Senior Advisor Tara and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss how to take steps to prevent, recognize, and address foreign body ingestion by sanctuary residents. While every resident can be at risk of doing this, the degree of risk can vary, and there are action steps you can take to prevent it!

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Don't Eat That! Preventing Foreign Body Ingestion At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Advanced Topics In Resident Health: Heavy Metal Toxicosis In Birds | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Sharing Your Home With Chickens | The Open Sanctuary Project
  
  

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Julia, the Nonprofit Specialist at The Open Sanctuary Project, sits down with friend and colleague Alastor Van Kleeck to launch a new interview series dedicated to sharing the invaluable experience and knowledge of leaders in the sanctuary movement.

Alastor is an advocate, writer, and educator who wears many hats in the rescue community. Alongside their partner Roz, Alastor founded Triangle Chicken Advocates in North Carolina—a sanctuary that cares for chickens, pigs, dogs, and cats while stewarding a mini-food forest for local wildlife. They also cofounded the Microsanctuary Resource Center (MRC), pioneering a new model for sanctuary by inspiring folks to rescue farmed animals using existing resources and building a vibrant community of activist-caregivers.

In this episode, Julia and Alastor dive into a crucial topic for anyone navigating the highs and lows of animal advocacy: the five things Alastor wishes they knew when they first got started in rescue and sanctuary work. Whether you are a seasoned rescuer, a new sanctuary founder, or simply passionate about the movement, this deep dive into the lessons learned along the journey offers essential insights to help folks on the path to lifelong compassionate animal care.

To read more from Alastor, visit microsanctuary.org and StrivingWithSystems.com.

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• What Does "Philosophy Of Care" Mean? | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Understanding Mission And Vision Statements For Your Animal Organization | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Fostering Positive Relationships Between Animal Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Determining Your Animal Sanctuary's Capacity For Responsible Care | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Creating An Effective Set Of Contingency Plans For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• How To Develop A Fundraising Plan For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• How To Raise Money For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Maintaining a Healthy Rooster Flock | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Additional Care Recommendations For Older Chickens | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Estimating Species Lifetime Care Costs At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• A Guide To Safely Catching Stray Birds For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Microsanctuary Resource Center
• Striving With Systems

Senior Advisor Tara and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss a concerning but critical topic: fire safety at animal sanctuaries, a "stuff of nightmares" scenario we believe is essential for every caregiver to confront. We examine the sobering statistics on structure fires and common causes such as electrical issues and spontaneous hay combustion. We also share practical mitigation steps—from removing flammable cobwebs to coordinating with local fire departments—and emphasize the importance of practicing evacuation drills. Stick with us to get informed and protect your residents and caregivers!

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Fire Safety At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Creating An Effective Set Of Contingency Plans For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

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We're very happy to offer a conversation, hosted by the Microsanctuary Resource Center, with Nonprofit Specialist Julia on the pros and cons of nonprofit status for animal organizations. In it, MRC staff Alastor and Bird discuss with Julia some of the considerations that come into play when deciding whether to go nonprofit!

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Microsanctuary Resource Center Website
• Starting A Nonprofit Organization For Animal Sanctuaries In The United States | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Weighing The Costs And Benefits Of Nonprofit Status | The Open Sanctuary Project
• A Suggested Governance Curriculum For Your Animal Organization | The Open Sanctuary Project

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You can learn more about the Microsanctuary Resource Center here!

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Senior Advisor Tara and Nonprofit Specialist Julia discuss how caregivers can best prepare for a scenario in which a resident cow cannot stand. In this situation, time is of the essence, so having a plan in place is key, as is understanding what to look for when assessing a cow resident who may be having difficulty standing.

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• When Cows Can't Stand: Understanding Causes And Making Sure You Are Prepared To Help | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Observation: An Important Caregiving Tool | The Open Sanctuary Project
• The Caregiver's Guide To Developing Your Observation Skills | The Open Sanctuary Project
• Daily Observation For Cow Resident Health And Well-Being

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Executive Director Mckenzee and Nonprofit Specialist Julia celebrate our eight years of operation by discussing the year in review at The Open Sanctuary Project. We know that our audience of compassionate caregivers are often caught up in the day-to-day work of direct care for animals, so this is your chance to catch up with what's new this year in freely accessible resources to help you do the work of operating your organization and caring for your residents! To get a rundown on the work we've done this year to help you, check out this episode!

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• The Open Sanctuary Project's Animal Database

• The Open Sanctuary Project's AI Tool Usage Policy

• When Cows Can't Stand: Understanding Causes And Making Sure You Are Prepared To Help

• Daily Observation For Alpaca Health And Well-Being

• Daily Observation For Llama Health And Well-Being

• Addressing Equine Hoof Abscesses (vet reviewed)

• Understanding Flight Zone, Pressure Zone, And Point Of Balance In Sheep And Goats

• Pig Vision: More Than Meets The Eye

• A Cow's Eye View

• Ocular Insights: Alpaca And Llama Vision

• A Goat's-Eye View: How Goats See the World

• The Open Sanctuary Project's Case For Support

• How The Open Sanctuary Project Measures Our Impact

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Nonprofit Specialist Julia and Senior Advisor Tara talk more about turkeys! Building on our last discussion of how turkeys got here and how domestication has impacted them, we talk about the considerations sanctuaries and rescues should keep in mind when welcoming a new turkey resident to ensure all their needs are met!
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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Gobble Greetings: New Turkey Arrival Guide | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Creating A Good Home For Turkeys | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Domesticated Turkeys: How We Got Here | The Open Sanctuary Project

• How to Conduct a Turkey Health Check | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Predator-Proofing For Bird Residents At Your Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Establishing Safe And Effective Quarantine And Isolation Protocols For Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Daily Observation For Turkey Health And Well-Being | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Electrical Safety Basics For Farmed Animal Sanctuaries | The Open Sanctuary Project

• Understanding Infectious Disease | The Open Sanctuary Project

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Community Education Specialist Andie and Dr. Emily Tronetti of the Institute for Human Education led a special presentation on October 22nd, 2025 on how to nurture farmed animal agency and consent in sanctuary education. This is the audio recording of that presentation.

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This Episode's Referenced Open Sanctuary Project Resources:

• Webinar: Agency-Centered Sanctuary Education: Transformative Practices for Nurturing Empathetic Connections Between Humans and Farmed Animals

• The Open Sanctuary Podcast - Introduction to Agency with Dr. Emily Tronetti | The Open Sanctuary Project

• The Open Sanctuary Podcast - Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education, Part One with Dr. Emily Tronetti | The Open Sanctuary Project

• The Open Sanctuary Podcast - Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education, Part Two with Dr. Emily Tronetti | The Open Sanctuary Project

• An Introduction To Fostering Agency In Farmed Animals At Your Animal Sanctuary | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Asking Other Animals for Consent Handout | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Reflection Workbook | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part One | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part Two | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part Three | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part Four | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part Five | The Open Sanctuary Project

• A Guide to Fostering Farmed Animal Agency in Sanctuary Education: Part Six | The Open Sanctuary Project

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