Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary

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United States
Scio, OR
Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary

Dedicated to offering a safe
and loving refuge to neglected
and abused farm animals.

10/12/2026

It’s cozy season! The last few mornings we’ve woken to a thin layer of frost on the ground and colder temps. So today we loaded up all the barns with extra straw so that everyone stays nice and toasty while they sleep. Just one of the many things we do daily to keep our rescued friends happy and safe. ❤️

10/10/2026

No work party tomorrow! We look forward to seeing you next month on November 8th 🐽❤️

10/09/2026

CAMPAIGN UPDATE 🐽 Last week we announced our fundraising campaign to pay off the remainder of the sanctuary mortgage — which is due in full in January. So far we have raised $16,730!! That is an incredible start.

We’ve received so many lovely and encouraging comments and messages over the last few days and it’s really helped lift our spirits. Yes, $162,000 is a lot, but we can do it!

I’d love to unlock the $50k matching donation by the end of the month. Imagine what that could mean for the animals!

HUGE thank you to everyone so far who has donated, shared, sent kind messages. We see you and we are so grateful for your support of the animals here.

Link in comments to help make Lighthouse a forever home. ❤️

10/06/2026

Snack time is a pretty big deal around here. We regularly get donations of bread, which is a nice treat for them. I never get tired of watching them run when they hear the ATV.

Moments like this are such a good reminder of what this place means to them. This land is their home, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure it stays that way. ❤️

10/02/2026

For the last two decades, Lighthouse has provided refuge to thousands of animals who needed it. For the 300+ animals who call Lighthouse home today, this land is so much more than 54 acres. It is the place where they have built lifelong friendships, found healing, discovered happiness, and experienced the safety and freedom to be exactly who they are. It is their home.

The sanctuary’s mortgage is due in January 2027, and we need to raise $162,000 to pay it off and ensure that the animals get to keep the home they love.

There is something really special about Lighthouse’s property: it is held in the sanctuary’s name, not an individual’s. Once the mortgage is paid off, these 54 acres will belong to Lighthouse and remain a permanent home for rescued animals for generations to come.

As I write this, I’m looking out the kitchen window of the old farmhouse, watching Nellie and Italo enjoy their dinner. I’m thinking about all of the animals who stood in that same spot before them and got to experience long, beautiful lives because of Lighthouse. I’m thinking about Helen, too, and so many others. To have witnessed the power and magic of sanctuary firsthand has been truly life-changing. To watch animals who once knew fear and suffering discover safety, friendship, comfort, and joy is something I will never stop being grateful for. This is what this land has made possible.

We know $162,000 is a huge goal, but we also know what this community has made possible over the past 25 years, and we truly believe we can do this together. And we have an incredible start: a group of longtime supporters has pledged a $50,000 matching gift, meaning every dollar you give right now will be matched and help us get that much closer to making Lighthouse’s future permanent.

We hope you’ll help us make sure this land belongs to the animals, forever, for the animals who are here today, the animals who will need us tomorrow, and every animal who deserves a place where they can finally feel safe.

Help us make Lighthouse home, forever. ❤️ Link in comments to help.

10/01/2026

To have a forever home. That is the true meaning of sanctuary.

Peter and I have spent the last 11 years volunteering nearly all of our time for the animals at Lighthouse. We’ve witnessed animals arrive scared, in pain, confused, sometimes in terrible condition and we’ve had the incredible privilege of watching them find peace and family here.

We’ve watched pigs rescued from a medical research lab discover a mud wallow for the first time, cows find companionship with the world’s most special bison, sheep go from frightened to curious and carefree. Hundreds of animals who had every reason not to trust humans learn that they are safe.

When we look around at barns, the beautiful land, and the animals that call this place home we are reminded of everything that has changed over the years. All of the animals who got a second chance. All of the animals who became family.

We have something very important we’re going to be asking the community to help us with to ensure this place is always home. Forever.

Tomorrow, when we share what is likely the biggest announcement we’ve ever had, we’re asking you to stop for a moment and read it. Share it with family and friends. Send it to someone who loves animals. Help us get it in front of as many people as possible.

This is one of those moments where we really, really need our Lighthouse family.

We hope you’ll be here with us tomorrow. ❤️

For the animals,
Gwen & Peter

09/16/2026

An afternoon not long ago I was sitting in the oak grove, dappled in late summer sun. I heard the birds chattering in the still leaved canopy, the quiet plonk of acorns as they hit the ground and the quick succession of snuffles soon after by my ever-eager pig friends. A typical September — the barely perceptible shift in seasons signaling what’s to come. But this time there was something missing. Not something, but someone.

Sid. Our sweet, gentle friend Sid. The realization that he is no longer here sits in my chest like a stone. Last week we said goodbye to him and even though we made the very best decision for him, the weight of it is crushing. How can he not be here? It seems unreal. He was here. And then he was not. And there I am, stuck in between the space of those two short sentences.

As a way to work through the grief I want to share about Sid so that others may know him like we did. Sid was slow to trust humans but had a big immense love for his fellow cow family. His favorite way of showing his love was through endless grooming sessions. I’d often arrive to whatever part of the pasture they were in to find at least one other cow with a funny hairdo courtesy of Sid. It took him a few years to extend his trust towards me and Peter, but what a special thing when he finally did. If you sat with him long enough you would be audience to what we called his “zen-moo” — a deep and soulful moo that came straight from the heart and could last over 60 seconds. His special way of showing his contentment. He was truly spectacular in every sense of the word. A kind, curious, and loving friend. And it feels impossible to know that I’ll never hear his zen-mood again.

But we continue on. Because that is what it means to do this work — to carry on with the waltzing dance of grief while holding love and loss in the same hand. A balancing act that never ends. But still. What a gift to love so deeply. What a gift to know what it means to love. Sid, we will see you in the night sky, a bright star watching over your loved ones. Thank you for being you. We love you forever. ❤️

09/04/2026

A late summer snooze under the apple tree dreaming of snacks 🍏❤️ The best part is when he wakes up to a fresh juicy apple just for him. Life is good.

09/01/2026

Hopefully this is the last of the hot, smoky days we’ll have this year. Everyone (including sweet Hermes seen here enjoying his popsicle) is looking forward to the delights of fall: pumpkins, apples, acorns, and cooler weather. ❤️

Address

Richardson Gap Road
Scio, OR
97374

Website

http://www.lighthousefarmsanctuary.org/

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