The Open Sanctuary Project
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies Articles Archive

FROM The Open Sanctuary Project
October 2020

The Open Sanctuary Project is a freely accessible, always growing digital guide for any resources or information you need in order to responsibly create and successfully manage an animal sanctuary or to provide the best possible care to animals in order to help them live long, healthy, happy lives free of exploitation.

All of our resources are researched and responsibly crafted with the intention of promoting compassionate care standards and practices for animals in need of help and sanctuary, while identifying and discouraging practices that are exploitative or harmful to the individual.

A Resource For Farmed Animal Sanctuaries

Although many of our resources have applicability to many different types of animal sanctuaries and rescues (and we encourage sanctuaries of all species mixes to make use of them!), our current primary focus is addressing the needs and unique challenges of farmed animal sanctuaries. As the farmed animal sanctuary community continues to spread across the world, with new sanctuaries opening each year, we believe there is a significant need for resources specifically developed to help farmed animal sanctuaries provide the best care possible for their residents and develop best practices in order to effectively carry out their mission in a sustainable manner.

Our Philosophy

We believe that there is no “one size fits all” model for animal sanctuaries; species mix, population size, climate, organizational structure, Philosophy of Care, and public outreach strategies are a small sample of the many variables that each animal sanctuary needs to consider as they grow and conduct their mission. As a result, what works well for one sanctuary may not be appropriate for another. We wish to honor the diversity of the animal sanctuary movement while providing the contextual tools and information necessary for every organization and their residents to thrive. Our resources often include perspectives from different organizations, which may highlight the practical, the ethical, and the philosophical considerations that go into any one particular course of action.

Information Sourcing

You can find our sourcing for various resources at the base of each resource. If it appears like a portion of information did not come from any of the sources listed below, this means that the credited author is drawing upon direct experience with the topic at hand as a sanctuary caregiver or expert. If you have further questions about any particular part of a resource, you can always get in touch with us!

Non-Compassionate Sources?

Due to the prevalence of commercial animal agriculture and its impact on research, many of the sources we cite in our research do not share our views on compassionate care and treatment of animals. We try our best to source information on longterm care and treatment from organizations that align with our values, but this is not always possible. Read more about our sourcing here.

A Brief History Of The Open Sanctuary Project

The Open Sanctuary Project was originally envisioned by Shaleen and Shilpi Shah in 2015. Shaleen and Shilpi were seeking online information covering farmed animal sanctuary operation and resident care standards prior to founding Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, and were surprised to find reliable, compassionate information quite difficult to come across.

Three years later, The Open Sanctuary Project, Inc. was formally launched as a fully independent organization under the direction of Zee Griffler, Executive Editor.

Since 2018, The Open Sanctuary Project has been researching sanctuary models and needs, conferring with sanctuary, animal advocacy, and nonprofit experts across the world, and developing resources to help animal sanctuaries have all the tools and information required to help their organizations thrive.

Our resources have been put into use and endorsed by sanctuaries, animal rescue organizations, and other nonprofits worldwide.

Return to: Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies
See also Refuges and Sanctuaries for Farmed Animals That Promote Veganism