Welcome To
Farmhouse Garden Animal Home!
an animal sanctuary just an hour outside of Toronto
BOOK A
PRIVATE TOUR!
Our Residents
Our farm is home to 24 cows, a horse, a donkey, two ducks, six hens, and a rooster. Read about them below! All our residents are available to sponsor; sponsoring an animal gives us the funds to support our residents. You will receive updates on your animal as well as special opportunities throughout the year for visits and more!
Annabelle
Annabelle is gentle and sweet. She’s Gord’s mother, and she’s got a very unique spot over one of her eyes. She’s not afraid to moo when she wants something, but she’s equally happy if that something is just cuddles.
Aubrey
Aubrey loves the good life. He’s friendly and playful, he loves veggies, and he seems to really enjoy lounging around with his friends. He also gives wicked kisses, so make sure your face isn’t too close to his!
​
Butternut
Butternut is Cocoa’s son, and he’s inherited a little of her grouchy temperament. He’s shaggier than most of the cows, even in the summer, and he’s got a mirror image of his mum’s markings on his face.
​
Cocoa
Cocoa is Butternut’s Mum. She can be a little aloof, and her favourite thing to do is stand a little ways away from volunteers and moo quietly in a judgey way. It’s adorable.
Charlie
Charlie is a big goof. He’s always been enthusiastic about everything he does, and often jumps around in glee. It’s so heartwarming to see. Charlie is almost identical to Sunny, though the two aren’t brothers. He’s always up for ear skritches from volunteers, and he likes licking pants!
Curly
Curly is a curious girl who always wants to know what’s up. She watches volunteers doing chores, sniffs everything they do, and often comes up to people just to see what’s happening.
​
​
Einstein
Einstein is Neo’s Mum, and the two of them are really best friends. She can often be found with him, she grooms him, and she moos at him if he’s not nearby. She’s friendly with volunteers, and does enjoy being pet and even brushed.
Esther
Shy Esther is usually hovering on the outskirts of events. She’s got the most beautiful long ears, and she’s curious of volunteers one-on-one, especially if you’re holding an apple slice.
​
Fuzz
Fuzz is one of the herd’s leaders. She helps to keep everyone in line, and she’s usually watching visitors and volunteers carefully. Despite this, she’s really a big sweetie and is always down for an ear skritch.
​
Gord
Gord is the youngest member of the herd. He was born a good while after all the boys had been neutered, and he’s the only one with horns. He’s just special all around. Named for Gord Downie, he’s got the most chill temperament, he’s playful and friendly
Ginger
Ginger isn’t really a people cow. She keeps to herself, but she will still come up for treats when they’re on offer; just don’t try to pet her!
​
Gretel
Gretel has a way of kneeling down on her front feet and eating the grass and plants on the other side of the electric fence. It doesn’t matter how much grass is on her side, she prefers the other side.
Hansel
Hansel and his twin sister Gretel are not big fans of humans. That’s okay though, because they have their place in the herd family! Hansel is often found with Aubrey and Wayne, doing steer things. He likes to dig in the dirt, demolish straw bales, and glare at Sarah, one of the volunteers.
Lump
Lump is always watching. He’s always standing just outside the barn watching the volunteers lay down straw. Sometimes you’ll be getting chicken feed and you’ll see him thru the window watching you. He finds the volunteers fascinating. Either that, or he’s just really looking for veggies.
Meathead
His head really is meaty, he’s got protruding eyebrows and a massive head. Despite that, Meathead is a big softie. He’s dad to many of the cows on the farm, and he likes to complain when the herd moves from one place to another. He’ll stop mid-way and just moo his complaints at everyone.
​
Milkshake
Milkshake is was just fed five minutes ago, but she needs to have more veggies than anyone else. She’s not against using her long eyelashes, and adorable face to coerce you into giving her those extra carrots. It’s hilarious to see her come running when she’s somewhere else and she realises volunteers are passing out veggies.
Neo
Neo’s face seems to be in a permanent smirk, which makes him seem like he’s getting into mischief. He’s one of the smaller steers, but he doesn’t let himself get pushed around. He can often be found with his mum Einstein, as the two are BFF’s
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is one of our younger guys. He’s Meathead’s son, and he has that same distinct big head and shaggy fur, although he’s one of the smaller steers. He’s a bit shy, but very sweet.
​
Red-Eye
Red-Eye is one of our older ladies. She’s usually found at the front of the line for treats, and she’s also a big fan of trying to eat phones, gloves, watches, and anything she can wrap her tongue around. She’s very friendly, and is usually up for cheek scratches.
Regan
Named after famed animal activist Tom Regan, Regan is always found getting into dirt, puddles; you name it. He’s an explorer when the herd is in the pasture, and always seems to be climbing things. He’s also curious of volunteers, and visitors.
Sunny
Sunny isn’t a fan of pats, but he is a fan of treats. So he’s often at the front of the herd looking for veggies, but he’ll duck away when you try to give him a snuggle. He looks almost identical to Charlie, who likes to be pet, and we often mistake one for the other!
Sweet Swede
Sweet Swede is one of the cows in charge of the herd. She’s first in and out to the field, and she keeps a close eye on what’s going on. She’s also a softie for pets, and will give you a big sniff to make sure you’re not edible.
Terri Jane
Don’t turn your back on Terri Jane, she’s not afraid to bump you! She’s hungry, she’s determined, and she’s going to use her weight to get what she wants. We admire her spunk.
​
Wayne
Wayne is probably the sweetest in the herd. He’s always up for cuddles, and he is known to rub up against volunteers like a cat. Except he weighs a LOT more than a cat, so you need to brace yourself! He’s got a very distinct moo, and he loves to play.
Buckley
Widely considered the most gentle girl in the world, Buckley began her life as a guardian of the herd; donkeys are excellent at detecting predators. But she was too sweet and timid and immediately failed as a guard. These days she lives the good life with her pal Melody and occasionally crashes a Zoom meeting or two.
Melody
Melody is a very curly girl for the cold months of the year. She's a Bashkir Curly horse and she is a little bit picky about her people. But when you gain her trust, she loves cuddles. Now in her late teens, Mel is blind in her right eye. It doesn't slow her down however, and she
Willard
Willard has been with the sanctuary from the start. She came to us after someone had adopted her as a house duck, but could no longer care for her. She loves digging in the mud, probably more than anyone and her quacks are louder than the cows' moos!
​
Topaz
Rescued from a backyard he'd been abandoned in, Topaz is feisty, friendly, and hilarious. Muscovy ducks don't quack, they huff and when Topaz is excited, he huffs, wags his tail like a dog, and his head feathers come up like a mohawk. It is impossible to see that and not love him immediately.
Edwardo
Edwardo, affectionately known as Eddie, is just a little bit of a terror. He can't be with the hens because he tends to love them too much. So he is a spoiled bachelor. He spends his days crowing as loud as he can, and inciting fear into every volunteers heart. We love him.
The Hens
We have six hens at the sanctuary these days. Chick Chick and Daphne have been with us for three years, and the golden girls; Sophia, Dorothy, Rose and Blanche joined us last year. They are very friendly, very chatty, and love harassing the volunteers for treats and digging up the good bugs.