Reported Jessica Lu
On October 9th, 2022, members Hsin Chen (Julie) Lu, KaiXi (Cathy) Liu, Jessica Lu, and Carrey Liu went to STAT Horse Sanctuary to help the animals there.
Members prepared 2 big bags of carrots as treats for the horses. When members got there, they were surprised to see not only horses, but also goats, pigs, dogs, chickens, a donkey, and even a turkey!
STAT is a place where horses who are too old to ride serve as Companion & Therapy animals. It has a particular appeal to the special needs community and veterans. Seniors find it a treat to feed the animals and many find it a place to bond with their kids while volunteering. All the animals there help make the sanctuary a happy and peaceful retirement place and it’s a place to recapture youth and escape from reality!
Members were given a tour of the farm and they were especially intrigued by the turkey and donkey. After the tour, they started off by scooping horse poop. The process was pretty simple. Members would use a rake to scoop the poop up, dump it into a wheel barrel, and when the barrel was almost full, one of the members would take the barrel out and dump it into a pile with the others. Members worked hard, getting all the poop of out the stalls, and then went to spend time with the horses. The horses made some members nostalgic, reminding them of the time when they rode horses.
Next, members took a quick break by feeding the animals some carrots. The dogs and horses especially enjoyed it. After their break, members went back to scooping poop in a different part of the farm. The stall they were cleaning was smaller than the first one they cleaned so members finished cleaning no time. The owner offered members some organic eggs that their chickens hatched, and members happily accepted a couple.
Members enjoyed their first time experiencing the farm life and will definitely be back soon!
Volunteers:
Hsin Chen (Julie) Lu / KaiXi (Cathy) Liu / Jessica Lu: 3 hrs each
Carrey Liu: 1.5 hrs
