PURCHASING FARMED ANIMALS

Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is opposed to the direct purchase of farmed animals as a means of rescue. Purchasing animals that are being bred for sale supports the industry and the people who profit off the exploitation of farmed animals and directly funds the breeding and exploitation of additional animals. Farmed animals aren’t property and paying for them supports the framework that they are property as well.  

That being said, we know that some of our residents were purchased by their rescuers before they came to us. When someone wants to save a life, they will often do whatever they can to save the life in front of them. While this is very understandable and, again, we know that we have residents here that were rescued that way, we work with people on alternatives and ways to have animals surrendered to them instead of buying them. We cannot buy our way out of this system and there are not enough sanctuaries to save every animal currently being tortured and killed in animal agriculture. Buying isn’t a solution to the big problem. 

We would encourage sanctuaries and formal rescues to look at the big picture and try and change the framework of farmed animals as property. That means focusing on rescuing slaughterhouse escapees, cruelty and neglect seizures, abandoned animals, stray animals, and working closely sometimes with people who exploit animals to ask them to save just one life. That one life can maybe also change their minds and shift their perception in a way that receiving money for that animal will not.  

Every day, we tell people we don’t have room for the animals they have rescued or for their companion farmed animals who they can no longer care for properly. We also work closely with humane law enforcement but can’t always take in animals that are seized through cruelty and neglect investigations. There is no lack of farmed animals who need placement whose rescue doesn’t require tacitly and economically supporting animal agriculture.