Volunteer at our non-profit animal rescue in New York, USA

Details

• 

  Description

  The Rescue was founded to rescue animals in need to rehab and rehome them or let them life out their live here in safety and peace, as well as revive this fallow land in a sustainable way through regenerative farming with farm animals that will live happily every day of their life.
  
  The Rescue was founded in 2021 when I moved to this farm in Upstate NY and in only 15 months I rescued 2 dogs and their 7 puppies, over 20 cats, 3 horses, 4 donkeys, 2 hinnies (pony mom and donkey dad), 3 ducks, several roosters and countless little wildlife babies that we typically transfer to a wildlife rehabber. The Ranch was also home to grazing goats and cattle (Scottish Highlanders) to revive that farmland that had been laying fallow for the better part of 20 years, with only a few goats left as of summer 2023 due to the amount of workload.
  
  I welcome volunteers who are ready to make a real difference. The rescue is still pretty small and underfunded, in summer with additional income through dog sitting. Host can share some meals with workawayers but you have full use of the upscale and completely equipped kitchen with Instantpot, Airfrier, Toasteroven and BBQ to prepare your meals. I will provide staples like rice, beans, coffee, milk, eggs, and harvest vegetables from the garden for meals. Utilities and internet provided. Best if you have a car.
  
  The Ranch is out in the country. We are a good 20 min drive to Oneonta, Norwich or Sidney, and yes, it’s very rural. There is a world class bakery in Gilbertsville, a 7 min drive, a fantastic ice cream shop in Morris as well as the Amish Farm Market (both 7 min to the other side). Cooperstown with the Baseball Hall of Fame, Fenmore Estate and Otsego Lake, the Catskills to the east, Albany a good hour and a half to the north east and “the City” (NYC) is 3.5 drive or roughly 5h by Bus; 4h drive to Boston, Phili or Niagara Falls, 4.5h to Montreal.
  
  In summer it’s a pretty easy job. Feed the animals twice a day, clean stalls (during summer they are out almost 100% of the time so there is little of that) or coops, maybe brush the horses/dogs/cats, spend some time with any of the animals, fix stuff if necessary, keep the house and litter boxes clean. In winter the donkeys, hinnies and Rocky the 34 year old horse as well as the goats are spending more time inside and so stalls need to be cleaned every day and hay feeders filled twice a day.
  My animals are not on a fixed schedule so times are flexible as long as they are tended to in the morning and evening.
  If you are into animals this is the place to be. You can spend as much or little time with them as you like. All animals here are friendly and most of them love to cuddle and get attention.
  I expect workawayers to not shy away from a job that is anything but fancy like moving hay bales, picking rocks out of the donkey's track or raking grass after I mowed; and being able to work independently, the barn chores are straight forward and simple. I just really need help as I hardly find any time for mowing or projects, house work and admin. I never find the time to even research grants for the rescue or updating the website. For one person it’s simply too much, but the volunteer job is easy and it’s hardly ever 5h/day. Things have quieted down a lot after downsizing to 6 goats and rehoming the cattle, apart from the cats, dogs and equines in the rescue.
  Animal Rescue sounds very romantic and fun - and it really can be - BUT there is a lot of work involved (like shoveling poo) that is far from romantic. I don't ask my workawayers anything that I don't do myself on any given day. Last winter I moved over 1000 hay bales by myself due to the lack of support in winter.
  I need to say this upfront as it is too disappointing when people leave after two days under some excuse at the first sight of the not so fancy jobs (moving hay bales, picking rocks or raking grass) and leave me with cleaning up the guest bed- and bathroom.
  
  I would like to say one thing: I have had two instances where volunteers left without a word or note either right after arrival (and not before their dog peed on my kitchen carpet) or the other one during the first night (although we had had a nice conversation before going to bed). I respect everyone’s feelings and if this place is too country for you then that’s fine. BUT: I expect a conversation and not to be left wondering what happened to my volunteer, if maybe something bad happened. I found it extremely rude and insulting that they left without a word or even a simple note when I did absolutely nothing wrong (it was simply too country for them). I open my house for strangers so I expect as much respect in return that you talk to me. A simple “this is not for me, I’m leaving” will suffice, an honest reason would be even better.
  
  The volunteers who have stayed here loved it. It’s tranquil and peaceful, the animals are always good for some fun or just to show some love. The cats will keep you company at night if you like that, the dogs will do so during the day and are happy to take you on a hike once chores are done. This is a very beautiful area and if you love the outdoors, nature and animals this is absolute heaven. My latest volunteer from the UK upon leaving said, she can fully understand now why I said I was having a hard time leaving the farm even just to go shopping.
  
  I do have only one guest room, so I cannot accommodate families or groups, unless you’re traveling in your own rv

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ×

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The property is part of the Otsego Land Trust or the Conservation Easement. Animals are kept in a natural environment in big pastures and with the birds free roaming while working pest control, with plenty of habitat for wildlife, without the use of chemicals and to capture carbon.
  You will enjoy a wonderful stay with lots of love from the animals and satisfaction from helping these sweet souls. The Rescue is located in a side valley of the beautiful Butternut Valley which is a magical and peaceful place. If you love nature and animals then this is the place for you. Working with the animals is so rewarding and helping save lives is the best feeling ever.
  I lived in Germany for most of my life before moving to the US in 2015 and rescue-rehabbing dogs in Florida before starting the Ranch & Rescue in 2021. I have traveled worldwide extensively in my previous professional life and love meeting people from all over the world. Now I am a beginning rancher and despite having taken courses most days I am winging it and could write a book on how/what not to do while I am in a constant learning process.
  
  There are trails on the 190 ac property to walk or ride on. The creek that’s running along the property line can serve as a welcome refreshment on hot days although during a dry spell it gets pretty low. The Butternut Creek has a really nice swimming hole in Gilbertsville or Gilbert Lake State Park has a swimming beach.
  Gilbertsville, only 7 min by car, has a wonderful artisan bakery which was rated the #1 bakery in upstate NY this spring.
  Cooperstown, 40 min by car, has the Baseball Hall of Fame.
  Norwich, 20 min, has a Classic Car Museum. Oneonta 20 min

• 

  Help

  The Rescue were founded in spring of 2021 with minimum infrastructure on land that has lain fallow for almost 2 decades. There are horses, mules and donkeys, cats and dogs in the rescue, goats and chickens, and a sheep (as of 7/23). The farm animals are kept as natural as possible in herds and flocks out in pastures and are rotationally grazed.
  
  As long as the farm animals are grazing it's an easy job:
  In the morning I let the dogs out as I open up the duck coop and then continue to the big barn which houses the chicken coop. I open all three barn doors, make sure the chickens have feed and water, throw them some scratch grain and maybe worms. Then I go to make sure the horses and cattle have water and continue on to the creekside barn and pastures where the hinnies and donkeys live together with the old man Rocky, a 34 year old horse. He decided he wanted to stay with the donkeys after his pasture buddy passed. The barn and the outside shelters need to be cleaned of muck.
  Then I take the dogs for a walk around the property which features a couple of trails up to 2.5 miles long. Back home I feed the kitties and pups. The cats are in-and-out and come as they please with their humans being their door openers ;D
  The goats are currently on the hillside grazing and their fencing needs to be moved every few days, they also get a bag of hay in the evening.
  
  Evening chores: I put feed and water in the duck coop before bringing them in and closing them up, then I make sure all chickens are inside their coop and close all barn doors, check on horse and cattle water and then feed old man Rocky special senior food and some hay for the donkeys and hinnies. A last walk around the barns with the dogs and making sure the cats are set with food.
  
  There are a couple cats living in the old barn that need to be fed every other day.
  
  Should there not be enough grass for the horses and goats to graze then they'd need hay in the morning and evening.
  The dogs typically follow me on my barn chores, they are very well behaved and don't ever take off, they are always off leash and friendly to everyone and everything.
  
  The house needs to be kept clean and tidy, there are several cats and at least 3 dogs at a time in the house so vacuuming is necessary a couple of times a week and occasional floor cleaning.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Beginner
  Italian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am German born and lived in Germany for most of my life. In my previous career I traveled all over Europe and other parts of the world and I previously learned French and Italian but since I haven't used these two languages in years my knowledge has gotten basic. I loved to travel other countries and cultures and miss that part of my previous life a bit.
• 

  Accommodation

  The farm house has a guest room with a separate bathroom/shower. The downstairs area (kitchen, dining- and living room) are common spaces.

• 

  What else ...

  This area is for anyone who loves nature and the outdoors. We are quite rural yet Gilbertsville, which is just a 7 min drive, is a very artsy town and has a wonderful artisan bakery. Morris has a great ice cream shop open during the summer. There is lots of State Land and are many creeks and rivers, as well as lakes within an hour's drive. Best towns within 90 min drive are Oneonta, Cooperstown and Ithaca, Binghampton and Albany, the Catskills are only an hour drive and Syracuse is just under 2 hours drive. It's 3.5h to Manhattan.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  The farm house has a guest room with a separate bathroom, but it also has an office space and high speed internet. There is no cell service in this valley so only wifi-service.

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  This being a farm there are several spots to park an RV although WIFI reception is only near the farm house.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  This being an Animal Ranch & Rescue I always welcome pets that are well behaved and socialized although they might have to be leashed until they are used to not chase/kill the chickens and cats (nor any other animals)

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

• 

  Hours expected

  approx. 5 hours a day approx. 5 days/week

Feedback (8)