West Place Animal Sanctuary cares for farm animals in need. Support reaffirms its work
Will Richmond- The sanctuary participates in 401Gives, an annual day of support for Rhode Island nonprofits, to raise awareness and funds.
- 401Gives has helped West Place reach new donors and highlight the need for farm animal welfare.
- The organization has been surprised by the outpouring of support from Rhode Islanders and beyond for their mission.
The Providence Journal and United Way of Rhode Island have partnered to highlight the state's nonprofits. Each week, a nonprofit identified by United Way will be spotlighted in the Providence Sunday Journal, and the United Way will share how it supports that organization.
This week, with the sixth year of the annual day of support 401Gives approaching on April 1, we're featuring Rhode Island nonprofits and how they benefit from the effort Powered by the Alliance for Nonprofit Impact, in partnership with United Way of Rhode Island.
We asked Wendy Taylor, founder and executive director of West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton, to tell us more about the organization and the support that comes from 401Gives.
What is your organization's mission and vision?
Since 2007, West Place Animal Sanctuary has rescued, rehabilitated and responsibly cared for farm animals who have suffered abuse, neglect and cruelty. The sanctuary is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center that assists sick, injured and orphaned animals before releasing healthy wildlife back into their natural habitats. West Place is currently the permanent home to more than 300 animals who receive lifelong care as they live out their lives in the peace and safety of the sanctuary.
We believe farm animals are just as deserving of our care as cats, dogs and other companion animals. In addition to serving underrepresented and overlooked animal populations, West Place also stewards the historic 8-acre farm estate in Tiverton. We implement sustainable farming practices, including on-site food cultivation, rainwater capture and reuse, upcycling of natural animal products, and biodiversity conservation to help reduce environmental impacts of our organization and animals.
West Place has accepted animals from all five counties in Rhode Island, and we are a resource for every town and municipality in the state. Serving community interests and modeling innovative practices related to animal welfare, humane education, historic farmland stewardship and community resilience, West Place advances opportunities for students by providing hands-on experiential education and promoting sustainable land-use practices. For nearly two decades, West Place Animal Sanctuary has cultivated a more compassionate community for all.
Why do you participate in 401Gives and how does it impact your work?
Animal care never takes a day off. West Place operates seven days a week, 365 days a year. We always look forward to 401Gives because it gives us an opportunity to amplify our message and participate in an event that is bigger than any one organization. Our work is serious and demanding, but 401Gives also gives us a chance to have fun with our marketing and communications.
401Gives is one of our favorite times to highlight our amazing farm animals, share their stories of perseverance and detail our important work. Although we’ve filled a critical void in Rhode Island’s animal welfare landscape for nearly two decades, many of our friends and neighbors across the state are just learning about West Place. 401Gives allows us to share our mission with more Rhode Islanders who recognize that farm animals deserve dignity and respect.
We rely on the support of our community to provide lifelong care to a growing number of animals. The demand for our services currently outpaces our resources for lifesaving care, but we are embarking on a new era that includes the preservation of historical farmland and expansion to serve the growing number of farm animals in need.
How has 401Gives influenced your fundraising efforts?
Farm animals experience the most human-caused suffering of all animal categories, yet they receive a massively disproportionate amount of charitable funding. 401Gives helps West Place reach donors who may not have considered farm animals or their plight. It helps us communicate the expensive nature of our work to provide lifelong care to hundreds of animals representing dozens of species. 401Gives also helps us connect donors to the animals that benefit from their generosity through videos, photos and a communications campaign that is bigger than just West Place. We cannot execute our mission alone, and 401Gives puts the generosity of our community on full display as we come together to help these marginalized animals that are often excluded from animal welfare conversations. It’s incredible to see what can be accomplished when we all come together to make a collective impact.
What is something unexpected that's come as a result of 401Gives?
Attitudes towards farm animals are slowly shifting, but we’re always pleasantly surprised by how many Rhode Islanders understand and support our efforts. With such a long and storied history of farming and agriculture, Rhode Islanders are perhaps ahead of the curve when it comes to compassion for horses, cows, goats, pigs, sheep and other farm friends. But the positive feedback, the social media engagement, and, of course, the donations reaffirm that our work matters and that we provide a much-needed service to every county in the state.
It’s always a pleasant surprise to see our donors from outside of Rhode Island contribute during 401Gives. After all, it’s a day of giving for RI nonprofits, but our animals come from all over New England and even places like New York, Pennsylvania and Texas!
For more information about West Place Animal Sanctuary, call 401-228-6800, email info@westplace.org or visit westplace.org.