Welcome, cheerful viewers, to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Today we revisit the beautiful Sanctuary And Safe Haven for Animals (SASHA) Farm, the largest farm animal sanctuary in the Midwestern United States, a place where all its precious residents are provided with healthful vegan fare daily!

We use vegan food for all our pigs and there’s no animal product in any of our feed. Even our dogs are vegan. We feed them V-Dog and Evolution.

We feel that that’s the right way to go.

Located in Manchester, Michigan, the loving sanctuary for abandoned, neglected, and/or abused farm animals was founded by vegans Dorothy Davies and Monte Jackson.

The 60-acre (25-hectare) farm is named in honor of a deeply loved dog companion of the founders called Sasha who previously lived on the property and has now passed on.

We lived in the suburbs back in Detroit and we wanted to get out of the hustle bustle of the busy city. And we decided to buy a place in the country and live on a farm and maybe raise our own food. We started out rescuing goats and donkeys, and it just kind of mushroomed into this. I mean we got over 200 animals we take care of now and it just kind of happened. We just saw a need and started rescuing.

People started to bring me animals because they knew I wouldn’t eat them. And after about a hundred animals, I thought, “I have to give up my job and take care of these animals and find a way to support them.” So I formed a non-profit and I retired – I was a librarian – and we have been going strong ever since. And it’s been about our 11th year now in business.

At SASHA Farm, animals find a safe, permanent home with plenty of love! Besides yummy meals, clean water, regular veterinary checkups and a warm and comfortable place to sleep, the residents are able to interact freely and make friends.

We have in the neighborhood of 25 cows. And they’re pretty gentle creatures, they’re a joy to be around. We have six horses, one mule, three donkeys, numerous amounts of goats, sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys, and two emus. We have some resident dogs and we also have some resident cats, and we have about 17 large pigs and about 15 potbelly pigs.

Each animal at SASHA Farm has a unique story as to how they became a resident. Let’s now meet some of them, including one of the sanctuary’s celebrities, Jefferson, who used his determination and wits to escape from a slaughterhouse and then roamed the streets, touching countless hearts nationwide.

Dorothy and I were on vacation in Phoenix (USA) seeing our grandkids. And we started getting phone calls from various people that knew us saying there’s this steer in downtown Detroit (USA), can you help us rescue him? It took us about two weeks to talk the slaughterhouse into letting us have Jefferson, along with some cash of course. But there was a lot of public outcry to save Jefferson’s life because he escaped from a slaughterhouse.

And finally we had enough supporters to acquire enough cash to actually buy him right from the slaughterhouse. And because of the public outcry, we were granted the privilege of bringing him out alive. I mean it really helps when people band together to try to make something happen. And that’s what saved Jefferson’s life.

This is Tilula. Tilula loves to have her belly rubbed.

Tilula was found down the street down in Indiana, on a rural street down in Indiana (USA), by about four or five girls. And they brought her up here because they didn’t want to see her go to at all back to a pig farm, or wherever she’d come from. She probably got loose from the pig farm. But, like a lot of these big pigs, they love to have their bellies rubbed. Actually sometimes when they’re stressed, you can rub their bellies and it just calms them right down, like giving them a little massage.

They came in from the guy who bought all my hay from me, (they) just showed up in his yard. They didn’t know what was going on so I went over there and caught him; he was friendly. Nobody claimed him so that’s the first one, that’s George. The second one is Dundee. Now Dundee was spotted in another little town just a few miles away from here. (She was) running loose, nobody claimed her.

Animals from all backgrounds begin to heal as soon as they encounter the compassionate hands and hearts of the Farm’s dedicated staff and passionate volunteers.

How many staff are employed on SASHA Farm?

Three.

We have four volunteers at the farm right now. We definitely depend on volunteers. We have a lot of outside interest in the farm. Veg Michigan helps out a lot. They help get word out there for SASHA Farm; they like what we do of course. And there’re other groups. Eastern Michigan University helps us out. There’re a lot of corporations that have work day volunteering and they come out, like Mercedes Benz Finance. They come out a couple times a year and help us out.

We have regular volunteers that come every week. Most of them come on the same day once a week. We have three employees, but the volunteers do the majority of the work. They come and take care of the animals every day; they help us groom them and provide them with some social interaction. We don’t just let them live all by themselves.

We make sure that they get a lot of love and attention and we take a lot of care into checking our animals constantly to try to catch any problems, any diseases that they might have, so we can take care of that right away. We love our volunteers. We couldn’t do without them.

For providing such a splendid, caring home to vulnerable animals, Supreme Master Ching Hai is honoring both Monte Jackson and Dorothy Davies and SASHA Farm with the Shining World Compassion Award along with US$10,000, with all love and gratitude. On behalf of Supreme Master Ching Hai, our Association members presented the handsome Award plaque to Mr. Jackson.

Oh, my. This is beautiful. I only wish Dorothy was here. She’s on extended vacation right now. Yes. This is beautiful. Very good. Thank you very much.

The following is an excerpt of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s loving letter to the admirable vegan couple.

Benevolent Founders of SASHA Farm. It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you and to your Sanctuary and Safe Haven for Animals, the “Shining World Compassion Award.” SASHA Farm, the largest animal sanctuary in the Midwest, offers a loving ‘home for life’ for over 200 of our precious animal and feathered friends.

Coming from various backgrounds of disregard, neglect or abuse, you demonstrate true humanity by appreciating them, giving them an abundance of love, and thus re-establishing their trust in humans once again. In addition, you introduce and endear the public to the sweet and friendly personalities of each of the farm’s residents, who have so much love and noble quality to share with us.

Now they can enjoy the security of the farm and the warm company of many kind companions and enthusiastic visitors! Leading by example, SASHA Farm demonstrates genuine care and respect for our animal co-inhabitants and that we should live together in peace and harmony. Thank you for uplifting our world with your inspirational ideal of love in action. We are grateful to all the staff and volunteers at SASHA Farm, an abode of tranquility and compassion.

For selflessly providing for the needs of so many vulnerable animals, for your vision, creativity and boundless generosity, and for your pure hearted love, we hereby applaud and celebrate the compassionate deeds of SASHA Farm with special thanks to its dedicated and noble founders. With Great Honor, Love And Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai

Along with the Award, Mr. Jackson was very happy to receive several of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s books and DVDs including her #1 international bestseller “The Birds In My Life,” as well as “From Crisis to Peace” and “The Love of Centuries.” Mr. Jackson has the following kind message for Supreme Master Ching Hai.

I would like to thank you very much for your dedicated service to come out and give SASHA Farm exposure. We need all that we can get. And of course this donation of US$10,000 will help out greatly. You know in a troubled economy in Michigan right now, it’s been a little bit tough and, what we do best is take care of the animals. And your help has been greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Once again our appreciation Mr. Jackson and Ms. Davies, and SASHA Farm volunteers for all that you have done for the animals. We pray that SASHA Farm forever remains a place of love for our animal friends and is blessed by Heaven’s protection.

For more details on SASHA Farm, please visit www.SASHAFARM.org

Joyful viewers, thank you for your uplifting company on today’s edition of the Shining World Award Series on Supreme Master Television. May all beings soon live together in lasting peace.