MEDINA, Ohio — A Medina County farm animal sanctuary is urging residents not to abandon unwanted animals on its property after several incidents in which animals were left without warning.
Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary owner Janine Smalley posted a message on Facebook this week asking the public to contact the nonprofit before bringing animals to the property.
“Nothing is more heartbreaking than going out in the morning and finding a goat that I don’t recognize that gave birth cold and alone in our pasture,” Smalley wrote.
Smalley founded the nonprofit sanctuary in 2020 to rescue abused and neglected farm animals. The farm, located where Station Road meets Norwalk Road in Medina County, cares for a range of animals including pigs, goats, horses and roosters. The sanctuary also runs therapeutic programs and places some animals into foster or adoptive homes through an application process.
In her message, Smalley said animals have been left in carriers on the porch, turned loose in pastures, or simply abandoned on the property. The problem occurs throughout the year, she said, but tends to intensify during the warmer months.
The unexpected arrivals create serious concerns for the sanctuary’s animals, which are managed under strict quarantine and biosecurity protocols.
“We must know what arrives here so we can quarantine and protect the animals already in our care,” Smalley wrote, noting that an unknown illness or improper introduction could put many animals at risk.
In recent weeks, the sanctuary has seen an increase in cats and roosters being abandoned at the farm, she said.
Roosters introduced suddenly into unfamiliar flocks may fight, sometimes fatally, while animals released near the property also face dangers from traffic along the busy roadway nearby.
Smalley said the sanctuary understands that owners sometimes face difficult circumstances that make it impossible to keep their animals, and the organization tries to help when possible.
The key, she said, is communication and planning so animals can be handled safely.
“Please work with us, not around us,” Smalley wrote. “It makes all the difference for the lives we are trying to protect.”
