Animal Refuge:

We intake abused, neglected, and homeless farm and companion animals from Oregon animal shelters, certified rescue groups, and law-enforcement agencies, with a small number of referrals from other Western States. Lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina, and more recently, the flooding in the Midwest, have shown us that we can't rely on the government to take care of our community's farm animals and domestic pets during a large-scale evacuation. Thus we are researching how we might serve as an information clearinghouse, rescue agency, and temporary home for domesticated animals in times of natural disasters.

Community Collaborations:

In the spring of 2008, we collaborated with the Southern Oregon Child Study & Treatment Center, a community-based alternative to institutional placement of “young people with severe emotional and behavioral problems,” to provide their population the opportunity to experience the proven health and wellness benefits of eco-therapy and animal-assisted activities.  We also partnered with Project Dove, an initiative of the local school district targeting at-risk youth that promotes service-learning in community settings, and generated 510 hours of on-site volunteer opportunities for 58 students and 27 adult supervisors.  As we develop, we will expand community outreach and collaborations with southern Oregon schools and organizations serving at-risk youth, elders, and veterans and military families, and those that support environmental stewardship.

Sanctuary Weekend™:

An innovative, grassroots, community-based retreat that will provide respite and promote healing and wellness in at-risk, neglected, and underserved populations.  We are currently developing pilot projects to serve wives of combat veterans and women veterans in 2008/09.  Subsequent Sanctuary Weekends™ may be tailored to Guard/Reserve families, caretakers/hospice providers, persons with disabilities, and elderly populations.  Methods/strategies include: outreach; peer support and advocacy; improving stress management and positive coping mechanisms and self-care skills in a nurturing, supportive environment; experiential education in recreation- and eco-therapy, and other modalities. 

Animal Adoption:

We will re-home those animals for which we can find good homes, and are deemed “fit” for adoption.

Animal Sponsorship:

We provide sponsorship opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations that are unable to take on adoptable animals, or are interested in underwriting the care and feeding of our long-term residents.  Please go to our Meet the Animals page and see who “speaks” to you!

 

Methods

Animal-Assisted Activity:

We are dedicated to nurturing the human-animal bond by involving the community, including youth, people with disabilities, veterans and senior citizens, in working with and learning about the humane treatment of animals and the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of human-animal interaction. Various scientific studies and medical reports show that persons with companion animals, and those able to participate in mutually-beneficial animal interaction over a period of time, enjoy a number of physical and psychological benefits, including: less depression, reduced stress, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and fewer minor health problems. 

Children and families with a companion animal in the household report increased happiness, positive self-esteem, and are better able to cope in the aftermath of a serious illness, injury, or death in the family.  Elders with pets generally have reduced medication costs, and improved social and verbal exchanges after animal interaction. (Source: Delta Society)

Eco-Therapy:

As our technology increases, our connection to nature decreases, with profound consequences for health, our children, and the future of the planet.  Individuals who regularly spend time in a natural setting tend to have better social, emotional and physical health, and a deeper regard for caring for the environment.  “That nature is potent medicine has been well documented. One study showed that surgical patients with a view of trees required fewer painkillers... Other studies have suggested that even static pictures or videos of nature scenes might confer health benefits.” (“Nature a natural for soothing stress.” Kyung M. Song, The Oregonian, June 18, 2008)

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods (Algonquin Books, 2005), says that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can... be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies."  Not only can nature teach kids science and nurture their creativity, he says, nature needs its children; they are the stewards of the future.

Bilateral Stimulation:

Studies of adults and children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) e.g. youth living with an emotionally abusive parent; a child who has been abandoned, neglected, or abused; combat veterans, etc., reveal that those individuals typically have a smaller corpus callosum, the structure connecting left and right brain hemispheres.

Bilateral stimulation creates alternating rhythms – found in hiking, jogging, drumming - that stimulate both sides of the brain, resulting in improved focus, reduced stress, and increased physical and emotional wellness and resiliency.  In some instances, it has been shown to promote the regeneration of brain cells, which are diminished or destroyed by prolonged stress.

Peer Support & Mentoring:

Peer support for people with similar life experiences (death of a child, divorce, substance abuse, combat, etc.) has been shown to be very helpful in facilitating recovery, alleviating stress and a sense of isolation, and empowering people to become more pro-active as they navigate major life changes.  Peer support relies on the experience and wisdom of the people who have dealt with an issue first-hand, rather than professionals.  Persons with comparable experiences can offer genuine empathy, provide practical advice, coping strategies, and validation.  Peers more readily relate to one another.  This connection helps people begin to rebuild their sense of trust and community after an event or experience that left them feeling alone and disconnected.

Environmental Stewardship & Permaculture:

We are developing a Natural Resource Stewardship Plan with assistance from the Jackson Soil & Water Conservation District.  We intend to provide service-learning opportunities for environmental stewardship, and will be growing hay, garden produce, and organic fruit trees.  We are also researching how Double Oak Farm can engage permaculture, “an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor. It teaches us how build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities and much more.”  (Source: Permaculture Institute)