Mercy Tree Farm Animal Sanctuary
Our Mission
Mercy Tree's mission is to provide a compassionate environment for special needs, abused and unwanted farm animals. We provide emotional and physical healing as well as acceptance be seeing everyone in our care as individuals. By identifying their needs, we hope to enrich their lives.
We strive to become a resource to our community by promoting stewardship and responsible care toward farm animals who are normally seen as a commodity. We inspire by leading by example and supporting changes so we can cultivate kindness and understanding. We help others to see the need for compassionate care of farmed animals.
About Us
Mercy Tree started as a passion to help others see chickens and ducks as individuals. Looking back, we had always been involved in animal rescue, promoting animal care or engaged in some sort of animal type mission. With the intention of promoting animal welfare we would find ourselves learning, helping or downright fundraising. We are a married couple who complement each other’s efforts. Charles is the “whisperer” and I am the “nurse”.
For us Mercy Tree started 10 years ago when we walked into a feed store and found ourselves back at the house with 14 little fluffs of feathers. 5 years later, we officially started our sanctuary as we became more aware of the needs of these special animals, the often-forgotten farmed animals.
Our past was full of rescues, a dog here, a cat there, rats, mice, horses. Someone bringing an injured bird, dog, squirrel. Our house was full of love and comfort for those in need. Friends and neighbors knew to reach out if they needed help.
As our little flock of 12 chickens and 2 ducks grew up, we researched everything, every worry, every oddity, every time someone did something different. We wanted the best for them and wanted to ensure we were giving them what they needed to succeed and thrive. We soon stumbled across the hidden world of farmed and factory raised animals. We knew the concept of animals raised for human “wants”. What we didn’t truly know was the suffering and actual horrors involved. As we spiraled down into what we now call the “hidden valley” we changed, those tiny little fluffs of feathers changed us. We knew horses, dogs and cats and our pet rat had an intelligence and could show feelings. But we were not truly in tune with other animals feeling pain, excitement and a sense of belonging until we were more aware of their suffering. As we looked at our individual beings, we discovered their identities, their personalities and quirks. We loved them for who they were. The rooster who wanted to cuddle, the rooster who didn’t want to be touched, the hen who needed to sit on our lap to eat and the hen who only loved her dad. We became vegans literally overnight! We started looking for land to develop a sanctuary for both people and farmed animals. We became a resource to others, rather it be through an on-site visit to establish a new coop, a wellness check or to provide animal related care to someone in need. It didn’t matter the beliefs of the people we encountered; we endured their point of view for the bigger picture. We helped for the sake of the animals, to enrich their experience and promote compassion through better understanding and a safer, healthier environment. We lead by example and are now a trusted resource to many. From our flock of the original 14 only one tough guy remains, but though this journey we have grown to become home to over 70 special needs birds. 47 are currently with us. Our knowledge has driven us to know we need to improve, for us and for farmed animals. Soon we hope to open a learning center and resort to address the need of compassion fatigue. The learning center will become a resource for schools, community groups and team building events. The resort will be open for those who need a quite retreat to heal from the exposure this type of work requires. We hope to become a hub for transport people to rest safely, a haven where other sanctuary involved individuals can rejuvenate and a place people can be inspired to follow their own compassionate journey.
Now a little about our funny little family – I am Kathy, and avid animal lover, when I was little, I wanted to become a veterinarian, but fate had other plans. Hippy at heart, I tend to run barefooted at 200 miles an hour, embracing the unknown because I believe in the impossible. My husband and co-founder Charles, well he is the ultimate animal whisperer. I kid you not, everyone who comes to us leans on him for emotional support. He has a quite calmness surrounding him and always catches the love of the animals. We are currently living in the Florida panhandle, but due to hurricane risk we are looking to move inland. Our flock family consist of peafowl, quail, ducks, chickens and a goose. We also have a dog, cat and mouse. Soon our family will grow with other farm animals.
Most of our flock family has special needs. Some are physical, some dietary, some neurological but they all have one thing in common – the ability to communicate love and the willingness to live. We provide them all an enriched environment to each of their abilities and modify our lifestyle to accommodate their needs. We have a one-winged duck and hen, one eyed rooster and hen, physically compromised ducks, 5 cross beaked chickens, seniors, a duck traumatized to the point of being fight driven, roosters discarded and now scared of the dark, a rooster who was abused for domestic violence reasons, 8 ducks and a goose saved from a frozen pond in Ohio and now retired in FL, a duck who experiences seizures and the list goes on. We strive to figure out a way to relate to each individually and accommodate accordingly. Everyone is provided medical assistance, nourishment, companionships and enrichment.
Come join this journey with us, I promise you will enjoy our antics, learn along with us and fall in love with these crazy kids we call family.
Remember - In all that you do - show Compassion and Mercy because even a small deed can yield a big change.
For us Mercy Tree started 10 years ago when we walked into a feed store and found ourselves back at the house with 14 little fluffs of feathers. 5 years later, we officially started our sanctuary as we became more aware of the needs of these special animals, the often-forgotten farmed animals.
Our past was full of rescues, a dog here, a cat there, rats, mice, horses. Someone bringing an injured bird, dog, squirrel. Our house was full of love and comfort for those in need. Friends and neighbors knew to reach out if they needed help.
As our little flock of 12 chickens and 2 ducks grew up, we researched everything, every worry, every oddity, every time someone did something different. We wanted the best for them and wanted to ensure we were giving them what they needed to succeed and thrive. We soon stumbled across the hidden world of farmed and factory raised animals. We knew the concept of animals raised for human “wants”. What we didn’t truly know was the suffering and actual horrors involved. As we spiraled down into what we now call the “hidden valley” we changed, those tiny little fluffs of feathers changed us. We knew horses, dogs and cats and our pet rat had an intelligence and could show feelings. But we were not truly in tune with other animals feeling pain, excitement and a sense of belonging until we were more aware of their suffering. As we looked at our individual beings, we discovered their identities, their personalities and quirks. We loved them for who they were. The rooster who wanted to cuddle, the rooster who didn’t want to be touched, the hen who needed to sit on our lap to eat and the hen who only loved her dad. We became vegans literally overnight! We started looking for land to develop a sanctuary for both people and farmed animals. We became a resource to others, rather it be through an on-site visit to establish a new coop, a wellness check or to provide animal related care to someone in need. It didn’t matter the beliefs of the people we encountered; we endured their point of view for the bigger picture. We helped for the sake of the animals, to enrich their experience and promote compassion through better understanding and a safer, healthier environment. We lead by example and are now a trusted resource to many. From our flock of the original 14 only one tough guy remains, but though this journey we have grown to become home to over 70 special needs birds. 47 are currently with us. Our knowledge has driven us to know we need to improve, for us and for farmed animals. Soon we hope to open a learning center and resort to address the need of compassion fatigue. The learning center will become a resource for schools, community groups and team building events. The resort will be open for those who need a quite retreat to heal from the exposure this type of work requires. We hope to become a hub for transport people to rest safely, a haven where other sanctuary involved individuals can rejuvenate and a place people can be inspired to follow their own compassionate journey.
Now a little about our funny little family – I am Kathy, and avid animal lover, when I was little, I wanted to become a veterinarian, but fate had other plans. Hippy at heart, I tend to run barefooted at 200 miles an hour, embracing the unknown because I believe in the impossible. My husband and co-founder Charles, well he is the ultimate animal whisperer. I kid you not, everyone who comes to us leans on him for emotional support. He has a quite calmness surrounding him and always catches the love of the animals. We are currently living in the Florida panhandle, but due to hurricane risk we are looking to move inland. Our flock family consist of peafowl, quail, ducks, chickens and a goose. We also have a dog, cat and mouse. Soon our family will grow with other farm animals.
Most of our flock family has special needs. Some are physical, some dietary, some neurological but they all have one thing in common – the ability to communicate love and the willingness to live. We provide them all an enriched environment to each of their abilities and modify our lifestyle to accommodate their needs. We have a one-winged duck and hen, one eyed rooster and hen, physically compromised ducks, 5 cross beaked chickens, seniors, a duck traumatized to the point of being fight driven, roosters discarded and now scared of the dark, a rooster who was abused for domestic violence reasons, 8 ducks and a goose saved from a frozen pond in Ohio and now retired in FL, a duck who experiences seizures and the list goes on. We strive to figure out a way to relate to each individually and accommodate accordingly. Everyone is provided medical assistance, nourishment, companionships and enrichment.
Come join this journey with us, I promise you will enjoy our antics, learn along with us and fall in love with these crazy kids we call family.
Remember - In all that you do - show Compassion and Mercy because even a small deed can yield a big change.
