Refuge Provides Happy Ending for Farm Animals
September 20, 2013
More and more Americans keep chickens, pigs and other farm animals in their backyards. And while many of them are raising their livestock responsibly, a growing number are finding the venture too burdensome. As a result, many farm animals are being abused, abandoned or killed. However, for some mistreated pigs, goats and chickens, the future is not so grim.
Urban farmers
In a quiet suburban neighborhood just outside Washington, Ali Mirsky raises chickens in her backyard. But she’s not a farmer in the traditional sense. The self-proclaimed homesteader is one of a growing number of Americans choosing to raise their own food in an urban environment.
“I like the idea of seeing and caring for animals but also having access to fresh, healthy produce like eggs or meat,” she said.
Mirsky says she uses a common-sense approach to caring for her backyard chickens, who roam freely in an enclosed den on her property.
“For me it’s providing fresh water, fresh food that’s nutritionally balanced and healthy and also access to the outdoors,” she said. “So it is a commitment and it is a responsibility when you care for a living thing.”
But not all urban farmers are as responsible.
Urban farming pitfalls
Terri Littlejohn, assistant associate director of the Prince George’s County Animal Management Division in the state of Maryland, says in addition to the dogs, cats and other pets they take in, her department is getting more and more calls to rescue farm animals.
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