Article By Taryn Szedlak
Kitchensink Rescue Farm & Sanctuary, in Roberts Creek, British Columbia, is currently home to horses, a cow, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, cats, dogs, and even a lizard – hence the name “kitchensink”.
The Sanctuary was founded in 2001, but Yvonne – founder of KitchenSink Rescue Farm – said she never intended on starting a sanctuary. “I took in a few dogs, and then some more, a few cats, rabbits, a horse; then whelp! I think we have had a total of about 125 animals come and live with us, currently home to 72”. Now the mission is to improve life for all animals, in any way that they can.
She suggests doing a lot of research and volunteering at a sanctuary before considering starting one. She also says to plan for emergencies, how to get proper veterinary care, and funding.
Luckily, Yvonne has 10 years of veterinary experience and grew up caring for horses. “I’ve always been a big fan of animals”, Yvonne says. She has been rescuing animals for 18 years and has been vegan for 16 years. Before that she was vegetarian at the age of 10, but notes there was nothing specific that made her go vegan. She just remembers thinking “what the heck; why have I not already done this?”.
“I wish we lived in a world with more compassion”, says Yvonne.
While there is no specific rescue that stands out to Yvonne, she says they all have epic stories.
The hardest part of running the sanctuary, Yvonne says, is having to work so much to support it. “I love my job but I miss the farm when I’m at work,” Yvonne says. She also says the farm duties are never-ending. Since there are not many volunteers, she doesn’t get to just “be” with the animals as much as she wants since she is always working on stalls or coops.
In the future, Yvonne hopes to acquire more land to house more rescued animals and continue educating people about them. “I hope you have the chance to see animals as I do, feel with them, love them, and understand them,” Yvonne says.