We recently had the opportunity to join our friends E and K at their weekly volunteer session at the Clementine Ranch in Herriman, Utah. The ranch is a sanctuary for rescued farm animals; an organic greenhouse and recording studio are in the works. It is a tiny operation, located on five acres and surrounded by looming housing developments, but it cares for over two hundred animals.
E and K go there one night a week to feed all the animals: emus, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, Mr. Beautiful the peacock, pigs, goats, sheep, alpacas, horses (mini, regular and draft size), a donkey and a small herd of cattle, including three Highland cattle. And Lacey, the Akbash livestock guard dog who has a ferocious bark to all those on the outside of her fence but who begs for belly rubs once you've been introduced.
Some of the animals are a little belligerent (Eddie, the fiesty rooster, for example) but most of them are very friendly: sheep who lean in for butt scritches, pigs who roll over for belly rubs, Suzette the turkey who follows E around like a puppy, Sven the huge steer who took a liking to H. When we were burying a turkey who had died - age 18! - a number of curious cattle and goats came over to see what we were doing.
The ranch is doing good work on a shoestring budget, relying on its volunteer caregivers. We met a number of them that evening and it was evident that everyone involved has huge hearts when it comes to giving these animals a safe place to live out their lives. Even mean ol' Eddie.
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