpeople see when they enter thesanctuary is the large area behindthe gift shop, where impressive andunique concrete statuary are soldseasonally as a fundraiser. The chain

link fencing that surrounds this areais going to feature sponsored ban-ners that will be proudly displayed onthe fence during tour season fromMay 1st through October 31stbeginning May 1st, 2016. Thereare a limited number of spacesavailable for banners, so we aretaking reservations for the2016 season.

We will be happy to helpyou design your banner free ofcharge. Banners will be 3’ x 8’and printed in full color toaccommodate your logo orbusiness information. The costto show your support of HappyTrails and sponsor a fencebanner is $1,200. To sponsor a

section of fence to display yourbanner, contact Hope Evans [email protected] or callher at 330-212-9313.

Water Hydrant UpgradeEvery year one by one, our

water hydrants freezeand quit working,causing our care

givers to haulwater fromlonger dis-tances. This

makes care ofthe animals that muchmore difficult. There are fivewater hydrants that need to

be re-dug to have the bottom pipesplaced further down into the ground,and to have additional gravel placedaround the piping for insulation. Weare confident that with properinstallation the water hydrants willnot freeze this year. The averageestimate to complete this project isabout $600 per hydrant to dig up theexisting hydrant, remove it, dig downone foot deeper, re-configure the

bottom piping, install a new hydrant,include additional gravel, and thenput it all back together.

To sponsor all five hydrants, itwould cost $3,000 total.

Visitors ‘Village’This past year Happy Trails was ableto purchase 8 acres on the other

side of New Milford Road from thesanctuary. Our goal is to be able touse this area to create a small “vil-lage” where guests who come fromout of state to volunteer at Happy

Trails for theweek or theweekend canstay. Puttingtogether this8-acre exten-sion of thesanctuarywith a varietyof options tochoose fromin which tostay will help

Happy Trails become more self-sustaining and guests can enjoy thequiet solitude of the beautifulwooded setting.

We are planning to set up teepees torepresent our Native American beliefsthat we are all connected; log cabinsto represent our Amish Horse Retire-ment Program, and one or two yurtzto represent the environmentalconservation nature of many of ourvisitors.

To start out, we will constructfour Native American Sioux-styleteepee’s, ordering them from No-madic Tipi Makers. $6,200 willpurchase a 22’ teepee, complete withpoles, fire resistant liner, stakes andrope, door, rain cap, ozan, PVS floor,art and graphics, back-rest chairs andshipping. The teepee’s will be set oneither concrete pads or woodendecks, with an average cost of eithermaterial being between $2,200 and$2,600, depending on the size of thepad and the style of the deck. Spon-sors of these teepee’s will have asponsor sign outside each one tothank those who are making thisvillage possible.

The income from the use of theteepee’s will help bring in sustainablefunding for the sanctuary for manyyears to come.

For more information on becom-ing a sponsor of a tipi or tipi founda-tion at Happy Trails new Visitor’sVillage, contact us at 330-296-5914.

Happy Trails Across the Globe!Proudly Wear Happy Trails Logo Apparel When YouTravel and Get Your Pic Featured in the Newsletter!

(Below) Ilona Urban sported a Happy Trails logo teewhen she recently visited Universal Studios in Holly-wood, California. At this time of year in NortheastOhio, we wish we could all be California girls!

(Above) Brandon Sheetz toured Epcot Center thissummer in Orlando, Florida, while spreading kindnessand compassion for all the animals of Happy Trails FarmAnimal Sanctuary. Thanks Brandon - you ROCK!

Simply send your photo via email to [email protected]. Give us your name, your destination, whenthe trip was, and we’ll include you in an upcoming edition of the Happy Trails newsletter and send you acool Happy Trails bumper sticker!

Happy Trails Giving Tree Program —Trees Needed Due to Program Growth!

Every holiday season, Happy Trails Giving TreeProgram has grown exponentially. This program allowsus to set up a holiday tree in a store or business fromThanksgiving through Christmas, and we createornaments for the tree with photos of the rescuedanimals. On the backs of each of those ornaments isa need that can be purchased at that particularstore. For example, if the tree is in a feed store,the need may be a bag of grain for the goats, aheat lamp for the pigs, or a hoof pick for thehorses. If the tree is in a tool supply store, theneed may be a new hammer, a snow shovel forthe farm pig barn, or a new light fixture to re-place one that had been broken. By now, youget the idea. The person who purchases theitem gets to take the ornament home withthem to hang proudly on their own tree.

This program not only helps us pro-vide some much-needed supplies anditems for the sanctuary, but it bringsadditional revenue into the storesas well.

This same concept is alsoapplied to lobbies, such as car repair

shops, doctor and dentist offices, etc. The orna-ments then list a monetary donation if that particu-lar business doesn’t have items that can be pur-chased for the sanctuary, and the donations are

then collected for the rescued animals.Due to the popularity of this program, we are in need

of additional Christmas trees this year to setup invarious locations. Last year we had 13 locations partici-

pating in Happy Trails Giving Tree Program. This yearwe anticipate over 20 businesses participating! We

will be happy for any size or color donated Christ-mas trees. If you have a tree to donate, contact

Amanda at [email protected] orcall 330-296-5914.

If you are interested in setting up a HappyTrails Giving Tree in your business or office forthe holidays, we would love to work withyou. It’s a win-win situation for everyone,from the business owners who show theirsupport of the work of Happy Trails in a bigway, to the customers and clients who areprovided with an opportunity to show their

spirit of making a difference, to therescued animals who are in recov-

ery at Happy Trails. A completelist of this year’s participants willbe posted in the next newsletter.

CompassionateBrides Startinga Trend!

Several brides have con-

tacted Happy Trails with the

hope that

their guests

would make

a donation

to Happy

Trails to help

care for the

rescued

animals in lieu of gifts. Over the

past several years, several

couples have even brought their

bridal parties out to Happy

Trails to meet and greet the

farm animal residents.

Two couples even took it a

step further, and had their

wedding ceremony at Happy

Trails in the new arena, com-

plete with animals present for

the service!

As we look ahead to 2016,

this indeed is something we are

planning to officially offer — to

host wedding ceremonies at

various locations of the sanctu-

ary for those folks who want

their lives to focus on spreading

kindness and compassion for

animals of all types. What a

wonderful way to start out a

new life together! At Happy

Trails, we are honored to work

together with these bridal

couples to bring a sense of

peace, healing and a very spe-

cial meaning to their beautiful

wedding ceremonies.

If you are making wedding

plans and want to include

Happy Trails in some way, give

us a call at 330-296-5914.

Happy Trails warm andwelcoming gift shopfeatures some great newgift ideas just in time forthe holidays, such as cozywinter jackets, stylishhoodies, long sleeve andshort sleeve t’s, women’s fashions,polos, mouse pads, and more!

Gift Shop

Happy Trails Gift Shop, located at5623 New Milford Road inRavenna, is open seasonally, andwill be open every Friday,Saturday and Sundaybeginning Black Friday, theFriday after Thanksgiving,through Sunday, Dec. 20th.

Fridays ............... 10am - 5pmSaturdays ........... 10am - 5pmSundays ............. 12noon - 5pm

Other great items such as animalmemorial statuary, paintings,photography, and other donated

goods are also availablein the gift shop. Forconcrete memorials,choose from angelpuppies, angel kitties,angel animals onpedestals, heart-shapedstones, and more.

100% of the proceedsfrom every purchasewill go directly for the

care of the rescued animals.

“Animals give me

more pleasurethrough the viewfinder of a camerathan they ever did inthe cross hairs of agun sight. And afterI’ve finished “shoot-ing,” my unharmedvictims are stillaround for others toenjoy. I have devel-oped a deep respectfor animals. Iconsider them fellowliving creatures withcertain rights thatshould not beviolated any morethan those ofhumans.”—Jimmy Stewart

Dr. Sara Jerman

Animals in MotionChiropractic, LLC

[email protected]

Thanks to Dr. Sara Jerman fordonating her services of chiro-

practic treatments for our rescuedanimal friends at Happy Trails!Dr. Sara treats a wide variety ofpets, both domestic and farm

animals. Find out if your pet wouldbenefit from chiropractic.Give her a call today!

Happy Trails Hosted HSUSOhio Legislative Update

On Saturday, October 17th, HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) gave apresentation reviewing Ohioanimal laws and legislativeprocess to about 50 visitors inHappy Trails new Education Center.Thanks to HSUS Ohio rep, CoreyRoscoe, for providing greatinsight as to how Ohio passeslaws and how everyone can use their voices to speak up for animals. Learn more about Ohio’s animal laws at HSUS Ohio Facebook, or email at [email protected]. To find out who the legislators are in your area, go to www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislators/find-my-legislators/

Tribute to Moose

Many of our adoptive families keep in touch with usabout the rescued animals in their lives. While wewere saddened to hear about the recent passing of

Moose, a big, lovable Standardbred (originally namedJustice) who we rescued from a meat auction manyyears ago, we took comfort in the fact that he hadthe best mom and family life any horse could ask for.

This is from the email I received from Moose’smom, Kathy Kall: “Justice, a beautiful Standardbred Iadopted from Happy Trails in 2002, had a heart attacktoday and is no longer with us. We will miss him

dearly. He was such a big guy we named him Moose.He was a very gentle horse and ended up being onebig baby. We have enjoyed many years with him and

thank you for the opportunity to give him a goodhome. Here is a recent picture of him with his twogirls, Shala, my Arabian who I have had for 25 years,

and Lacy, a Haflinger I also adopted from Happy Trailsin 2005 (from the Amish Horse Retirement Program).They will also miss him very much.”

Our hearts go out to Kathy and her family. Thankyou for taking such amazing care of these rescuedhorses, and for providing them with such long andhappy lives!

We have been providing high quality medical care forhorses in Northeastern Ohio since 1999. Horizon Equine

Veterinary Services is a family-friendly business.Our mission is to maintain a professional but caringrelationship with both our patients and our clients.

At Horizon Equine Veterinary Services, we believe there issomething more important than the technical ability to get eachprocedure done. We treat every animal with gentle hands and

compassionate hearts, as if they were our very own.

Horizon Equine Veterinary Services11001 Ashland Rd., Wooster, OH 44691

330-263-7755www.horizonequine.net

Many thanks to Dr. Mike Geiger and the staff atHorizon Equine Veterinary Services for participating

in Happy Trails animal education programs!

Save Your Receipts!Rescue animals while you shop simply

by saving your Acme receipts!

Save all Acme receipts datedAugust 20, 2015, through January 6, 2016.

Ask your family, friends, co-workers and neighborsto save their receipts too! Acme Fresh Market willissue a rebate check equal to 5% of the Cash Back

amount printed at the bottom of the receipt.

Last year Happy Trails earned $574.04!

The Cash Back amount includes allAcme Fresh Market Store Brand purchases.

Mail your receipts to Happy Trails,5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266.

page 17

WelcomeJason Wolboldt,Facilities Manager

Tribute to George the Goat

After volunteering faithfully at

Happy Trails many times each week

and driving the long distance from

Wayne County to Portage County

for seven years, Jason Wolboldt

joined the Happy Trails staff as our

new Facilities Manager. This past

Spring, Jason came on board to

oversee the upkeep of the facilities,

the implementation of special

projects, repairs of vehicles and

farm machinery, grounds mainte-

nance, and so much more.

Jason’s background as a design

engineer gives him the experience

needed to draw out projects and

schematics and figure out the

details of projects.

We have no idea what we did

without him in the past, and are

grateful to have such a talented,

dedicated, hard-working individual

on the Happy Trails staff.

Over the years Jason adopted

five goats from the sanctuary, one

goat at a time. His love for animals

and his compassion for their care

shows in everything he does.

In April, 2010, HappyTrails helped capture anelusive stray goat in theBoardman area. To readthe original story of hisrescue, visithappytrailsfarm.org andclick About Us > News-letters > April 2010 toread the article entitled“Stinky George”.

George wasadopted five years agoby Jason Wolboldt, but recentlyGeorge became ill and sadly left ourworld while being treated at OSU inColumbus. Our pets become such ahuge part of our lives, and Georgewas a huge part of Jason’s life formany years. Here is the tribute Jasonwrote for George...

“For those of you who never methim, when George came in to HappyTrails, he was far more scared ofpeople than any of our sheep. If youwent into the same room with him, hewould either flee from the building ortry to hide in hay racks of the roostercage that was in the barn at the time.I decided to fosterhim to try to get himmore socialized andmake him moreadoptable. In thebeginning I hadlimited success withhim. He didn’t feelthe need to fleefrom the buildinglike it was on fireany more but he stillwas nervous aroundme. It turns out thatthough he wasscared of humans,he was comfortablearound my goatsand he reallyseemed like he washappy and felt athome, so I decidedto adopt him. Hebuilt a good friend-ship with Pedro,Kenard, and lateron, Radar (for somereason Radar wasscared of him in thebeginning, but lateron I would often seethem cuddled

together). For sometime, George stillhad not improved towards humans,but for the last few months especiallythe last month he finally learned tofully trust me. He would let me pethim and even cuddle with him. It gotto the point where he would followme around everywhere and rub hisforehead into my hand so I wouldscratch it. I am glad that Happy Trailswas able to rescue him and I got thechance to take him in and be hisfriend, and for him to make friendswith my other goats. We becamefamily and I miss him so much.”Jason and his buddy Radar, a

special-needs goat adoptedthrough Happy Trails.

“Love and kindness are never wasted.They always make a difference. They bless the onewho receives them, and they bless you, the giver.”

Barbara de Angelis

Kaleigh Miller — anException to the Rule

Energy Healing Group LeadBy Christine and Fred

Meet Happy Trails youngest intern ever, KaleighMiller, a student at Biomed Science Academy.

A year and a half ago, Kaleigh reached out to

Happy Trails when she was only 16, and asked if shecould possibly do her required internship for schoolwith our organization when she became a senior.

After meeting with Kaleigh and her family, we decided to make an exception to the rule for this very mature, very responsible teenager.

To volunteer or intern at Happy Trails, you must beat least 18 years old. Kaleigh was very eager to workwith animals, and planned on studying to become aveterinarian. She had impeccable grades and wasflourishing at her new school with her pre-collegecourses. At 16 years old, she reminded me of...well, ofme. Ready to work, to take on the world, and getgoing with life. Though Kaleigh wasn’t asking to be anexception to the rule, the offer was presented to herand her family. If Kaleigh could juggle school withvolunteering, follow directions, and be reliable, wewould try her out in the volunteer program.

Fast forward from that year and a half ago totoday. Kaleigh proved herself very quickly to be astellar volunteer and was able to follow directions andbe safe around the animals. Last year she was invitedto join our paid staff as an Animal Care Giver.

This year, Kaleigh is going through her seniorinternship program — the program she originallycontacted us about. With quite a bit of farm animalexperience now under her belt, Kaleigh has chosen towork specifically with the pot belly pigs as the focus ofher internship.

When asked to describe her experience workingwith Happy Trails, Kaleigh stated, “Happy Trails hasshown me what my purpose in life is — to help andlove all animals the best I can.”

Here we found Kaleigh snuggling with Vernon the potbelly pig. Of course we did. Where else would she be?

As the animals oftencome in to Happy Trailswith health concerns,fears, anxieties, stress,and trust issues, we doour very best to treat thetrifecta — body, mindand spirit. VolunteersFred Snowden andChristine Lang have put together a wonderful, amazinggroup of individuals who do energy work to help with

healing of all threeimportant aspects ofthe animals’ recoveryand rehabilitationprocess. People who work invarious modalities ofenergy healing, includ-ing Reiki (there arenow Reiki centers at

many people hospitals and clinics across the UnitedStates) have been asked to join the healing group leadby Fred and Christine. The combination of prayer, goodintentions and energyhealing have helped theanimals heal and recover,and have also helpedmany of them cross intothe world of the spirit if itwas their time to pass. Tobe treated with dignityand love during their timewith Happy Trails is thebest gift we can offer tothem. That gift is givengenerously by Fred and Christine and Happy Trailsenergy healing group. Many thanks to everyone who

receives theweekly emailanimal updatesand dedicatestheir time tosend healingenergy to theanimals, and aheart-felt thankyou goes out toFred andChristine fortaking the timeto create thisgroup and towelcome newmembers.

Print and Sign Express

Vegan Chefs Tal Ronnen and Scot JonesSacrifice Animal Products — Not Taste

Check out their latest cook book“Crossroads” that was just released!

“Restaurants get it wrong all the time byserving fake meat that doesn’t interest meat

eaters, or a vegan plate that’s little more thanan uninspired pile of vegetables,” Ronnenwrote in his new cookbook, Crossroads.”

“Some still fall into the trap of thinking thatvegetables or legumes need to be disguised as

meat in order to be palatable.”

“If you’re in the LA area, eating at Crossroads is aMUST! I ate there in September during a trip to

California and got a chance to reconnect with Scot.His latest cook book is really amazing!”

— Annette Fisher

Excellent article in the Washington Post — searchWashington Post RonnenCrossroads for a great read!

(Left) Scot Jones andTal Ronnen at theirCrossroads Restauranton Melrose Avenue inLos Angeles.

Their latest cook bookhas the same nameas their restaurant.

Available

on Amazon

Essay from Solveig JentnerContinued from page 5

...war the truth came out. Those dogs were used todetect mines. Fast forward to 2015 at Happy TrailsFarm Animal Sanctuary here in Ohio. They hadreceived a number of horses who needed special care.I signed up to sponsor a horse cave where neglectedhorses live during their recovery. I was surprised to beassigned a horse named Belle, which is anglicized for

Bell. I was stunnedbeyond words. I feela sense of healinghas taken placewithin me after allthese years oftearing up everytimeI saw a GermanShepherd. I amhowever, Godmotherto a very handsomeGerman Shepherddog named Hagrid

who started the healing process, and now Belle thehorse is completing it. I am very grateful to HappyTrails Farm Animal Sanctuary, to Hagrid, and ofcourse to Belle. I leave it to the reader to wonder whymore than 70 years laters this happened to me. Muchlove to all animals and animal loving friends...from Solveig”

253 West Main St., Ravenna, OH 44266

330.296.0123

Convenient . . Local . . ProfessionalPrint and Copy Services

The Print Shop Business Center is a full serviceCopy and Print Shop offering Copies, Printing,Engineering Copies, Signs, Posters, Banners,

Rubber Stamps and MUCH more.

Stunning Full Color Banners & SignsProfessional Digital Copying & Printing

www.printandsignexpress.com

Alger VetAlger VetAlger VetAlger VetAlger VetClinicClinicClinicClinicClinic

330-274-3463

Field service veterinaryservices specializing incare for cows, horses,

sheep, and goats.

A Happy Trails Field Service Veterinarian

Dr. Randy Alger

Stark County Hoarding Coalition

On Friday, August 7th, HappyTrails Director, Annette Fisher, gavea presentation to the members ofthe new Stark County HoardingCoalition regarding the animalhoarding cases that the sanctuary

has been involvedwith over the years.

The two organiza-tions are hoping tofind ways topartner with each

other to address andprovide treatment for indi-

viduals who are animal hoarders.Stark County Hoarding Coalition

was developed in 2014 to respondto the hoarding problems in StarkCounty. The mission of the coali-tions is to serve “…the community

using an inter-disciplinary approach

in providing outreach, treatment

and education to the community

regarding hoarding.”

Supported by the Mental Healthand Recovery Services Board ofStark County, the Hoarding Coalitionhopes to:

• Increase awareness of hoarding inthe county

• Educate the community regardinghoarding

• Provide an inter-disciplinaryapproach to hoarding in the county

• Increase resources, includingtreatment, of hoardingThe coalition consists of membersof the area health departments,Adult Protective Services, housingauthorities, treatment agencies, thehumane society and many others.The Coalition meets at 10:00 am onthe first Friday of the month at theMental Health and Recovery Ser-vices Board of Stark County, 121Cleveland Ave. SW Canton, OH44702.

For more information, pleasecontact Jeannie Cool, ForensicCoordinator at 330-455-6644 [email protected].

Many thanks to Jeannie Cool forthe kind invitation to Happy Trails tospeak to the group. With everyoneworking together, we are hoping tohelp stop the cycle of abuse andprovide peace and healing not onlyfor the animals who are the victimsof hoarding, but for the people as

well.

Board Partners- Ohio Association of County Behav-ioral Health Authorities

- The Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration

- Opportunities for Ohioans withDisabilities

- Ohio Department of Mental Healthand Addiction Services

A popular, thought-provoking billboard createdby our friends at Mercy for Animals.

“In a world full of people who couldn’t care less,choose to be someone who couldn’t care more...”

- Anonymous

Adopt Yamka!

Beautiful, gentle Yamka is seekinga family she can call her own. Isyour family ready to adopt a potbelly pig? For adoption info, [email protected].

Jebbe’s Paintingby Loretta Samaniego

Who wouldn’t

want a com-

missioned

portrait of

their favorite

pet pig gracing

the walls of

their house?

When Katie

and Sam

Costello

attended

Happy Trails “A

Night of Hope and Inspiration” in March 2015, they

purchased quite a few raffle tickets. Some of those raffle

tickets found their way into the bag to win a commis-

sioned pet portrait by artist, Loretta Samaniego.

After Katie and Sam won the raffle, Loretta’s work

was cut out for her. “I’d like you to do a portrait of one

of my pigs,” Katie told Loretta. Of course Katie had

adopted a total of four adorable farm pigs through

Happy Trails adoption program, and her very favorite pig

in the world was, and is, Jebbe Boye. Jebbe came to

Happy Trails from Kentucky after he was viciously

attacked by something or someone. He stole Katie’s

heart when she met him during a visit to the sanctuary,

and their love story has gone on to make history. Katie,

RVT and owner of the Learning Dog Training and

Enrichment Center in Hubbard, and Sam, veterinarian

and owner of Town and Country Veterinary Hospital in

Warren, are both quite smitten with their extended

farm animal family.

On Saturday, August 22nd, guests gathered in the HappyTrails covered arena to hear an eye-opening presentation byElefence International Founder, Dick Houston.

Dick’s presentation shed light on the illegal (and very

cruel) ivory trade in Africa, the work of Elefence Internationalto rescue baby elephants who are left behind after poacherskill the mothers, and he spoke about his connection and workwith Cecil the lion, whose demise was reported world-widewhen he was gunned down by a trophy hunter this pastsummer. Dick shared personal photos of Cecil and manyinspirational images of his work through Elefence to save theelephants who are on the brink of disappearing from thejungles of Africa thanks to poachers.

A huge thank you goes out to Dick Houston, his crew andElefence representatives, and to everyone who attended!

Thank you also to the folks who made the bake sale atthis event a huge success: Laura Ross from Cleveland VeganCafe donated cookies and bars; Debbie Holzheimer (belowright) from Metro Croissants inCleveland donated mixed croissants;Lea Jacobson from Terra Bakery inChagrin Falls donated cherry chipfrosted cupcakes; Laura from TheFlaming Ice Cube in Boardmandonated desserts; Rebecca Szanyifrom the Vegan Sweet Toothdonated cookies and cupcakes;Kimberly Whittington-Babcockdonated baked goods; Kim Fenton(left) donated brownies and helped

at the event; Carol Skok madechocolate raspberry mouse chilleddesserts; Ann Marie Wilsondonated gluten-free and nut-freebrownies; Victoria Lee broughtdonated baked goods; and EllenZban (center) donated goodies and

helped at the back sale. And a bigthank you to Sandi Sajner (right)who recruited and organized thecommittee and bakers, brought

supplies, and drove around Northeast Ohio picking up all thegoodies. The bake sale was a wonderful success and we aregrateful to everyone who donated their time and talents!

Stellar Presentation by Dick Houstonand Elefence International Crew

(Left to right) Annette Fisher, Director of Happy Trails,Barbara Brooks, Dick Houston, and Bruce Lowe of Elefence,Laurie and Kerry Jackson, Board Members of Happy Trails.

Happy Trails is blessed beyond beliefand we have so many incrediblepeople to thank for their generosityand spirit of community. While wewish we had unlimited space topublicly thank everyone in thenewsletter, the reality is we try tohighlight as many donations ofkindness as we can. If you havetaken a tour of the sanctuary, madea monetary contribution, donateditems for our fundraisers, adopted orfostered a rescued animal, collectedNutrena tags, blankets, towels, orAcme receipts, volunteered yourtime, or have gotten involved andreached out to us in countless otherways, please know you are appreci-ated and that we are grateful foryour continued support!

Many thanks to...

• ...everyone who donates bags ofaluminum cans! Being located rightaround the corner from the recyclingplant gives us easy access to takinghundreds of pounds of aluminum torecycle, and all the proceeds benefitthe rescued animals. Thank you SOmuch for taking thetime to save theplanet and help theanimals at the sametime!

• ...tech volunteer,Jesse Merritt, forhelping us set up ournew podcast. Verysoon you will be ableto hear our own“radio program” ofsorts on the Happy

L & L FarmsThe Hay Specialists

Larry Lautzenheiser

Our Hay is

MADE IN THE USA!

330-692-5925

Hay supplier for Happy Trails

Farm Animal Sanctuary. They deliver!

Trails website, thanks to the timeand talents of Jesse. Being ananimal-lover, Jesse was more thanwilling to help us figure out thetechnical end of things to make thishappen. The weekly show will covera wide variety of animal topics andfeature special guests. Thanks,Jesse, for setting up the podcastfor the sanctuary!

• ...another tech genius,Happy Trails volunteer AlanMegargle, for setting up themost amazing system for theHSUS presentation in the new

Education Center. We were able tohave two different classrooms set upwith a sound system, screens andprojector, and both rooms couldboth hear and see the presentationsimultaneously. That was one of ourgoals to figure out how to do that,and thanks to Alan, the set-up wasflawless!

• ...dedicated weekend volun-teers who handle everythingfrom cleaning out animal shel-ters to running the gift shop tocleaning the rest rooms and offices.This group includesCindy Dilley, TariAddison, AngelBrandner, SandiTarrant, BrendaSchilling, PamSummers, andJennifer Sanderson

• ...volunteer AlexHale, who designedand constructednew feeding doorsfor the roosterruns. This guy whois more than handywith carpentry did a

fantasticjob gettingthe newfeed doorsto fit andthey lookamazing.They helpmakefeeding theroosterseasier andmoreefficient.

Jesse Merritt and Scooter

Misc Wish List

There are a few randomthings we coulduse at HappyTrails as wecontinue to grow:

• three more laptops (we need onein the gift shop and two for showing

power point presentations)

• pocket knives (we are alwayscutting strings off bales of hayand straw)

• office supplies such asplain old white copypaper, postage stamps,laminating sheets, manila

file folders, gift cards toSams Club, Staples, etc. forprinter ink cartridges

• paper products such aspaper towels, toilet paper,plates and cups

• tape - Scotch tape, ducttape, masking tape

• trash bags - 39gallon bags and bigheavy duty black

outdoor trash bags

MYTH BUSTING —

Facts aboutProtein in Veggies

If you don’t believe a plant-baseddiet provides all the protein youneed for a healthy body, tell it tothese (bad-ass) vegan bodybuilders...Chris Willitts is the founder ofVegetarianBodybuilding.com andMindful Muscle. He bases hisbody building routine on thesethree guiding principles:

• Have compassion for animalsand one another,and strive for ahealthier planet.

• Believe thatplant-based

fitness leadsto thrivinghealth and abeautifulphysique.

• Eat andtrain mindfully, and with intention.

Chris’s commentary: “I am also

convinced that it’s possible to gainsize and strength from eating aplant-based diet with proper training,

despite the prevailing archaic belief

we need to eat meat to build muscle. I

know this from personal experience.

The good news is, it’s getting harder

and harder to defend that outdated

noise when guys stronger thanArnold in his prime are vegan. And I

mean this literally. Two examples off

the top of my head are world-record-holder strong man PatrikBaboumian and 300-pound NFLdefensive lineman David Carter.

The problem is, most people aren’taware that vegan athletes areperforming at this level.VegetarianBodybuilding.comand our other friends men-tioned in this article are tryingto change that.

Interest in veganism is indeed

on the rise, but the bodybuild-

ing and fitness community at

large remains skeptical and

hesitant because of the pro-

foundly effective and pervasive

meat industry marketing

machine.

You don’t have to look far to

catch a glimpse at how power-

ful, even hypnotic, advertising

can be. It has been over a half

century since the disastrous

health risks of smoking ciga-

rettes was first suggested by

scientists, and it’s just now

finally dying off – sort of.

There’s still over 42 million

smokers in the US alone.

We will see a similar trend with

meat eating, I believe.

Just like with the health risks of

smoking catching on, many of

us are waking up to the health

risks of eating animal-based prod-

ucts (with emphasis on the way

they’re being produced). I caught

wind of how truly unhealthy most of

our food in the US is just a few years

ago. And only then did I realize what

was possible in the gym with

vegetarian bodybuilding.”

Othervegan bodybuildersinclude:

(left) RobertCheeke,best-sellingauthor of“Shred It!”and “VeganBodybuilding

& Fitness,”two-timechampionbodybuilder,and founder/president ofVegan Body-building &Fitness; (top)DebbieBaigrie,founder ofNaturalMuscleMagazine: and (bottom right )Samantha Shorkey, first-ever veganWNBF bikini pro and founder of theJacked On The Beanstalk blog.

Commercial and Residential

Contact us today for a free quote.330-786-0961 Akron • 440-449-0961 Cleveland

330-786-0513 Fax

[email protected] • [email protected]

The Final Coat, Inc.125 Kelly Avenue , Akron, OH 44306

SERVICESGutter Lead Guard • Color Consultant

Interior Painting • Exterior Painting • Oak FatiguePainter for a Day • Maintenance Program

Ask about our no-surprise policy andthe Final Coat Guarantee.

We believe your home paintingproject should be enjoyable.

Photo ContestWinners

Happy Trails hosted our first-ever photocontest, with 32 photos to vote for. Thetop 13 photos would be featured in the2016 calendar, which will be on sale on-line and in the Happy Trails gift shop thesecond week of November. At $1 pervote, the contest brought in $1,700 for the rescuedanimals. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos forthe contest! Here are a just a few of the winners.

Gambler, the tenth place winner,was adopted by Mary Kay Hluch.

Congratulations tocontest winner Bill(far left) adopted byBarb Bakaletz.(Though Bill won thecoveted cover photo,Barb requested the biglovable guy be featuredfor the month of April.)

(Above) BeautifulParyss and babyGatlin, fostered

by Rebecca Scalise.

(Right)Handsome JebbeBoye, adopted by

Sam, Katie andAnastya Costello,

was the secondplace winner.

(Below) Woody,adopted byLaurie and

Kerry Jackson.

“The closed mind, if closed long enough, can

be opened by nothing short of dynamite.”

Gerald White Johnson

Happy Trails would like to thank TCP for beinga Compassionate Thanksgiving Sponsor!

Working Together with theBoys and Girls Club of El Paso

This summer Happy Trails wel-comed Victor Urbina, a visitorfrom El Paso, Texas. Victor wasattending a marketing seminar inCleveland hosted by Happy Trailssupporter, Dan Kennedy, andwanted to see what Happy Trailswas all about. In addition to beinga business entrepreneur, Victorworks very closely with the Boysand Girls Club of El Paso, a non-profit organization that is verynear and dear to his heart andone that has a huge impact on the

lives of the childrenwho need help themost. The Boys and

Girls Club of El Paso and Happy Trailsare now teaming up to networktogether for the good of the kids and

the animals, and we are collaboratingon several joint ventures. With a littleluck and planning, we would love tobring the kids from the Girls andBoys Club of El Paso to visit HappyTrails next year as soon as ourteepees are up in the new HappyTrails Village!

Be sure to check out this greatorganization at www.bgcelpaso.org.

Hattrick the goose welcomed VictorUrbina of the Boys and Girls Club ofEl Paso as only Hattrick could.

“Once people spend time with farmanimals in a loving way ... a pig or cowor a little chicken or a turkey, theymight find they relate with them thesame way they relate with dogs andcats. People don’t really think of themthat way because they’re on the plate.Why should they be food when otheranimals are pets? I would never eat my doggies.“

— Alicia Silverstone

The Court Case Concludes Regarding14 Neglected Horses in Summit County

On one of the coldest days of theyear, Thursday, February 19th, HappyTrails was called out to assistPawsibilities, the Greater AkronHumane Society, with the rescue andremoval of 14 neglected horses froma property on Bath Road in CuyahogaFalls. This was the third county inwhich their owner, Diane Silbaugh,was prosecuted and charged withanimal cruelty.

Three of the four-teen horses removedfrom the care of ownersDiane and Tom Silbaugh,sadly had to beeuthanized due tohealth issues so severethat nothing could bedone to save them.

After a series ofcourt proceedingsthroughout the year, atrial date was finally set for Wednes-day, August 26th, 2015.

In the last days leading up to thetrial, the defense attorney indicatedhis clients would accept a pleaagreement in lieu of the jury trial theyoriginally requested. So instead of atrial taking place, a sentencinghearing took place on Wednesday,August 26th.

Judge Kim Hoover of the StowMunicipal Court sentenced DianeSilbaugh to:

- 90 days in jail (withno time served)

- $750 court fine

- a court-orderedmental healthassessment and follow-up treatment(hopefully to help stop the vicious

cycle of abuse)

- restitution to HappyTrails in the amount of$12,296.82 (while this isa court order and muchappreciated by thesanctuary, we are realis-tic that the chances ofthe sanctuary recoupingour expenses from adefendant are normallyquestionable at best).

- 12 months probation

This photowas posted

on DianeSilbaugh’s

Facebook pagewhen she first

purchasedBentley.

Tom Silbaugh received the samesentence, but instead of serving his

time in jail, hewas placed onhouse arrestdue to hispersonal healthissues. Five days

after the court hearing, Mr. Silbaughpassed away.

Judge Kim Hoover took this caseof animal abuse very seriously, andhe should be commended forsentencing the defendants to jailtime and acknowledging the role ofHappy Trails and awarding restitu-tion to the sanctuary. As I mentionedearlier — we are realistic in that wemay not actually see much, if any, ofthe restitution, but it is now orderedby the court. Sometimes prosecutorswon’t even ask for restitution tocover our expenses or they reduce

our request. Often in court theorganization that provides themost support and assistanceand pays for the care of theanimals is the one who gets theraw end of the deal. In thiscase, the judge recognized thatour restitution request wasreasonable for the number ofhorses in our case and the levelof neglect these animalssuffered.

Please take a few secondsand send a polite letter toJudge Kim Hoover expressinggratitude for his role in makingsure justice was served and foracknowledging the serious

nature of animal abuse cases.

Letters should be addressed toStow Municipal Court, AttentionJudge Kim R. Hoover, 4400 Court-house Drive, Stow, Ohio 44224.

These horse are now availablefor adoption. Check out the websiteat www.happytrailsfarm.org foradoption information or [email protected] they are adopted, Happy Trailscontinues to be responsible for theexpense of their care and donationsare very much appreciated.

For an in-depth article on thiscase, go to the front page ofthe Happy Trails website atwww.happytrailsfarm.org.

- cannot own animals other than theircurrent domestic pets during the termof their probation

- must submit to random inspectionsby the county humane officers regard-ing the care of their dogs

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE

• Donate on-line via PayPal at www.happytrailsfarm.org

• Call in your charge card information toHappy Trails at 330-296-5914

__________________________________________________________Card Number

____________________ ________________Exp. Date CSC (3 digits on back)

___________________________________________________________Name On Card (Please print)

__________________________________________________________Signature

Name ___________________________ Address ________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________ Home Phone _____________________

Cell Phone ____________________________ Email _____________________________

q Check enclosed

q Please charge my ___ VISA ___Mastercard

Simply fill out the donation formabove and include this coupon!

_____ Yes, I would like tosupport the work of HappyTrails on a monthly basis.

q Please charge my credit cardeach month in the amount of$___________

q Please send me pre-addressedenvelopes so I can send in amonthly check.

DONATION INFORMATION 10-2015

10-2015

Please accept this donation:

q To sponsor the follow specific needs: ______________________

______________________________________________________

q To be used where needed most

I am enclosing $__________ to sponsor...

Want to become a monthly donor?

Return to Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary5623 New Milford Rd. Ravenna, OH 44266

“People who are crazy enough tothink they can change the world,

are the ones who do.”- Apple Computers

Retired school teacher, Ilona Urban (the one on the left) isone of those crazy people who want to change the world,and we are honored to work with her!

q ...the entire cost of the project(s) I have indicated below

q ...in part the cost of the project(s) I have indicated belowPlanned giving is a way to includeHappy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuaryin your overall estate and financialplan. Depending on your givingstrategy, there could be immediate orfuture tax benefits for you.

You can be sure your legacy ofcompassion lives on through themission of Happy Trails to bring peaceand healing to both animals andpeople. We honor all requests anddirectives as to how donations areapplied.

Planned giving options caninclude wills and bequests, gifts ofcash or stock, charitable remaindertrust or charitable lead trust, and/orlife insurance.

We are happy to discuss yourcharitable objectives with you. If youhave questions, please contact HappyTrails at 330-296-5914.

Enjoy Reading theNewsletter?

No, not eating the newsletter...reading the newsletter! A lot of folkslook forward to reading the Happy

Trails bi-monthly newsletter (which isgrowing into the Happy Trails maga-zine).

If you like reading our publicationbut might not always be in a position tomake a donation that month, considerdropping $4 or $5 in an envelope tohelp us cover our printing and distribu-tion costs. While $4 might not buy youmore than a large cup of coffee, itwould really make a difference to us.Every little bit helps!

OR CURRENT RESIDENT

5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266

(330) 296-5914

www.happytrailsfarm.org

Happy Trails Farm AnimalSanctuary Inc. is a non-profit501(c)(3) organization thatrescues, rehabilitates, and

provides an adoption programfor abused, abandoned, andneglected farm animals such

as horses, ponies, potbelly pigs,farm pigs, chickens, ducks,

turkeys, sheep, goats, and cows.Happy Trails serves the entire

state of Ohio and any other staterequesting our help, and works incooperation with county humane

societies, animal protectiveleagues, and local and state lawenforcement officers. Animals in

our program must have beenremoved from a situation of

abuse, neglect or abandonmentby law officials, and cruelty

charges must be filed againstthe person(s) responsible

for the crime.

Our Mission

Willow wants everyone to learn to live in themoment and enjoy the sun when it shines.

News Worth Sharing

(Right) A Service Learning student fromHudson High School, Alex Biazzo, teachesnew four-month-old resident, Wilbur theadorable baby pot belly pig, to walk politelyon a leash. Recently neutered, this littleman is now available for adoption. He isseeking the perfect indoor home. For moreinformation on piggy adoptions, contact usat [email protected].

(Below) Alex Hale, long-time volunteer, isconstructing a new rooster refuge insidethe rooster barn, and has also created new

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAID

CLEVELAND OHPERMIT NO. 2015

feeding doors on the rooster runs. Volun-teers with special skills such as carpentry,painting, plumbing, landscaping, and techsupport are always very much appreciated.If you have skills to lend to the sanctuary,call us at 330-296-5914, or fill out thevolunteer form on line atwww.happytrailsfarm.org. Thanks Alex, forvolunteering with Happy Trails for the pasteleven years!

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