posted November 29, 2022
Meet Mumu and Zuzu in the picture with me. I should not have favorites, but the goats melt my heart. They’re affectionate, adorable, and amiable.
I learned about the Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve through Victoria Moran. For our anniversary last year, and again for this one, we gifted ourselves a private tour of Tamerlaine Sanctuary, a 90-minute ride from our home, with a scenic view on a two-lane highway for the last 30 miles.
Last year we met the sweetest and loveliest tour guide, Marina, who gave us a detailed account of how each animal arrived at Tamerlaine. This time, we were honored to be shown around by Peter, one of the sanctuary’s co-founders.
Peter explained how he and his wife, Gabrielle, started the sanctuary after she brought home two roosters named Jupiter and Yuri. These two roosters affectionately sat in their laps and Peter was hooked. He admitted that he knew the facts about the cruelty of factory farming, but it clicked on a personal level when he lived with Jupiter and Yuri.
We discovered Peter grew up next door to me in the same borough after he inquired about the Queens, New York, hat I was wearing. This formed a bond beyond our love of animals and Vegan values. We received the most informative and engaging two-hour tour with Peter on this year’s trip.
There were three cows last August and this time, seven.
Marina told us about Diego, Fred, and Ferdinand who came to the sanctuary together. Sadly, Ferdinand died from an abdominal ulcer that ruptured in the middle of the night. Marina told us, “We discovered him early in the morning when opening up for all of the animals.”
Diego and Fred broke out of their pasture (enclosure) several times after Ferdinand’s abrupt passing to go to his burial site which was up the hill on their property. “We were able to get them back each time, but it was so clear they needed to mourn their brother,” she explained.
Peter introduced us to sweet Harold, a newer steer (in the pic kissing Peter). He was lucky enough to escape from being somebody’s future meal. Even more fortuitous was that the beef farm where he had lived before allowed Harold to remain at Tamerlaine, believing that he had freed himself for a reason. (This is rare and Peter and Gabrielle are grateful.) Watch his whole rescue story here.
We heard how each animal came to Tamerlaine. The story of Pecan, a pig, however, resonates with me most.
Rutgers University agricultural students were tasked to care for piglets to see what the process was like. A student who had not realized that her piglet, Pecan, was going to auction to be slaughtered when class was over, begged the university to save him, but she was turned down. She found where the auction was going to be and went with her family to save Pecan. Pecan was on the opposite side of the auction ring from her—when his name was called, he immediately responded and sped over. Saving Pecan, she brought him to Tamerlaine.
Peter and Gabrielle refuse to contribute to the cruel factory farming industry, so they will never purchase an animal. Since it was the student who had made the monetary transaction, they were happy to bring Pecan home to live at Tamerlaine. (The Rutgers student still has a relationship with Pecan.)
Non-Vegans, as well as Vegans, come to volunteer and work. Within weeks, many change their minds about eating animals. Human love for rescued cows, pigs, goats, ducks, geese, chickens, bunnies, sheep, cats, and one rescued horse is infectious at Tamerlaine.
Cherie Hans holds certifications from Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution and Dr. Campbell’s Plant-Based Nutrition programs. She holds a Master of Science in Bilingual Education from St. John’s University, NY, and a Bachelor of Arts from the City University of NY: Queens College in English and Spanish, and currently teaches adults in English as a Second Language. After graduating from Main Street Vegan Academy, Cherie started the blog Fit and Fifties Vegan. She is from Queens, New York, but now resides in New Jersey with her husband and many rescued cats.