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Petunia the pig

Petunia spent the first year of her life in a laboratory, used for testing. We do not know exactly what she was used for in this lab, but she arrived covered in scabs and rashes. She came to live at Charlie's Acres on her first birthday and touched grass for the very first time that day! Now, she loves being outside and is the last one to go to bed each night, always far out in the field snacking on grass until the last bit of sunlight disappears. Petunia became a quick favorite as she grew to be more confident and outgoing, coming up to visitors and nudging them with her nose, asking for belly scratches. Her skin has improved thanks to regular skin conditioner treatments (and frequent mud baths).

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Simon the steer

Simon was born on a dairy farm and sold to a petting zoo where he became very ill with pneumonia. When some kind observers saw him sick and emaciated, they knew he needed help and negotiated with the petting zoo owners for him to come to Charlie's Acres. Thanks to the generosity of one of our donors and volunteers, Simon was able to receive the vet care he so desperately needed. After a few months living with goats and a turkey in our Misfit Barn, Simon was ready to meet our other resident cows and join the family.

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Naomi the sheep

Born on a neglectful hobby farm, Naomi’s early life was marred by a severe injury: she was stepped on by another animal, leaving her with a seriously damaged spine. Despite her challenges, Naomi has an incredible spirit and a strong will to live a happy life. She happily uses her wheelchair to get around and graze with her friends. Animals like Naomi are often overlooked and denied the specialized care they need simply because they are not as visible or celebrated as companion animals. However, we believe all animals deserve a chance at a happy life, no matter their species.

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Franklin the turkey

Franklin is a heritage turkey who came from a small farming operation, originally intended to become someone’s Thanksgiving meal. Thankfully, in 2019, he was rescued by a compassionate family who, instead of eating a turkey for Thanksgiving, chose to save one. A gentle tom, Franklin loves to strut around and show off his handsome plumage. Since his fellow turkeys, Mei Li and Sapphire, don’t seem to appreciate his beauty quite as much as he would like, he takes every chance to impress human visitors, puffing up his feathers and dancing in circles. If you speak to him in an admiring tone, Franklin will quickly take a liking to you!

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Roger the sheep

When Roger the sheep was a few years old, he lost his eyesight due to a head injury. Fortunately, he came to live at our sanctuary, but he was incredibly nervous and confused in the beginning. His fellow sheep immediately accepted him as a member of the flock and helped him learn to navigate his pasture without his eyes. He is now a happy-go-lucky, independent boy who loves to cuddle and eat bananas as a snack! Roger thrives thanks to the help of his friends, both human and nonhuman, in his time of need, and his story inspires us all to uplift those around us.

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Gretel and her piglets

In July 2021, we received several messages from individuals in a nearby neighborhood that a potbellied pig had been abandoned and that they were worried due to the busy road and mountain lion sightings in the area. Our staff spent days gaining this pig’s trust and eventually convinced her to climb into our trailer for treats. We named her Gretel and quickly noticed that she was pregnant! Two weeks after her rescue, she gave birth to a litter of piglets, and she and her seven kids have a long, happy life ahead of them at our sanctuary. Welcome home Gretel & Co.!

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Ralph the rooster

As a rooster, Ralph is one of the most misunderstood beings in the world, and, just like many others of his kind, he was abandoned at a public park before a lucky turn of events brought him to live at our sanctuary. Initially picked on by other birds due to his small size, Ralph found that he fit in best with Monroe the duck and his other friends in our Misfit Aviary. Ralph has both a sweet and sassy side: he loves to jump up on people's shoulders and sit on their laps to ask for chin rubs. If he stops receiving pets, he'll give you a peck or tug at your clothes to get your attention and ask for more. He also loves doing a little tap dance, proud to show off his feathery feet and beautiful plumage.

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Monroe the duck

Monroe is an albino duck who was found alone in a pond in Alameda as a one day old duckling. Unlikely to survive on her own, she was rescued and came to live at Charlie's Acres. Ducklings do not like to be alone at all, so for her first 3 weeks of life, Monroe went everywhere with her human caregivers. As we saw Monroe's other duckling companion surpass her significantly in size, we realized that Monroe is not a Pekin Duck, but a Call Duck, a miniature breed. Because of her small size, it is unsafe for Monroe at the big open pond, so we created a new aviary for her with the rest of our "Misfit Crew".

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Mitch the steer

Mitch is a Miniature Dexter cow mixed with a Texas Longhorn, making him a little cow with big cow horns! Mitch and his older sister Judy were born on a beef farm in Oregon and were both headed to slaughter, when a local woman stepped in to rescue them and had them join her herd. Judy sustained a leg injury some time later, and had trouble walking down the large hill to pasture. Every day, Mitch would be right next to Judy for her slow walk down. The two have been inseparable ever since. When Mitch and Judy’s rescuer downsized her property, they came to live at Charlie’s Acres.

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Louie the goat

Louie started out his life as a pet in Paradise, CA and brought joy to his loving human family. Sadly, during the devastating Camp Fire of 2018, Louie’s family lost their home. Needing a new forever home, Louie came to live at Charlie’s Acres. Louie immediately showed his goofy personality. He loves to play with human children as well as his goat friends and is a show stealer during goat yoga classes!

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Ginger the goat

Ginger was brought to Charlie’s Acres by a young activist who negotiated with her former owner to relinquish her. She arrived at Charlie’s Acres in extremely poor health due to severe neglect; emaciated, full of parasites, and suffering from a life-threatening udder infection. Ginger arrived accompanied by her adopted daughter, Mary Ann, who had been rejected by her own mother and whose development was stunted due to nutritional deficiencies. We feared for Ginger’s survival during those first weeks and were thrilled as we saw her put on weight and gain strength. Despite her terrible start in life, Ginger constantly amazes us with her resilience and friendliness.

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Nic, Vic, and Gil the pigs

Nicholas, Victor, and Gilbert were saved by a truly incredible kid. When a rancher purchased their mother, he was surprised to find out that she was pregnant. Eleven-year-old vegan, Nicholas, was able to convince the rancher to let him try and find homes for all her piglets and was successful! We named one of the piglets Nicholas after their amazing rescuer. These three brothers have always been close, snuggling tightly together under straw and blankets every night. Now, they’re making new friends and getting bigger every day! They love meeting visitors and are quick to flop for a belly rub!

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Lucy the sheep

Lucy was born on a farm which raised Katahdin hair sheep for their meat. Shortly after she was born, her mother died. Lucy was bottle fed and hand raised by the farmer’s girlfriend who couldn’t bear to send this sweet girl back to be slaughtered so she reached out to us to provide a safe home for her. Typically lambs like Lucy would be killed between the ages of six and eight months, however Lucy's natural lifespan is about 12 years old. Lucy is still young and very goofy, often getting the “zoomies” and springing around the pasture before bed, encouraging the younger lambs to follow suit.

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Tofu the pig

Like most of our potbelly residents, Tofu was purchased as a pet. His owners loved him but realized that they did not have the time or resources to devote to him, so they looked for a new home. Cute internet videos of so called “teacup pigs” has resulted in a trend of purchasing pigs from breeders, when owners are unprepared to care for them. Tofu is a favorite on tours, approaching visitors with a shy expression but happy to receive a belly scratch.

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