VINE Sanctuary provides safe place for abused and neglected animals

VINE sanctuary in Springfield provides refuge to numerous birds, cows, sheep and even a pig that are survivors of both large scale factory farming abuse and smaller scale abuse and neglect as well.
http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/vine-sanctuary-provides-safe-place-abused-and-neglected-animals

VINE Sanctuary Provides Safe Place for Abused and Neglected Animals Submitted by VT Journal on Tue, 10/07/2014 - 3:20pm By LAUREN DRASLER The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -Many people that live in Vermont are fortunate enough to have land associated with their properties and with that land often comes the idea to have farm animals. Sometimes, however, animals become too much for people to take care of and when that happens there are limited options for an animal’s owner. VINE (Veganism Is the Next Evolution) sanctuary in Springfield, however, is trying to change that by offering refuge to numerous birds, cows, sheep and even a pig that are survivors of both large scale factory farming abuse and smaller scale abuse and neglect as well. “We began as a bird sanctuary 15 years ago in Maryland,” co-founder of VINE Pattrice Jones said. “In 2009 we came to Vermont because we wanted to expand. We were the first farmed animal sanctuary in Vermont.” Co-founders Pattrice and Miriam Jones decided to open the Eastern Shore Chicken Sanctuary (which later became Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center before becoming VINE in 2009) after discovering a chicken by the side of the road. “We lived in a part of the country with lots of factory farming,” Pattrice Jones said. “We thought that the chicken had fallen off a truck headed for a slaughter house. After asking around, and realizing that no one would take the chicken, we decided to take the bird and care for it.” Jones said that after taking in the first bird, she and Miriam contacted the local humane society and offered to take in chickens. Soon, they began getting more and more birds, and in 2009 after moving to Vermont, VINE sanctuary began taking in numerous cows and sheep along with a variety of birds. “As feminists, we were particularly interested in the dairy industry, and offering refuge to cows that were exploited by the industry,” she said. “The property in Springfield was exactly what we wanted, so we moved the existing birds here and expanded.” Currently, the animal population at VINE hovers between 450-500 animals Jones said. “We have 40 cows, six sheep, one pig and the rest of the animals on the property are birds,” she said. “Five people live on-site, and we have two other local employees. We have one other employee in Boston that helps with fundraising and outreach for the sanctuary.” After moving to Vermont, Pattrice and Miriam decided that their sanctuary also needed a new name. “We wanted the name to start with a ‘V’ because of Vermont, but we were tired of hearing the place where the facility was located in the name,” Jones said. “Then we discovered the vine is a great word because of its meaning and how vines connect things. For our name, VINE is meant to be both the word and the acronym.” According to their website, “as an acronym, VINE stands for “Veganism is the Next Evolution.” What do we mean by that? In the widest sense of the word, “veganism” represents an essential next step for anybody who understands that the “intersection of oppressions” of which social justice activists so often speak exists within and is supported by the matrix of beliefs and practices that promote and excuse the exploitation of animals and the despoliation of the environment.” VINE sanctuary sits on just over 100 acres, with about 60 of the acreage devoted to wildlife refuge, Jones said. There are five pastures and two barns. The property is also divided by the road, with part of the property devoted to chickens, pigeons, doves and ducks on one side and the rest to cows, sheep, turkeys and numerous other birds. Although VINE is not currently open to the public on a regular basis (people are not able to just “drop by,”) the sanctuary is working towards offering tours to the public. “We’re getting ready to have tours in the spring,” Jones said. “Starting once a month, we’ll offer tours to local folks. We don’t want lots of people here all the time because we want to provide as close to a natural environment for the animals as possible, but we want folks to have a chance to see the sanctuary.” Jones said that one of the biggest goals of VINE is to be a model for a different way of relating to animals. “We’re really excited to be part of a more plant based future and to promote agriculture,” she said. “We’ve supported a community garden and have made efforts to help folks eat more healthy.”