If you’re looking for a truly unique and unexpected travel experience, look no further than The Gentle Barn. Headquartered in California, The Gentle Barn is a nonprofit that offers refuge and sanctuary for a variety of rescued animals who need a home. The Gentle Barn, which is actually a sprawling farm that offers an ample amount of space for the animals to enjoy themselves, is home to horses, chickens, peacocks, emus, dogs, and more.
But the real stars are the cows. People visit from all over for cow hugging and even cow therapy. Cows are extremely gentle and caring animals. They make the perfect companion for anyone who needs to feel the warmth, kindness, and presence of the Barn’s many joyous cows.
The Gentle Barn is open to the public on Sundays, and throughout the week guests can make donations and partake in private cow therapy sessions. You can even rent one of the farms for birthday parties and events.Currently, there are three Gentle Barns across America. The original is in Santa Clarita, CA, and two more have since opened in Nashville and St. Louis. The organization’s goal is to open a Gentle Barn in every state across America in order to help rescue animals and help people heal through the power of animal therapy.
The Gentle Barn also people adopt their animals to forever homes, and if an animal is too injured or old to be adopted, The Gentle Barn pledges to provide sanctuary to those animals for the rest of their lives, allowing them to live out their remaining years in happiness, health, and peace.
Ellie Laks, the found of The Gentle Barn, studied psychology and special education, and combined that knowledge with her love animals to create the organization. In a statement, Laks stated, “I don’t know how people make it through even one day without a cow hug. Cow hugs have been supporting and healing me for 22 years and I’m so honored to be able to extend that out to the community to come to get healing along with us. I believe we haven’t lived life until we’ve hugged a cow.”
To learn more about The Gentle Barn, visit their website