MEDINA, Ohio — Janine Smalley knows the personality of each of the animals at her backyard sanctuary, a place where she gives unwanted farm animals a second chance.
What You Need To Know
- Janine Smalley started her animal sanctuary in the backyard of her log cabin
- She rescues farm animals who are abused, neglected or have special needs
- She said she has more than 100 animals
“They get a little bit of treats every morning,” Smalley said while feeding a few of her animals. “It keeps them nice and friendly.”
Smalley is a nurse and opened Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary in her backyard to rescue farm animals that are abused, neglected or have special needs.
“There really was a giant need to get the farm animals into a loving, caring home to live out the rest of their lives,” Smalley said.
She has nearly 100 animals at her sanctuary that she fondly takes care of.
“I wanted to be a vet, but things change,” Smalley said as she collected eggs from her chicken coop. “So, I became a human nurse instead.”
Smalley works more than 40 hours per week as a nurse, but operating her sanctuary on the side is her true passion.
“It’s sometimes overlooked, and women don’t do a lot of the rescue, and a lot of the business aspect of things,” Smalley said. “To be able to do it and be able to be successful, I’m extremely proud of that.”
It’s a rewarding pastime for her — one Smalley gets just as much out of as she puts in.
“It’s extremely relaxing, calming and to know that you can tell how much they appreciate the life they’ve come into,” she said.
It costs her approximately $2,000 per month to operate the sanctuary. Smalley raises money to keep providing her rescues with a better life. To learn more about Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary, visit its website.
