Organization of the Month: Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary

Out to Pasture Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in Estacada, Oregon for animals big and small.  We'll be holding a special sale Sunday, May 23rd, where 10% of the day's sales will be donated to OTP.  This is the third organization being featured through the Modified Style Fashion Show on May 16th at the Jupiter Hotel.  We will post more about this event and the special sale details soon!

 
Out to Pasture is a nonprofit animal sanctuary located in Estacada, Oregon and dedicated to sheltering abused, abandoned or neglected animals.  We care for a variety of animals including large farm animals, llamas, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens and feral cats.  We believe that animals value their lives as we value our own and deserve to live free of exploitation and cruelty.   Volunteer work parties are held at least once a month as well as Open Houses several times a year.  For further information please see our website or become a Facebook fan.  You can also contact Kit at kit.collins@gmail.com or call 503-756-8652.

A statement about the founders:

As a child, Kit cared for goats, sheep, horses, rabbits, chickens and a cow on her parents’ farm. Witnessing the slaughter of numerous farm animals made her question the necessity of killing and eating her animal friends.  Years later, when Kit’s older brother returned from Vietnam as a vegetarian, he vowed never to participate in the killing of anything, human or animal. Impressed, Kit went vegetarian in 1976 and vegan in 2000.

In high school John read Henry David Thoreau’s story of planting extra rows of plants in his garden for the animals to eat. While other farmers chose to shoot the deer and rabbits that invaded their gardens, Thoreau chose compassion over cruelty.  Several years later in 1970 watching a fish he had caught dying in the boat forced John to confront the reality of killing an animal and turned him into a vegetarian (and later vegan).

Married in 1977, Kit and John joined NW IDA (Northwest In Defense of Animals) in 2004 and became educated regarding the cruelty of many humans towards animals, especially the plight of unwanted and abandoned animals.  Meeting Carmel Guzman of Oregon Animal Rescue and participating in the rescue of a donkey inspired them to start their own sanctuary.  

At Out to Pasture we believe in choosing compassion over cruelty. Animals value their lives as we value our own and deserve to live free of exploitation and cruelty.