Recently Rooster Redemption announced that they will be moving from Minnesota soon. CAA has been happy to partner with them on several initiatives over the years and their presence will be missed. In particular it has been wonderful to tour Rooster Redemption to help the community know about their wonderful sanctuary.
Rooster Redemption is a rooster rescue facility. Why a special sanctuary for roosters? They cite:
- Roosters (male chickens) are the most abandoned, unwanted, exploited, and stigmatized land animal on the planet.
- Due to their need for specialized care and accommodations, they are extremely difficult to find homes for.
- We devote our time, energy, and patience toward these birds who are the underdogs in the rescue world.
- We strive to amplify their voices.
- We celebrate roosters as colorful companions with misunderstood personalities.
We interviewed them to find out more about their move:
When:
We are aiming for August/September 2022. Our home will go on the market in June and once we have a buyer we can make offers on homes.
Where to:
Either Whatcom or Skagit County, Washington, about 60-90 miles north of Seattle. I have been traveling regularly to the Pacific Northwest for over 25 years and it is a stunning location on this planet with the mountains, ocean, and beautiful orca whales.
What prompted the move:
The weather. For my husband and I, it will significantly increase our ability to practice outdoor self-care year round. Self-care is extremely important when rescuing and caring for animals, for obvious reasons including repeated grief, compassion fatigue, and burnout. For the birds, they will not have to be confined in a heated barn nearly as long as they do in Minnesota. They spend nearly half the year in the barn because of the long winters here. Also, the humid summers can be really hard on them. The milder climate in Washington is going to be ideal for our birds, as well as us!
How does one move a sanctuary?
A lot of planning! We have been planning this for well over a year and there are a lot of moving parts. We have to look at homes that have outbuildings, as well as a couple acres, and we have to confirm zoning for roosters. We will drive our outdoor enclosures out first and set them up so they are ready for their arrival after their long drive.
Challenges on moving the animals:
Luckily roosters and turkeys are “compact” compared to pigs, goats, and cows. We currently have 29 roosters, 1 hen, and 2 turkeys. We cannot move them in an enclosed moving truck with no ventilation, and we cannot move them in any type of open-air horse trailer because of the high risk of Avian Influenza sweeping across the country. We will rent 4 or 5 cargo vans and each bird will be in their own dog kennel. We will drive straight through, approximately 30 hours, with 2 drivers in each van taking shifts. Birds travel quite well and we do not foresee any concerns. We will perform health checks along the way and also map out some veterinarians along our route in case of an emergency.
Things you are looking forward to in the new place:
We are very excited for the birds to be outside for several months more than in Minnesota. We are looking forward to our daily bird care being completed without mosquitos carrying us off into the sunset. We are very excited to connect with the other sanctuaries and vegan community out there.
Things you will miss about your present location:
This home has been a very special property for us and the birds. It is beautiful with woods, prairie, marshes, apple trees, and our incredible heated barn that they have enjoyed thoroughly. There is no way to express the grief we will experience leaving our supportive community in Minnesota. Everyone has supported us since we began in 2016 and we hope you will all continue to support us from afar and follow our updates. We will miss you all dearly and you are invited to visit us out there!
Anything else you want to share:
We are having our final public event on Saturday, May 14th, called Breathing Grounds: A Musical Retreat and FUNdraiser for Rooster Redemption. Unfortunately we cannot hold this at the sanctuary due to Avian Influenza, but it is at a beautiful outdoor venue in Osceola, Wisconsin not very far from us. Please join us for music, food, and vendors. You can connect to the event on our website here: https://www.roosterredemption.org/ You can also sign up for our Patreon on our home page, for as little as $1 a month. This is a great way to directly support the victims of exploitation, animal agriculture, and abandonment.