Why Sanctuary?

Every year, billions of animals are killed for food. For most people, grasping what this means is incomprehensible, and the numbers become abstract. Farm sanctuaries play a crucial role in helping people connect with the individuals who have survived exploitation. Each of our twenty rescued chickens is a tangible reminder of the personalities hidden within the abstract statistics of animal agriculture. 

While it’s true that sanctuaries may not appear to “maximize lives saved per dollar” in the short term, they play a crucial long-term role in transforming public perception, which is foundational to systemic change. Here’s why:

1. Sanctuaries Show the Positive Alternative

Positive, solution-focused messaging (like showing happy rescued animals or promoting plant-based eating) is more effective than graphic imagery or guilt-heavy messages for long-term change. (Bastian et al. 2012) Additionally, social psychology research (Goldstein, Cialdini & Griskevicius 2008) shows that people are likelier to change harmful behaviours when offered positive, relatable alternatives and not when shamed or overwhelmed by suffering. Sanctuaries are the positive alternative. We embody a world where farmed animals are seen as individuals, not commodities.

2. They Disarm Moral Disengagement

Meeting a rescued chicken and hearing their story doesn’t trigger guilt; it sparks a connection. When people are reminded of the harm they cause, they defensively deny animals' minds. Sanctuaries gently bypass this defense by fostering curiosity and empathy, not blame. (Bastian et al. 2012)

3. They Shift Social Norms by Making the Invisible Visible

Showing people positive alternatives often works by highlighting descriptive norms (what most people do) or injunctive norms (what people approve of). Most people have never met a chicken. Sanctuaries bring the hidden lives of feathered companions into view - and into hearts. Over time, this changes descriptive norms, making it more socially acceptable to care about chickens, and ultimately, to advocate for them.

4. They Inspire & Empower Advocacy

Sanctuaries serve as proof of the concept that a more compassionate world is possible. They fuel storytelling, outreach, and media that ripple far beyond the sanctuary gates. Many advocates trace their “aha” moment back to a sanctuary visit, video, or rescued animal story.

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Sanctuaries may directly save fewer individual lives, but they have the power to change minds. When minds change, so do laws, cultures, and food systems. In this way, sanctuaries are not a luxury; they’re a powerful and necessary complement to systemic work. Investing in sanctuaries isn’t just about saving one life—it’s about changing how society sees all farmed animals.