Cottontail Cottage Farm Sanctuary

Target demographics: Cottontail Cottage Farm Sanctuary (CCFS,) is located on the coast of Maine, on a beautiful 50-acre heritage farm. Our mission is to provide compassion, respect, dignity and love to rescued farm and companion animals who have suffered severe neglect and abuse and give them a place to call home. CCFS is a vegan-operated 501(c)3, nonprofit organization, committed to the healing, rehabilitation, and security of every animal in our care. Guided farm tours provide a platform for education where lecture series and hands-on learning events are taught in an effort to encourage mindful-living for the good of the animals and the planet. Cottontail advocates for veganism and demonstrates compassion for all creatures in the hopes that more lives may be saved by inspiring others to adapt a similar, cruelty-free lifestyle.

Direct beneficiaries per year: Currently, there are over twelve different species of animals in our care, including, dog, cats, horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, bunnies and an array of waterfowls and birds and a total of 100-animals.

Geographic areas served: USA

Programs: Cottontail Cottage Farm Sanctuary (CCFS) addresses the need to care and protect neglected, exploited and abused farm and companion animals. Animals change lives. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls, they give us hope. It is only right that we do everything we can to protect them. CCFS assists with owner-surrenders as well as partnering with the animal welfare program for temporary housing and permanent placement for animals coming from extreme cases of abuse and neglect. CCFS also assists authorities in state cruelty cases. Cottontail Cottage Farm Sanctuary advocates for animal rights and works to advance veganism in alliance with protecting the land all beings walk upon. CCFS believes in the right of animals to exist without fear of abuse, exploitation or extermination. Please help us with our critically-important work and make sure all of our animal friends are allowed to live long, happy lives. It is our deepest hope that by sharing our animal stories, in person or through social media, people will make the connection that farm animals are feeling, emotional and sensitive beings capable of strong emotions such as love, happiness, fear and grief. CCFS strives to educate the public about not only the importance of animal care and welfare, but of living a vegan lifestyle in an effort to end animal cruelty and suffering. CCFS is a magical place! “The Rookery" (a two hundred-year-old cape,) perches high on top of a knoll allowing co-founders, Jenny and Mathew Nichols, to keep a close eye on the 100-animals who live here. The sanctuary is located down a long lane with lilacs and a single, magnificent Lombardy poplar. Behind the Rookery is an old-fashioned kitchen garden where vegetables and herbs are grown. Food growing and gathering demonstrations are a big part of our farm learning series and encourage plant-based eating. The forest farm is surrounded by a big, perimeter fence, permaculture hedgerows and a trail-system, where visitors can walk and observe the animals in their natural setting. While being diligent about our eco-system, the hedgerows are created from wattles, branches, twigs and natural elements gathered while clearing for new pasture land. This thoughtful method not only eliminates noxious elements in the air from frequent burn piles, but allows the fallen wood to be reused and woven by creating a natural fencing system. At the same time, it provides a nesting place for native birds, and habitats for wild rabbits and other small creatures. As the “dead hedge” breaks down, enriching the soil - live, non-toxic, indigenous plantings like briar, willow and honeysuckle are introduced, creating a "living hedge" as popularly seen throughout the British countryside. This unique farm sanctuary approach to land management adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole systems thinking. As conscientious land stewards, principles are implemented such as regenerative agriculture, rewilding, and community resilience and, of equal value, animal waste management. We have a specialized foster/adoption program for many of our animals who qualify for a family of their very own. This includes, but is not limited to: dogs, cats and small animals. Due to the fact that the sanctuary is often at full capacity, this allows us to save even more lives - ensuring safety, love, respect and security to animals who find themselves in dire need of all of these things - but most especially, a place to call home. We have had amazing success with this program allowing our animal rescue to extend beyond the sanctuary grounds. We have a streamlined adoption process that includes in-house visits by our Adoption Coordinator and vet check and references. Potential adopters must meet and agree to certain terms and conditions before adopting any animal from Cottontail Cottage. The animals' welfare and happiness is our top priority when we consider a new home for them. All animals adopted from our organization are spayed/neutered and have health exams. Included in this program is end-of-life hospice care in a foster-based home for unwanted senior dogs. No dog should go without a warm hearth and a family of their own to finish out what precious time is left for them. CCFS gives them that.