The Gentle Barn

The Gentle Barn Teaching kindness and compassion
🐄🐖🐑🦃🐐🐓🫏

08/28/2026

Today, we're wishing our co-founder Jay L Weiner, a very happy birthday 🎉

27 years ago, Ellie Laks founded The Gentle Barn in her half acre backyard rescuing animals. Three years later, Jay joined as a volunteer. Together, they began a journey that would lead to thousands of animals being rescued, healed, and given a life they always deserved.

Jay has dedicated his life to saving animals from all over the country. He takes animals out of the darkest places on earth and brings them home to The Gentle Barn, where they can heal, feel safe, and be shown love and compassion.

Please join us in wishing Jay a happy birthday! You can help us celebrate by supporting the work he has dedicated his life to at GentleBarn.org 💚

08/27/2026

Morning Wellness Routine at The Gentle Barn ☀️

A typical morning at our animal sanctuary includes our animals getting their daily supplement by Sun Chlorella USA. These little treats are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that support their immune system and keep them thriving! Shiny coats and fresh breath are an added bonus.

08/26/2026

Roy and Mercy found safety together, grew up together, and taught us what unconditional love looks like.

Even after saying goodbye to Roy, Mercy reminds us that grief and love can exist together, and that those we've lost continue to live on in the way we care for one another 🐄💚

27 years of healing, hope, and sanctuary 💚In 1999, Ellie Laks childhood dream became The Gentle Barn, a place where anim...
08/25/2026

27 years of healing, hope, and sanctuary 💚

In 1999, Ellie Laks childhood dream became The Gentle Barn, a place where animals who had experienced unimaginable hardship could finally feel safe, loved, and seen.
Since then, we've rescued thousands of animals who have, in return, helped heal more than 1 million people to experience the power of connection with animals.

From the very first Cow Hug Therapist®, Buddha, to the countless cows, pigs, horses, sheep, goats, turkeys, and other animals who have found sanctuary here, we've witnessed something extraordinary: when animals and people heal together, they can change each other's lives.

To celebrate 27 years of The Gentle Barn, we're asking our community to Give $27 for 27.

Your gift helps provide the veterinary care, specialized treatments, nutritious food, and daily love our animals need to thrive, and helps us continue creating a gentler world for all of us 🐄🐷🐴🐐🦃🐔🫏💚

🐮 Give $27 for 27 here: https://bit.ly/4wBl3eq

08/24/2026

We get asked this all the time…you may have seen our animals frequently wearing fly masks!

Fly masks are a soft mesh covering that protects their eyes from flies, dust, and the sun while allowing them to see clearly. Think of them like sunglasses and bug protection all in one ☀️

Keeping our rescued animals comfortable is one of the many ways we help them thrive, so they can spend their days doing what they love most: grazing, napping, making friends, and soaking up the sunshine 🥰

08/21/2026

In honor of , we are looking back at when Bria and Tina aka Terrific were just two young goats who needed different kinds of healing, but the same love and compassion every animal deserves.

Bria was rescued from neglect, while Terrific was rescued from a cosmetics testing facility. Although their stories began separately, they found themselves healing side by side at our Sun Chlorella Healing Center.

Today, Terrific and Bria spend their days playing, greeting visitors, enjoying the simple things that make life so special, and reminding us how healing happens in different ways 🐐❤️

08/19/2026

11 years ago, we brought Oliver home to The Gentle Barn. He was born at a dairy farm, where he was ripped away from his mother and put in a box where he could not move. Oliver was soon adopted to be part of a 4H project. He was raised with so much love by a young girl, and then at just 12 weeks old, Oliver was brought to a county fair to be shown and then sent to slaughter.

The young girl who raised Oliver fell in love with him and saved his life by asking for him to be brought to our sanctuary. The power of love that moved through that young girl's heart to stick up for what is right and save this young cow's life still lives through Oliver 11 years later.

Oliver has nothing but affection to share with everyone he meets. What a privilege it has been to watch him grow, care for him, and witness the impact that one person's compassion can have. Happy Rescue Anniversary Oliver, we love you 💚

08/17/2026

Stories like Mr. Noodles' and Mr. Pickles' are the reason The Gentle Barn exists.

As a nonprofit sanctuary, our mission is about giving each individual the lifelong care, safety, and compassion they deserve. It's about seeing them for who they are, honoring their unique needs, and allowing them the time and space to heal.

When they choose to share their love with visitors, they become our greatest teachers. Once they’ve gone through their individual healing process and have made the decision themselves to share their love with visitors, our rescue animals have helped visitors from all walks of life experience the impact that love, compassion, and gentle kindness can bring. This transformative process has allowed people to realize that every animal is an emotional, intelligent individual worthy of kindness and respect.

In celebration of , we give thanks to every supporter, team member, volunteer, visitor, and donor who makes stories like theirs possible. Because of you, animals like Mr. Noodles and Mr. Pickles get to grow up surrounded by friendship, love, and the freedom to simply be their true selves 💚

08/14/2026

Animal communication is one of the many tools we use to help our animals at The Gentle Barn. It has been a great help for Celeste in her healing journey.

Celeste was a wild mustang who was taken from the plains of Nevada in 2010. She struggles with anxiety after being separated from her family and being placed in numerous homes. She is also blind and deaf on one side. When she first arrived at The Gentle Barn, we couldn't touch her, groom her, or even go near her. She would just anxiously pace in circles.

After using animal communication, Celeste was able to tell Ellie Laks where her anxiety was coming from. By understanding what Celeste wanted and needed, Ellie was able to help her begin to heal.

Now she can be groomed, have a fly mask put on her, be given baths, and receive lots of love and cuddles. Celeste's healing journey is still ongoing, but we will be there every step of the way. We are so proud of her and how far she has come 🐴💚

08/12/2026

Rosalie and her giant stress ball ❤️

Wherever you find Rosalie, you'll find her giant ball. It's always by her side, bringing her comfort throughout the day.

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