HartSong Ranch, an animal sanctuary for previously abused and neglected farm animals, also works with organizations to rehabilitate local wildlife.

While searching for camping spots this summer, I happened upon a place advertised as an “Animal Lovers’ Paradise,” my idea of a perfect getaway. Little did I know this serene oasis in the Sierra Foothills wasn’t a working farm but rather a sanctuary for previously abused and neglected farm animals, many with special needs.

Husband-and-wife co-founders Jim and Kathy Hart, both former professional musicians, first bought the property in 2005 with hopes of realizing Kathy’s dream of owning a horse and riding on the nearby equestrian trails. Kathy reached out to a local horse rescue organization and visited a woman in nearby Auburn, intending to find an able rescue horse she could train and ride. Before she even had a chance to inquire, she passed three blind horses standing in a cramped stall in manure and shavings up to their knees.

“It tore my heart up,” said Kathy. “I had no idea how to care for a blind horse. I was looking for a riding horse.” She left the horses, but couldn’t get the image of them out of her head. The following Monday she adopted all three. The day Kathy let them out into the pasture they were surprisingly calm and cautious. “They put their heads down and started to graze,” she said. “That’s what started our journey with the blind horses. I learned by adopting their line of thinking. Instead of paying attention to their disabilities, I paid attention to their abilities.”

Shortly thereafter Kathy and Jim adopted two blind goats. “All of a sudden we had animals with special needs. We don’t ever go out and look for them. They just come along and we do what we can.” They named the ranch HartSong, combining their last name and their love of music.

#37, pictured here with her calf, Uncle Jack, changed Kathy’s understanding of the ways cows experience loss.

HartSong is now home to 11 head of cattle, 10 horses, two goats, two pigs, 16 chickens, four roosters, seven ducks, and three geese—and every animal has a story, including a cow called #37.

When Jim and Kathy first arrived at the long-neglected property, they had to find a way to mow the waist-high pasture grass. They didn’t have a tractor at the time, so they took a neighbor’s recommendation to find a rancher who could lend his cows to graze. He sent over 17 cows who quickly got to work, munching eagerly, all except one, whose ear tag identified her as #37.

“She mooed and bellowed and cried. She ran the fence lines in a state of panic. I thought she was sick, but the rancher snickered at me and said, ‘She’s just looking for her baby. She’ll get over it in a couple of days,’” said Kathy. “#37 showed me that cows love their young. They have friends. They grieve.” After two months, the rancher returned and loaded up the cows, including #37, leaving five to be used as organic lawn mowers. Five cows soon turned to nine as Jim and Kathy discovered four were pregnant.

Woodrow, wearing his protective bra, hangs out with a visitor.

Kathy was so moved by #37’s reaction to her lost calf that she wrote an article about it for the local paper, prompting readers to call and ask what happened to that sweet mama cow. When Kathy inquired, she discovered that #37 had been sold to a man called Rancher Jack. Touched by the outpouring of concern, he offered Kathy the opportunity to welcome #37 back to HartSong, along with her one-week old calf. Kathy enthusiastically accepted. The baby was named Uncle Jack and has lived at HartSong with his mother ever since.

The day after we arrived, a massive steer named Gorby had to be put down because he could no longer stand at the ripe old age of 15 (most are slaughtered at industrial farms before their second year). “He was born on the property and knew nothing but kindness,” said Kathy. She demonstrated the way Gorby loved having the insides of his fuzzy ears scratched and pointed out that his teeth grinding meant he was uncomfortable, despite being on pain medication. “Even though there’s a lot of love, there’s also a lot of heartache. That’s part of the process.”

“Even though there’s a lot of love, there’s also a lot of heartache. That’s part of the process.”

— Kathy Hart

At HartSong, farm animals are allowed to live out their lives with dignity. Gorby, pictured here, lived to be 15 years old.

The following morning, Kathy introduced us to a four-week-old chick named Etta and shared the story of her initial abandonment and their efforts to resuscitate her. Since this chick imprinted with Kathy, Etta thinks she’s her mom and follows her everywhere. Later that day, Kathy took us on a brief tour of the 30-acre property, which is framed by a babbling brook built by Chinese laborers during the Gold Rush. The brook leads to a waterfall that runs over a former gold mine.

After Kathy revived Etta, the one-month-old chick imprinted with her and now follows her everywhere.

As we walked, Kathy shared some remarkable animal rescue stories, including that of Scrumpy the horse—a great, great grandson of the famed Triple Crown–winner Secretariat. After winning nearly two dozen races by age five, this stunning thoroughbred was won in a claims race, then suddenly disappeared from the track.

Two years later he showed up in Los Alamitos, the “skid row” of race tracks, with a severely bowed tendon on his left front leg. Rather than properly tend to him, someone wrapped his leg in a heating liniment for far too long, leaving it burned, bloody, and infected. The new owner ignored pleas to seek veterinary care and decided to sell Scrumpy to a kill buyer, a common practice in the racing industry when a horse can no longer compete.

Scrumpy, the great great-grandson of Secretariat, shown racing at age three.

Thankfully, an exercise rider at the track learned of Scrumpy’s fate and contacted TROTT USA, a thoroughbred rescue organization, who bought him back and helped him recuperate, though he could no longer run, jump, or even go out on a long trail ride. TROTT’s founder, Bonnie Adams, first connected with Jim and Kathy when they rescued another racehorse named Clipper, and offered Scrumpy to HartSong, where he’s lived since 2014.

Kathy also shared the story of Woodrow the Black Angus calf, who had to have both horns removed following an injury, leaving two gaping holes that were highly vulnerable to flies and infection. After several failed attempts to fashion a covering, Kathy had an idea: “Two bumps that need to be covered...what about a bra? Even though my husband thought I was completely off my rocker, I found a baby pink, padded 36C bra. Much to my surprise, it fit perfectly!” Woodrow has since passed, but his famous bra now hangs on the big metal gate that opens into the barn.

Back at the campsite, we watched Canadian geese glide and land in the water, along with four ducklings. These birds are part of HartSong’s efforts to provide what Kathy calls a “soft release zone,” a way for previously injured or domestically raised wildlife to acclimate to natural surroundings. Kathy and Jim built a goose hut to protect flightless geese as they lay their eggs, along with an island to provide a safe resting spot during the day.

We brought our dog Izzie on the trip and she couldn’t have been happier, spending her days swimming in the lake, rolling joyfully in cow patties, and staring at minnows that swirled around the murky shallows. Interestingly, she didn’t bark once at the animals, and they weren’t fazed by her either. The sense of peace was palpable.

The author’s dog, Izzie, after a long swim in the pond.

Before leaving, we went to say goodbye and were approached by two of the horses, one of whom leaned his silky neck against me like a giant, gentle dog. I’d never experienced anything like it. “Our animals love people,” said Kathy. “They love human interaction. They listen and come when they’re called. We don’t require anything of them other than that they be happy.”

As we pulled away from the sanctuary, I took one last look at this hidden gem tucked away in the heart of Gold Country, grateful to observe firsthand the way farm animals behave when they’re not expected to be used for milk, meat, or labor. They’re allowed to simply be, and as a result, connect to one another and humans with an awe-inspiring sense of calm and trust.

HartSong is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. 100% of the donations go to the care of the sanctuary animals and future rescue efforts. For more information about HartSong or how to donate to this nonprofit organization (including its sister nonprofit, The UnderDOG Railroad), please visit www.hartsong.org.

Elisse Gabriel is a San Francisco Bay Area–based writer, editor, and founder of Red Balloon Creative Content.