Catskill Animal Sanctuary rescues farmed animals and champions veganism. We are located two hours north of New York City in Saugerties, NY.
Nonhuman animals have a right to live their lives free of suffering and exploitation by humans.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary exists to provide them with love and safety until they do.
The Sanctuary is a 148-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for eleven species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect, and abandonment. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, over 4,000 animals have been rescued since 2001. Between 250 and 350 residents call the Sanctuary home at any given time.
We believe that looking an animal in the eye and seeing someone — not something — looking back is one of the most profound shifts human beings can make in their understanding of the world and their place in it. And so we welcome visitors through tours, overnight stays, and events.
As the very best way to end animal suffering, improve our health, and heal our ailing planet, Catskill Animal Sanctuary advocates veganism and provides support and encouragement through a culinary program.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary rescues farmed animals, ignites social change to end their exploitation, and champions vegan living.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary opened in January of 2001, the culmination of many months’ research, travel, and internships at successful farm sanctuaries by founders Kathy Stevens and Jesse Moore.
Dino, the survivor of a Brooklyn arson that killed 23 horses, was the first resident at the small Kerhonkson, NY farm. In 2003, the Sanctuary moved to an 85-acre property in Saugerties, NY, and in early 2010, we completed that location’s conversion to solar energy. In 2011, an additional 32 acres was acquired. CAS at 32, just five minutes away from the Old Stage Road location. Today it is the home for many animals and is the future location of a new visitor’s center.
In addition to direct animal aid, the Sanctuary offers a wide variety of programs and events (including on-site tours) designed to help people experience farm animals as the unique individuals they truly are, and to educate people about the institutionalized suffering of food animals on factory farms.
Founder Kathy Stevens speaks at community organizations, schools, and conferences each year, and has written two books full of stories about animals that have lived at the Sanctuary. Her first book, Where the Blind Horse Sings: Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary, was released in 2007, and her second book, Animal Camp: Lessons Learned from Rescued Farm Animals, was released in 2010.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary has provided a safe haven for over 4,000 farmed animals and has found loving homes for many of them.
The Sanctuary is open all year for educational tours to our members, guests of The Homestead, and groups of ten or more.
We are also open to the public and our members for weekend tours from April to November.
On your tour, you will:
The pace is leisurely, with plenty of time for questions and saying hello to the residents.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary offers tours on Saturdays and Sundays from April to November. You can purchase tickets in the Welcome Hut.
Want to do something extra special for your kids? Catskill Animal Sanctuary now offers Family-Focused Tours (open to the public and our members). Kids are always welcome on regular tours, but we created one specifically for maximum kid-engagement. These tours are slightly shorter than regular tours, so little legs won’t get tired! Family-Focused tours take place at 11:45 am on Saturdays and Sundays from April through November. The cost is the same as the regular tour and tickets are available for purchase in The Welcome Hut (no reservations currently available).
Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s new Day Passes offer the opportunity for you to spend extra time enjoying the company of our rescued residents. A limited number of Day Passes are available to the public and Sanctuary members on Saturdays and Sundays from April through November. Visitors with a Day Pass may join any guided tour with available space for FREE, as well as walk around the property on their own between 11 am and 4:15 pm.
The Homestead is a renovated pre-Civil War residence, restored using traditional building methods and eco-friendly salvaged materials. Guests enjoy a seasonal vegan breakfast and spend quality time with our nearly 300 rescued residents. You’ll love the beautiful Hudson Valley and its unrivaled hiking, shopping, dining, and more!