Freedom Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary

06/05/2026

I never shared the glamping area before.

I always wanted to wait until spring.

Unlike some of the other guest spaces we had over the years, this one was new. I imagined the flowers blooming, the trees leafing out, the lights coming on in the evening, and finally sharing this little corner of the sanctuary the way I always pictured it.

We spent over a year preparing it to help generate income for the sanctuary and the animals who depend on it.

Unfortunately, life went in a very different direction.

What many people don’t know is that after I set boundaries in a personal situation and refused to participate in something I believed could put the sanctuary at legal risk, a series of complaints were made by that individual to multiple departments connected to the property.

Walton County explained to me that they do not go looking for violations, but when complaints are made, they are required to investigate and follow through.

What followed was heartbreaking:

• Code enforcement issues, including buildings and structures that were already on the property when I purchased it years ago, but legally became my responsibility as the owner to bring up to code.

• Animal control complaints, including two surprise visits from Animal Control and the Department of Agriculture.

• A rezoning challenge that threatened the future of the sanctuary.

• The closure and eventual removal of the rental structures that helped support the sanctuary.

• Constant stress, uncertainty, hearings, paperwork, and expenses.

The hardest part is that none of this started because I suddenly decided to do something different.

When I look at these photos, though, I don’t see any of that.

I see what I was trying to create.

A peaceful place where people could slow down for a moment.

A place connected to rescued animals, nature, quiet evenings, and the simple feeling that everything might be okay for a little while.

So even though things didn’t turn out the way I expected, I wanted to share these photos before this little corner of the sanctuary disappears.

Because this place mattered to me.

And it still does.

Although much of it will soon be gone.

We prevailed on the zoning issue, and I do not plan to move. I was not about to abandon the animals. We are still here, and we will continue our mission no matter what.

The loss of this income source has been difficult for the sanctuary. If you’d like to help, a donation of any size goes directly toward the animals’ care and is deeply appreciated.

Link in comments.

06/02/2026

Cullen came to Freedom Acres in 2016, a tiny Icelandic sheep with a thick coat, a cautious heart, and absolutely no interest in becoming anybody’s pet.

For years, catching Cullen required strategy, optimism, and a sense of humor.

If he saw you coming with a halter, he was already halfway across the pasture.

If he thought you might have medicine, he suddenly remembered somewhere else he needed to be.

He wasn’t unfriendly.

He just preferred that relationships happen on his terms.

Over time, though, he softened.

Not in the dramatic way people imagine when they think of rescue stories. Cullen never turned into a sheep who wanted hugs or followed people around looking for affection.

Instead, he gave trust in tiny pieces.

A treat from your hand.

A few seconds of standing still while you rubbed his forehead.

That moment when his beautiful eyes locked onto yours .

Those moments always felt earned.

Cullen spent much of his life attaching himself to whoever happened to be his current best friend.

First the alpacas.

Then the donkeys.

Then the cows.

There was something endearing about watching this little sheep trail behind animals three times his size, completely certain he belonged there.

Years passed.

The seasons changed.

The sanctuary changed.

The faces around him changed.

But Cullen remained Cullen.

Quiet.

Independent.

Sweet in ways that were easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention.

Then, little by little, things started changing.

His coat wasn’t what it used to be.

His body wasn’t what it used to be.

Age has a way of arriving gradually until one day you realize it has already been there for a while.

When he became sick, we did what we always did.

Because that’s the bargain you make when you love animals.

You know how most stories end.

You just keep trying anyway.

For a little while, it looked like he might turn the corner.

There were moments that made us think maybe we had more time.

But sometimes what looks like a turn is really just a pause.

And sometimes love means accepting that.

Cullen left us far too soon.

The pasture feels different without him.

It’s strange how an animal who spent most of his life avoiding being caught can leave behind something that feels impossible to fill.

I keep thinking about those brief moments when he’d let me touch his head.

Those seconds when he stopped being the sheep running away and simply became Cullen.

Trusting.

Gentle.

Present.

The smallest pieces of trust often become the biggest memories.

Goodbye, sweet boy. I love you and miss you so much.

05/28/2026

My sweet Cornish Cross rooster Bentley got very sick recently, and honestly, because of his breed, I was terrified we were going to lose him. These boys are bred to grow so unnaturally fast that even a simple illness can become dangerous very quickly.

But tonight… he’s eating snacks, watching TV, and acting like himself again. 💛

Most people will never meet one of these boys as an individual. They’re usually known only as “meat birds,” raised for rapid growth and processed within weeks. But Bentley has a personality, preferences, friendships, and opinions about snack time and bedtime just like any other animal here.

Seeing him comfortable again feels like a little miracle tonight.

05/22/2026

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Since my last post, we found another juvenile opossum — but this time we were able to get him to a rehabber relatively quickly. He was more seriously injured, so I’m really hoping everything goes well for him.

Then Cullen, my sweet little Icelandic sheep, stopped eating, so we rushed him to the vet. It turned out to be pneumonia. The vet said she had been seeing several cases after that cold snap last week.

And then… the last few days got even more interesting.

I tripped over my giant dog — which you would think would be hard to miss — but I was carrying my disabled rooster in a crate in front of me and couldn’t see where I was going. I went flying and smashed my face into the rooster carrier. As you can see, I collected a few bruises.

Then this little sh*tty rooster got me in the leg. It doesn’t look like much, but rooster spurs REALLY hurt.

Yesterday the cows got out. They were extremely uncooperative about going back because they knew they’d eventually come home on their own anyway. But when the neighbors call, we have to go round them up immediately — and they were having the time of their lives eating all the forbidden vegetation.

And the bruise on my arm? That’s because I annoyed Dante so much that he tapped me with his horn. I know that sounds horrible, but it truly was just a tap. WE WERE BOTH SHOCKED. Unfortunately, even though it mostly looks like a bruise, I now get nerve pain all the way down my arm whenever I try to pick something up.

Then today… I fell AGAIN.

I tripped over something because I wasn’t paying attention. More bruising, but this time I finally learned to roll instead of throwing my arm out to catch myself, so honestly that feels like progress.

But I always want to bring you guys into the reality of sanctuary life a little bit. There are adventures here every single day — good and bad.

And honestly, I haven’t been injured in quite a while, so I guess… it was time.

These fences are 12 years old now, and with large animals constantly leaning, rubbing, and testing them, keeping everything secure has become a never-ending job. We repair sections constantly, but the property is reaching the point where major fence replacement is needed.

Ironically, later that same night, the cows were back at the exact same spot trying to get out again like it was their full-time career.

If anyone would like to help us repair fencing and keep everyone safe and secure, we could really use donations right now. Link in comments.

05/16/2026

Julie Wooten posted an incredible story about an injured Canada gosling taken to her rescue,What made it incredible was that the rescuer actually flew the gosling to Waddle On Inn rescue, inc in his plane.

It reminded me of a story from when I was just starting out.

A pair of Canada geese nested on my property and raised a whole little family here. Mom and dad were wonderful parents. I knew enough not to get too close, but they definitely knew when it was feeding time. It always seemed strange they chose my property because there wasn’t any water

One day, the parents gathered the goslings and flew away.

But somehow, one gosling was left behind.

If you could have seen him sitting there all alone in a little baby pool looking absolutely heartbroken. There’s a pond not far away, so I kept hoping the parents would realize one of their babies was missing and come back.

I checked the fence line all day. Nothing.

Then around 6 PM, I heard geese calling.

I ran toward the sound, and there they were — the parents calling to the gosling, and the gosling calling back. But for some reason, the adults wouldn’t fly in, and the youngster wouldn’t come out.

So I cut a hole in the fence.

The gosling hurried through to his family… and the rest is history.

If you’d like to help support the sanctuary and see some of the behind-the-scenes chaos, sweet moments, and subscriber-only extras, you can become a subscriber for $1 a month right on the Freedom Acres page by clicking “Subscribe.” ❤️

05/15/2026

05/14/2026

So many things have been happening, sorry to be mia. Well my big dog Charlie had to be hospitalized for cluster seizures, he is home now but has to take a ton of medications, he looks at me like “oh noo, not again instead of happy tail wagging. I now have two disabled chickens living in the house, one has a girlfriend so she shacks up here too, pic below. Then I had an injured opossum, is now with a licensed rehabber.
And I am treating a neighbors turkey for fly strike. Shout out to the doggies, had they not become chicken friendly I could not turned the house into grand central for the littles.

05/06/2026

Uh oh… the residents got access to Amazon again! 🐖🐐

🐎We left the computer open in the barn for five minutes, and our rescued residents immediately started building a shopping cart. We reviewed their selections, and honestly, they might be onto something:

The Pigs: Requested continuous sunscreen spray to protect their pink ears

The Goats: Demanded their mineral rights

The Horses: help with their senior aching joints

Sable the disabled rooster demanded a soft cushion to sit upon

To help us grant their very important wishes, you can check out their active cart below! Items ship directly to the farm.📦

Grant a wish here: see link in comments

No matter the size of the gift, every item helps us keep this sanctuary running smoothly. Thank you for your kindness!

Please like, comment and share

🌾💛

04/29/2026

In the “real world,” an unrelated rooster usually would never allow a baby chick to climb all over him like this. Some roosters would seriously injure or even kill a chick that wasn’t theirs.

Today I found the baby curled up asleep on Mac — one of our disabled roosters — while mama wandered off to spend time with the baby daddy. And Mac just…let the baby stay there, tucked safely into his feathers.

Glad I don’t live in the real world 💛