By Jess Holmes
The magic of the Gentle Barn became known in the St. Louis area after the rescue of the “St. Louis Six”— six cows who broke free from a slaughterhouse in north St. Louis in 2017. While the allure of the cow rescue tale will never fade, Christine Seacrist, manager of the Missouri location, emphasized that The Gentle Barn is a many-faceted, regional asset.
“One thing that makes our sanctuary really unique is that we invite people in. We have our weekly visitors on open Sundays who can come learn about the animals’ stories of resilience, find comfort with the animals, and experience joy,” she said. “During the week, we have private tours, field trips, and animal therapy programs – cow hugs, equine and barnyard therapy.”
In classic sanctuary fashion, conversations with Seacrist are held in the barn yard. Seacrist holds a partially-blind turkey in her lap, a rooster crows in the background, and a cow eavesdrops on conversations. It’s clear the animals are not only comfortable, but enjoy the company.
Seacrist has a history of animal advocacy. Upon learning some facts about the food she was eating, she made the decision, at the age of 10, to become a vegetarian. Her passion for animals continued to grow, inspiring her to go vegan. In college, Seacrist majored in non-profit management, so she could dedicate her life to animal rescue.
Her animal experience ranges from working with rehabilitating sea otters in California to rescuing monkeys in Ecuador to shelter work back in her hometown of St. Louis. After deciding she wanted a change, fate intervened and led Seacrist to apply for an open position at The Gentle Barn, an organization with a mission that directly aligns with Seacrist’s beliefs.
Inspiring Kindness and Compassion
The Gentle Barn was originally founded in 1999 in California by Ellie Laks, who heavily advocates for the healing power of animals. She describes this in her book, “My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Can Heal and Children Learn to Hope.”
As the California-based organization grew, Laks and co-founder, Jay Weiner, expanded first to Nashville, Tennessee; then to St. Louis in 2017. However, the mission has always remained the same: “inspiring kindness and compassion towards animals, our planet, and each other.”
The Gentle Barn focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating abused animals by showering them with love. Sometimes that involves giving them space to decompress from the trauma they’ve endured, or it can involve a volunteer reading to them in the sunshine. The animals are treated to massages, sound baths, and energy healings— whatever they need to find peace.
According to Seacrist, an animal rights orientation can help address the needs of an ailing planet.
“When we rescue animals from the dairy industry, meat industry, or any animal agriculture industry, we’re able to share their rescue story as a way to educate on the effects these industries have on our planet. We promote a plant-based diet and have a lot of information to give visitors,” she said.
With only 5% of the American population not eating meat, The Gentle Barn’s message often falls on deaf ears. While 70% of Americans have some level of discomfort when thinking about what happens to animals in the food system, many don’t know the extent of damage caused by the animal agriculture industry, according to the February 2022 issue of Appetite, an international research journal.
“An individual adopting a plant-based diet not only saves 200 animals a year, it also saves 1100 gallons of water a day and an entire acre of trees a year. When we’re not eating cows, we’re saving the trees, ” said Seacrist.
In an angry and divided world, encouraging kindness and compassion toward each other can be challenging. The Gentle Barn has created a non-judgmental space rooted in education, curiosity, and healing. Open Sundays, at the site, allow visitors to spend time with the animals and learn about their stories.
For a more in-depth experience, staff offers peace enhancement and therapy programs during the week. Seacrist has hosted a variety of different groups- domestic violence shelters, at-risk youth, a school for deaf students, and young adults with disabilities. Interacting with and learning from the animals can build confidence and help develop leadership skills. The animals also can help people feel understood, especially children.
“Once, we had a group that helps support young adults with visual impairments. One of our turkeys, Smudge, is mostly blind, so I knew I had to introduce them to her. A young woman sat with Smudge in her lap and asked if she could sing to her because I mentioned she really likes music. Smudge immediately fell asleep. It was incredible to watch,” Seacrist said.
“Another time, we had a woman come out for a cow hug therapy session because her teenage son died in an accident. She was looking for some alternative type of healing. When we went down into the cow field, they all responded to her, letting her pet them. Then, Chico (one of the St. Louis Six who initially broke them out of the slaughterhouse) quickly laid down, allowing her to sit with him. She leaned into him, crying into his shoulder. It was really beautiful,” Seacrist recalled.
Expanding Community
Beyond offering services for individuals to heal, The Gentle Barn actively extends its mission to communities outside of the bounds of their sanctuaries. Founders, Laks and Weiner, offer courses to individuals and organizations who want to start their own sanctuary. With 25 years of experience, the two have a lot of knowledge to share.
On a smaller scale, Seacrist is available to locals who need advice or assistance on animal care. She’s been able to share information to individuals who want to learn how to sheer sheep in a gentle manner, help provide appropriate feed for a gentleman’s senior horse, and assist in re-homing pigs whose caretakers didn’t have enough space for them.
Seacrist treats everyone with equal parts kindness and compassion. In avoiding judgment, Seacrist is able to meet people where they’re at and help them find a balanced solution. This might involve bringing volunteers to build fencing for a community member’s potbellies or directing someone toward correct vet care.
Continuing Progress
This past fall, The Gentle Barn of Missouri welcomed two new turkeys. Hope and Sorina were both rescued from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. Their arrival has been a beautiful surprise. While birds can often have a reputation of being stand-offish or even mean, these girls have wooed visitors with their capacity for love.
“It’s one of my favorite things because people have a lot of misconceptions or just no experience with turkeys, or birds, at all. When they get to see how magical they are, it’s really cool,” said Seacrist. “With Hope and Sorina, it’s very clear that they want attention and enjoy being loved. They’re also very protective of our duck who just got surgery. I can see how smart they are because of how good they are at communicating.
“Back when I first started working here, I hadn’t met any turkeys either, so I didn’t know what to expect. Smudge (the blind turkey) would come right up to me, and I asked the staff, ‘What do I do?’ They told me to sit down because she wants pets. I’d sit down, and she’d climb in my lap to cuddle,” Seacrist said.
Seacrist said cuddle turkeys are changing hearts and minds. Cows are helping people heal. People are learning about new ways of life.
Moving forward, Seacrist and The Gentle Barn team will continue to give the best care possible to the animals they’ve rescued and for upcoming projects, such as fencing expansions and a new vegetable garden. With their dedication to animal wellness and support from the community, The Gentle Barn will continue to inspire kindness and compassion toward animals, our planet, and each other.
Environmental Echo 