Wayne Geiger, president of the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, spoke to a small group about the mistreatment of animals and his attempt to rescue them at a Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (SETA) meeting Tuesday night.
Geiger, who used to work for the Humane Society of the United States, spoke about the Farm Sanctuary’s efforts to put a stop to the mistreatment of farm animals in Oregon. The society, founded about two years ago and run by about 60 volunteers, currently rests on 17 acres of land and is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of abused and neglected animals, Geiger said. The animals are, for the most part, given free reign over the whole property and mix and mingle among one another quite happily, he said.
The more than 150 creatures they have taken in “come from wildly varying backgrounds,” said Geiger. “They all have a story to tell.”
He played a short slideshow of some of the animals in their care pictured with their caretakers.
When a picture of a llama being fed a chip popped up on the screen, Geiger explained that “he loves Doritos.”
The Farm Sanctuary just recently bought 54 acres in the town of Scio, Ore., east of Albany, where they hope to provide a home for more animals.
“We have only just touched the tip of the iceberg, but hopefully we can make a bigger change once we have more land,” said Geiger. “We should be pretty happy to be in Oregon, because it’s one of the more animal-friendly states; however, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a lot of work to be done.”
Along with the rehabilitation of farm animals, the Farm Sanctuary also offers “humane education” to the community, informing toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between of the many ways an ordinary citizen can help prevent cruelty toward animals, Geiger said. The members of the Sanctuary also help investigate acts of cruelty toward animals, assist owners in better animal caretaking or to make sure such a crime does not go unpunished. They are currently advocating for public policy changes regarding animal cruelty. As of now, most instances are only seen as a misdemeanor rather than a felony, Geiger said.
SETA co-directors Carrie Freeman, a doctoral student in journalism, and Alec Zimmerman, a senior and an anthropology major, both said they support the Sanctuary’s efforts to improve the lives of Oregon’s mistreated animals.
“I think it’s great that they provide the connection between humans and animals that’s missing in the media,” Freeman said.
Zimmerman visited the Farm Sanctuary once herself and said she was excited that the Sanctuary was moving closer to Eugene.
“It’s great for student involvement,” she said.
Farm sanctuary owner speaks at SETA meeting
Daily Emerald
February 28, 2007
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