Executive Director Mckenzee and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss ten critical questions that you should ask yourself before you start a sanctuary! This resource is excellent for those new to the sanctuary movement and a helpful refresher for established sanctuaries and rescue organizations. It serves as a guide to some of the many considerations you will need to consider as you embark upon or continue to provide forever lifelong compassionate care to animals. Along the way, we will point you to our free resources, which will help you tackle these questions more easily!

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• So, You Want To Start A Farmed Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• The Open Sanctuary Project's 'So You Want To Start A Sanctuary' Brochure | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Estimating Species Lifetime Care Costs At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Recognizing And Managing Compassion Fatigue At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Recognizing And Preventing Burnout At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Determining Your Animal Sanctuary's Capacity For Responsible Care | The Open Sanctuary Project

• How To Create An Effective Rescue Policy For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Resources On Budgeting And Fundraising | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Fostering Positive Relationships Between Animal Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Resources On Volunteer And Worker Considerations | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Accuracy And Transparency: Two Critical Responsibilities Of Your Farmed Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• An Introduction To Educational Opportunities Well-Suited For Microsanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• The Microsanctuary Resource Center

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Senior Advisor Tara and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss the ins and outs of an essential sanctuary consideration: resident drinking water! Ensuring your residents receive the nutrients they require for their health and well-being is an essential aspect of animal care, but the importance of water and the logistics around providing it are sometimes overlooked. To learn about the nuances of drinking water considerations, including water testing, how to choose the best containers, and the potential impacts of weather, tune in!

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Resident Drinking Water Considerations At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Daily Diet, Supplements And Treats Resources By Species | The Open Sanctuary Project

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Executive Director Mckenzee and Nonprofit Specialist Julia talk about collaboration and cooperation between organizations! They list common pitfalls to relationship building, how to avoid them, and also how to communicate and work together in ways that enhance your capacity! Building community with like-minded organizations is a great way to strengthen our movement and help out humans and non-humans alike!

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Fostering Positive Relationships Between Animal Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Building And Maintaining A Good Relationship Between Your Animal Sanctuary And Veterinarians | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Starter Guide To Understanding And Working With Animal Shelters For Animal Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

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In this episode of The Open Sanctuary Podcast, Community Education Specialist Andie Springirth is joined by special guest and Open Sanctuary Project contributor Dr. Emily Tronetti to discuss farmed animal agency and how to start centering it at your sanctuary to improve the overall health and well-being of the residents. In addition to exploring what agency is and why it’s so important, this episode highlights some practical agency-centered practices that sanctuaries can implement right now.

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• An Introduction To Fostering Agency In Farmed Animals At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Asking Other Animals for Consent Handout | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Fly Mitigation Strategies for Sanctuary Cow Residents | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Predator-Proofing for Bird Residents at Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Breaking the Mold: How Animal-Centered Design Can Transform Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Enrichment Resources | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Fostering Critical Thinking at Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

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In this episode of The Open Sanctuary Podcast, Community Education Specialist Andie and Senior Advisor Tara discuss the vital role observation plays in many aspects of animal caregiving, focusing on how we can use our observation skills to assess our residents’ health and catch subtle signs of concern.

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Observation: An Important Caregiving Tool

• The Caregiver’s Guide To Developing Your Observation Skills

• Species-Specific Daily Observation For Health And Well-Being Series

• The Importance Of Veterinary Care At Your Animal Sanctuary

• The Importance Of Regular Health Checks At Your Animal Sanctuary

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In this episode of The Open Sanctuary Podcast, Senior Advisor Tara and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss the guiding principles we use to source compassionate care information. From examining the challenges of finding reliable sources that value the individual lives of animals as sentient beings to explaining how we assess specific care recommendations, we hope that this podcast can provide you with more specifics on how you, too, can evaluate information more carefully, and feel a little less overwhelmed as you do so!

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This Episode’s Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources

• About The Open Sanctuary Project

• Information Sourcing Considerations At The Open Sanctuary Project

• What Does “Non-Compassionate Source” Mean At The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide To Evaluating Farmed Animal Care Sources, Recommendations, And Information For Your Sanctuary

• Backyard Chicken Recommendations In Sanctuary: A Word Of Caution

• The Open Sanctuary Project’s Elder Care Resources

• Daily Diet, Treats & Supplements For Cows

• Predator-Proofing For Bird Residents At Your Sanctuary

• Advanced Topics In Resident Health: Avian Influenza In Birds

• HPAI In Domesticated Ruminants And Camelids: FAQ

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Community Education Specialist Andie and Senior Advisor Tara discuss some helpful strategies and tips on how your animal organization can thoughtfully approach and respond to common visitor questions that sanctuaries get asked by visitors.

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This Episode’s Referenced Resources:

• A Starter Guide to Common Questions Your Sanctuary Gets Asked and How to Thoughtfully Answer Them | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Fostering Critical Thinking at Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Fostering Empathy Towards Farmed Animals | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Understanding Biases that Can Negatively Impact Farmed Animals and How to Help Folks Overcome Them | The Open Sanctuary Project

• The Importance Of Language Choices At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Communicating With Youth About Animal Exploitation | The Open Sanctuary Project

• An Introduction to Educational Programs and Opportunities Well-suited for Microsanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• In-Person Sanctuary Educational Programming: What Are Your Options?
  The Open Sanctuary Project

• An Introduction To Fostering Agency In Farmed Animals At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

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You can send us a question, comment, or topic idea here!

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