Sanctuary Life Podcast

The Sanctuary Life Podcast is a podcast series dedicated to exploring the world of animal sanctuaries, their mission, and the inspiring stories of the people who run them. The podcast provides listeners with a unique opportunity to gain insights into the daily lives of animals at sanctuaries, the challenges faced by these organizations, and the compassionate individuals who work tirelessly to provide refuge and care to animals in need. Each episode of the Sanctuary Life Podcast features interviews with sanctuary founders, staff members, volunteers, and advocates who share their experiences, knowledge, and heartfelt stories about the animals they rescue and rehabilitate. The podcast covers a wide range of topics related to animal welfare, including humane education, ethical treatment of animals, veganism, conservation efforts, and more. Listeners can expect to hear heartwarming tales of animal rescues, learn about the importance of sanctuary work, and discover ways to get involved and support these vital organizations. The podcast also highlights the transformative impact of animal sanctuaries on both the animals they rescue and the humans who care for them. Overall, the Sanctuary Life Podcast offers an informative and emotional journey into the world of animal sanctuaries, shedding light on the incredible work being done to provide animals with a safe haven and advocate for their well-being.

Listen on:

  • Apple Podcasts
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  • Spotify
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Episodes

Thursday Jul 20, 2023


Historic Williamsburg, Virginia is the home of this week's guest as we welcome Mallory (not Jenna) & Ryan Phillips co-managers of Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary. Life With Pigs' mission is to educate people about the injustices faced by animals and how we can better coexist with our fellow earthlings. It all got started in 2016 when Ryan took a leap rescuing a former breeder pig named Pumpkin. Three pigs, a rabbit, and chicken later Ryan realized his budding microsanctuary had outgrown his condo. 
Learn how a neglected calf named Sophie would be the catalyst to bring together a pair of animal activists that lived thousands of miles apart in a made-for-TV love story with quite the fairy-tail wedding. Hear how a trio of pigs almost crashed the whole wedding by knocking over the cow treats. Hear some common themes throughout Ryan's sanctuary life, like numerous interactions with cows and police. Hear how their outreach has impacted thousands of people by simply taking their pigs and chicken out to places like Colonial Williamsburg and college campuses. Finally, learn how they are using the web-based education platform, Outschool, to educate the next generation about sanctuary life and compassionate living.
To stay updated on Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at lifewithpigs.com. You can find additional information like where to purchase merchandise or make donations on their Linktree. 
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023


This week’s episode takes us to the banks of the Delaware Bay where we meet Steven Podolsky, co-founder of Marley Meadows Animal Sanctuary in Leesburg, New Jersey. Learn how a journey that began in 2017 in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey as “Farm Critter Haven” has blossomed into something much bigger. In 2020 Heather Ailie & Steven Podolsky moved to a peaceful eight-acre property 90 minutes from the original location and a new dream, Marley Meadows Animal Sanctuary, became a reality.
Shortly after arriving at their new location their namesake resident, Marley, a holstein cow, had the tip of his tail ripped off by a branch in the pasture. Find out how Bionic Pets helped make a first of its kind prosthetic tail to help Marley fend off biting bugs. Learn how the children of Marley Meadows Animal Sanctuary helped save the life of an amazing turkey named Terrance who was battling seizures and liver disease. Hear the story of Nectar the chicken and how co-founder Heather is helping make life for this disabled chicken feel as normal as possible. 
To stay updated on Marley Meadows Animal Sanctury, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at marleymeadowsanimalsanctuary.com. You can find additional information like where to purchase merchandise or make donations on their Linktree. 
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Monday Jul 10, 2023


We are so excited to be back with you for a new episode of the Sanctuary Life Podcast. This week's episode takes was recorded right here at our very own Butterfly Valley Rescue & Sanctuary with co-founder Nikki Feusner. Founded in 2021, Butterfly Valley Rescue & Sanctuary is a compassionate plant-based backyard rescue and microsanctuary for animals in need, specifically special needs animals. Everything we do around here is a little "unconventional" especially when it comes to dealing with our special needs or as we like to call them, limited edition, residents. 
Join us as we discuss some of our most memorable residents, discuss what makes our sanctuary so unique, lessons we learned long before we became a sanctuary, and much more. Follow along as we explore how one small sanctuary nestled in a suburban neighborhood in Louisville, KY is making a big impact, one animal at a time.
To stay updated on Butterfly Valley Rescue & Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at butterflyvalleyrescue.com. You can find additional information like where to purchase merchandise or make donations on their Linktree. 

Monday May 30, 2022


This week’s episode takes us to the west coast where we meet Deborah Blum, founder of Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary in Santa Rosa, California. Founded as a non- profit, animal sanctuary in 2017, Goatlandia's mission is “to have fun while helping animals, people, and the planet.” Goatlandia which began at their 2-acre Santa Rosa location began expanding in 2019 when they purchased an additional 20 acres of property in Sebastopol, CA. Goatlandia added an additional 18 acres last year giving them plenty of space to host public outreach events including goat yoga, vegan cooking classes, school tours and more.
Join us as we discuss what took Deborah from careers as a fashion designer, commercial pilot, and owner/operator of several San Francisco restaurants to running an animal sanctuary. Follow along as we explore the latest community outreach programs at Goatlandia including their Blues, Brews and (vegan) BBQ fundraiser and their upcoming "Kids For Compassion" Summer Camp.
To stay updated on Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctury, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at goatlandia.org. You can find additional information like where to purchase merchandise or make donations on their Linktree. 
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Thursday May 12, 2022


“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” - Christopher Reeve
This week's episode takes us to Williamstown, New Jersey to meet Eileen Persia, founder of The Troll House Animal Sanctuary. We'll explore this budding new sanctuary and all the obstacle Eileen had to face to make her dream of running a sanctuary possible. Inspired by an amazing pig named Alba at nearby Rancho Relaxo Animal Sanctuary, Eileen instantly went vegan and her sanctuary dream was born. Eileen dream began to take shape in 2018 when she purchased a 7 acre property. However, Eileen couldn't begin to imagine all the challenges she would face in life before eventually making the property home in 2021. Instead of building her dream, she found herself fighting for her life as she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer in September of 2020. She wasn’t finished remodeling the house, in fact, she hadn’t even gotten a chance to move in and she definitely hadn’t gotten to start the sanctuary she dreamt about. Eileen's cancer treatment lasted more than a year, but today she is happy to report she is cancer free. During her treatments Eileen planned, read, attended webinars, and found everything she could do to learn as much as possible about the animals she wanted to help. She has now finally moved into her sanctuary home and has started building the foundation for The Troll House Animal Sanctuary. 
Join us as we discuss what everyday life looks like at the Troll House Animal Sanctuary, how Eileen's plans for the sanctuary changed after her battle with cancer, what advice she give to those interested in starting their own sanctuary, and much more.
To stay updated on The Troll House Animal Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at tthas.org. You can find additional information like where to purchase merchandise or make donations on their Linktree. 
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Saturday May 07, 2022


A New York Daily News reporter remarked, “The thoroughbred race horse is a genetic mistake. It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks.”
Today we are recording a special episode to have an in depth conversation about the horse racing industry and the fate that awaits race horses when they finish their racing career. This afternoon the 148th Kentucky Derby will be run right here in our hometown of Louisville, KY. More than 150,000 people will pile into Churchill Downs and more than 15 million more will watch from around the world as 20 horses compete in what’s known as the “fastest two minutes in sports.” The unparalleled history, tradition, and unique spectacle of the event draw some of the world’s biggest names each year, but they also continue to bring up conversations about the safety of horse racing. 
Joining us for today’s special episode is Allison Bowling, Co-Founder and President of Red Feather Farm Sanctuary in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Red Feather Farm Sanctuary is home 27 full-time equine residents and 6 off the track equine residents and a number of other species including pigs, goats, turkeys, donkeys, and mini mules. 
To stay updated on Red Feather Farm Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at redfeatherfarmsanctuary.org. Donation are accepted via their website and on Paypal or Venmo.
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Thursday May 05, 2022


"It would be great if you could rescue 10 calves, or 80 calves, or 100 calves, but we can't rescue our way out of the problem." In this week's episode we introduce you to Destination Liberation founder Jason Bolalek a man on a mission to rescue calves from dairy farms and finding them forever homes. Bolalek who found himself "always stopping to see the cows," after his move north to Vermont, knew he had to take action after hearing a story about how the farmers killed the male calves." This life changing moment saw him jump right into action and after saving the first pair of calves he founded the rescue organization Destination Liberation. He has gone on to rescue and find homes for 75 unwanted calves. His work was recently showcased in an article by the British newspaper The Guardian.
A recent change has seen Bolalek add an additional title to his resume as he became the Farm Manager & PR Director for Rosie's Animal Sanctuary in Potomac, Maryland. The change allowed Jason to transition to what he calls his "dream job". 
Join us as we learn about a crazy adventure that started with a pair of dairy calves in the back of a rented Nissan Maxima and led activist Jason Bolalek to place calves as far away as Iowa and Florida. Learn what it was that made Bolalek feel such a connection with these dairy calves. Hear about his most memorable rescue and what the future holds not only for Destination Liberation, but for his new home at Rosie's Farm Sanctuary.
To stay updated on Destination Liberation, find them on Facebook and Instagram. 
To stay updated on Rosie's Farm Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at rosiesfarmsanctuary.org. Donate to Rosie's Farm Sanctuary via Paypal or Venmo by searching for Rosies Farm Sanctuary.
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

Thursday Apr 28, 2022


"As of this week there are 29 states with poultry outbreaks and more than 33 million poultry affected." In this week's episode we tackle a topic on the mind's of sanctuaries across the country. Andrea Davis, Director of Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary, Sawyer Kane, co-founder of Foreverland Farm, and Meghan Dibble, co-Founder of Herd and Flock Animal Sanctuary join us for a roundtable discussion about this virus that's wreaking havoc on birds across the country.
Topics include:
Housing
Enrichment
PPE
To stay updated on Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram. Donate to Broken Shovels via Paypal (brokenshovels@gmail.com) or Venmo (@brokenshovels) or via their website.
To stay updated on Foreverland Farm, find them on Facebook and Instagram. Donate to Foreverland Farm via Paypal (Foreverland@gmail.com) or Venmo (@foreverlandfarm) or check out their website.
To stay updated on Herd and Flock Animal Sanctuary, find them on Facebook and Instagram. Donate to Herd and Flock via Paypal, Venmo (@herdandflock) or Patreon. Find out more information on their website.
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For more information on Butterfly Valley Rescue and Sanctuary visit butterflyvalleyrescue.com.

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