MEETOURFAMILY
GUSSY ANGORA GOAT DOB July 2019 - December 2023
Gussy was gifted by a son to his mom when he was only a few weeks old. He was growing up as a family pet: bottled-fed, babied and spoiled with lots of love. As Gussy got older, he began doing what any healthy, well-adjusted kid would do: take off his diaper, climb on the counters, eat the houseplants... To their credit, the family quickly realized that Gussy needs a farm, with others of his kind to bond with and do what Gussy does best – be a goat. After the first few days of trying to get into the house, Gussy has quickly learned that the barn and its residents is his new home.
BABE SAANEN GOAT May 2008 – Sep 2019
This gentle soul came to us from an elderly owner whose failing health made it hard for him to care for her. Babe was in pretty rough shape when she arrived: malnourished, with super long nails on her hind legs and a festering neck wound. Goats are herd animals but Babe lived alone in a small enclosure for ten years. She now lives with her friend Taco and a whole brood of ducks. She has come out of her shell and even ventures out on short walks close to the barn. Babe passed away almost a year after she arrived due to complications from a heart murmur. We miss her dearly.​​
CORNELIUS TURKEY RESCUED 2021 - June 21, 2022
Cornelius was found sitting in the middle of a busy rural road, with cars speeding past. Since day one, he has been super friendly, following us and our visitors around the farm and even on long walks through the forest. He adores attention, including head rubs, hugs and loves to show off his beautiful feathers. Corno has changed many lives during his time at the sanctuary and will be forever in our hearts.
BETTY POTBELLIED PIG RESCUED 2021
We are not sure how old Betty is. She was rescued from a situation of severe neglect. Labeled a "mean pig" with hooves that have never been trimmed and were the longest our rescuers or vet have ever seen. But just after a hoof trim and being welcome to her forever home, Betty has blossomed into a lovely porcine, who loves to nap by the pond and enjoys unlimited belly rubs and snacks.
MYLO (AKA RAM DAS) SHEEP DOB 2017
Mylo came to the sanctuary in May 2021. The rest of his herd found homes but because Mylo has intimidating-looking horns, nobody stepped up to take him in. He settled into his new digs amazingly quickly and became inseparable from our half-blind sheep, Noble. It's truly heartwarming to see how Mylo gently guides noble with his body and waits for him when Noble is unsure of his surroundings. ​​
12 PEKIN DUCKS DOB Various
Rescued from a horrible program that gave ducklings to unsuspecting families to be used for food when they were returned at the age of 4 weeks. They are all a very bonded, happy family, presided over over by our resident Chinese Grey Geese.
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ANTHONY, GUIDO, DEMI, QUACK (+20 babies) MUSKOVY DUCKS
These guys became a nuisance to their owner and were going to end up as dinner. Luckily, a kind soul rescued them and reached out to our sanctuary. They love their new digs, scavanging around the yard, naps in the sunshine and wading in the shallow end of the pool or the pond. They are also the barnyard mafia, maintaining order and occasionally wrecking havoc in the chicken coop.
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MOLLY POTBELLIED PIG DOB April 2011
Molly came from a farm where she has overstayed her welcome and was going to become dinner. A kind neighbour convinced the farmer to surrender her and brought her to the sanctuary. Molly has lots to say. She is constantly chatting and has quite a repertoire of grunts to express her mood of the moment. She loves belly rubs and going for long walks around the property with the resident pups.
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KEVIN POTBELLIED PIG DOB May 2017
This sweet dude was a beloved pet until his owners found themselves losing their home due to circumstances beyond their control. They were heartbroken and scrambled to find a sanctuary to give him a good home in order to avoid taking him to the humane society. Kevin shares room and board with his buddy Molly and loves making forts out of his blankets. A bit on the portly side, he is currently on a healthy diet and exercise regimen. He is a kind boy who enjoys a good massage and is not at all averse to treats.
HUGO POTBELLIED PIG DOB June 2016
As often happens, Hugo was a pampered pet with his own Instagram account and a pretty impressive following. Then Hugo's 'parents' split up and Hugo's mom spent almost two years trying to find him the prefect place to land. Watching Hugo transition from house pig to farm pig was a real treat. For the first time in his life, he got the chance to wallow in a mud puddle, root around in the forest, raid a corn field and make a nest for himself out of blankets and straw. A bit of a loner at first, Hugo finally befriended the rest of the piggies and once they realized he is the boss, live happily ever after! ​​
TACO OBERHASLI GOAT DOB April 2010
Having been diagnosed with the CAE virus, an incurable and contagious (to other goats and sheep) disease, Taco's future was not looking too bright. The vet recommended that she be culled but her owner did not have the heart to do it and reached out in a Facebook post, to see if anyone would give this girl a forever home. Our sanctuary happily stepped up and Taco quickly became the barn darling. She shares her living quarters with Gussy and Nacho. Taco Tuesdays have taken on a whole new meaning :)
RED QUARTER HORSE DOB 2003
Red had a promising career as a reining horse in Texas, USA until a trailering accident at the age of 9 years left him permanently lame. After a while, the owner who was boarding him at an Ontario farm stopped paying board and stopped coming around altogether. Red's future looked pretty bleak until a lucky Facebook post brought him to Promised Land. Red adores being fawned over. If he could crawl into your lap and curl up, he would! Here, he enjoys long grooming sessions and deep tissue massages, as well as the company of all mares who adore him!
ANNIE PONY DOB 1996
Annie came with Red, as his companion horse. She had a long life of being a show pony and was then literally put out to pasture and forgotten. Annie is super intelligent and understands pretty much everything that is asked of her. She is wonderful with children and people who have zero to little experience with horses. She fit easily into the herd and now explores over ten acres of pasture with her buddy Red and the rest of the herd.
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KHALEESI BELGIAN DOB 1999
Khaleesi came with her friend Rhaegal from a neighbour's farm. She is a small Belgian Draft horse. Her owners both passed away suddenly and she and Rhaegal were left to fend for themselves. Khaleesi used to be a working horse and was trained to pull a wagon. She is gentle and sweet and made fast friends with the rest of the herd, although she prefers the company of Rhaegal. Both girls are in good physical condition but need a lot of work on their feet. They are loving all the attention from visitors and volunteers.
RHAEGAL BELGIAN/PERCHERON X DOB 2009
Rhaegal came with Khaleesi from a neighbour's farm. She is a Belgian/ Percheron Draft horse. Her owners both passed away suddenly and she and Khaleesi were left to fend for themselves. Rhaegal has not had much handling or training and was deemed unsafe around humans, but has responded extremely well to love and attention. She loves being groomed and having her mane and tail brushed. We are currently working on getting her to politely lift her feet and yield when asked :)
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NOAH ST. PYRENEES DOB October 2017
This 150 lb sweetheart is a St. Bernard/Great Pyrenees cross and came from a family who downsized and found that their new home was not a good fit for this pup, who needs a lot of space to run and loves to be outdoors. Noah is loving his new digs and all his new barn friends. He has naturally taken on the role of guardian and protector of his realm. He really is a gentle giant and has found a fantastic playmate in two of our other rescue pups.
QUARTZ, ONYX, BELLA, BO PEEP BABYDOLL SHEEP DOB February 2019
These 3 girls and 1 boy were brought to the sanctuary by a local resident, who was desperate to find them a safe place to live. They have proven to be a delightful addition to our farm family: playful, curious and sweet. They are fond of the resident dogs and enjoy grazing alongside Pippin the lamb, their adopted Big Brother. Still shy and wary of strangers, these babies enjoy their days of peace and comfort in the safety of the sanctuary walls.
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PIPPIN KATAHDIN SHEEP DOB July 2017
When he was first born, Pip was left out in the field by his herd. The farmer picked him up and handed him to a 13-yo girl saying: “Here you go, he’s yours”. Two years later, after being bottle-raised and loved by this girl, Pippin was separated to be shipped for meat with the rest of the males. Desperate to save him, the young girl and her mom took him home in their van and put him in their garage, while they scrambled to find a local sanctuary to take him. How could we possibly say no! ​
REBEL ROOSTER June 2015 – JULY 2022
Rebel came to the sanctuary in February 2017 and was Promised Land's first rescue. He narrowly avoided being chicken soup, when an exasperated family asked if we would take him in because he was terrorizing their young children. He quickly bonded with our dogs and would make regular visits to the house for play sessions, feedings and cuddles. Once the hens arrived, Rebel easily settled into his new role as protector and clan leader.
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TEAPOT CHEVIOT/DORPER SHEEP DOB April 2013
Rescued by a family with a hobby farm, Teapot arrived here with her pal Noble and has proven to be the cleverest little sheep on the farm. She has figured out how to get under and through fences and into all the off-limits areas like the feed room and the chicken coop. She knows her name and comes running when called for her evening snack. Teapot shares her quarters with Pippin and the babydoll sheep.
NOBLE ROMNEY/DORPER SHEEP DOB April 2014
Noble was rejected by his mom when he was first born in the middle of winter and by the time people got to him, he had severe frostbite on his ears and was losing his eyesight due to vitamin deficiency. Luckily, thanks to some emergency care, one of his eye was saved and he grew up in the company of Teapot, his best friend and constant companion. Noble's family searched for a long time for the perfect place and finally found our sanctuary: a forever home for this big teddy bear of a boy who loves back rubs and follows us around like a puppy.
ZIGGY POLISH FRIZZLE DOB June 2020
Ziggy's only misfortune in life was that he was born a male. Roosters are one of the most often rehomed (best case) or disposed of animals in the Backyard Chickens industry and Ziggy's fate was looking pretty bleak until a friend reached out to the sanctuary with a plea to save this boy from the dinner plate. Ziggy is handsome and he knows it. He adores having his picture taken and will pose to show off all of his best sides, because he clearly doesn't have a bad one. He is friendly and social and loves cuddles and kisses.
ROUSER ROOSTER DOB May 2018
This dude is full of tude. He ended up at the sanctuary because he is feisty and was fighting with the other roos at the farm where he was born. After some initial scrapping with our resident roos and establishing his dominance, he settled into a happy coexistence with the other boys. Rouser is shy and prefers the company of hens over humans but we don't blame him, because frankly, we do too :)
HUMMER MINIATURE DONKEY DOB June 2005
Hummer made his way to the sanctuary in the summer of 2020, with his two best buds, Wally and Polly. Their owners could no longer care for them and needed a safe place for this trio to live out the rest of their lives. Hummer loves long grooming sessions, ear rubs and is not shy about asking for what he wants with a series of loud brays. He follows Wally everywhere and the two often accompany our visitors on walks through the forest.
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WALTER MINIATURE PONY DOB July 2005
Wally is happy to be at the sanctuary with his two best friends, Hummer and Polly. He loves to give new arrivals a once-over with his famous side-eye. Miniature in stature but definitely not in attitude, Wally holds his own with the biggest draft horses in the herd. He loves to follow us along, lead-free, on long walks in the woods and accepts cuddles, kisses and brushings without reservation.
POLLY MINIATURE PONY DOB March 2004
Polly is the smallest of the three minis but is the sassiest. An escape artist, she loves to try and squeeze through and under fences and gates. Because she has a bit of a Na(POLLY)on complex, she prefers to hang with the big herd and has gotten herself quite the round belly. She doesn't care though, she loves herself just as she is.
MAMA BANTAM HEN+BABIES Rescued November 2020
A petting zoo, whose owner passed away suddenly, reached out to us to help give a home to this mama and her ten chicks. They wanted them to stay together and live out the rest of their lives in safety. We were only too happy to oblige. It's great fun watching mom teach her babies how to forage, roost and avoid predators (in this case, the barn cat who is pretty harmless to begin with). We can't wait to see how many of these littles are roos and how many are hens!
EMBER CHINESE GRAY GOOSE DOB May 2019
Ember has designated himself the fierce protector of the Pekin flock. He welcomes new arrivals with the affection of a doting father and ensures everyone gets along. No roosters allowed! Not super friendly with strangers, he will climb into the lap of his favourite caretaker and whisper (ok, screech) sweet nothings in their ear. You can always hear his distinct squak across the lawn. Even Noah, our livestock guardian dog, will not dare mess with the guard goose!
10 GUINEAS DOB 2018
You an always tell when there's a guinea bird (or ten) around. Their continuous chirps and squawks are an endless source of entertainment. Guineas are excellent tick hunters and are popular with hobby farmers for that reason. However, not many realise just how loud these birds can be and many end up dumped in rural areas or looking for homes. These birds made their way to us from local bird lovers who were very fond of the birds, but unfortunately their neighbours were not.