September 14, 2022
By Temi-Tope Adeleye
TIVERTON, R.I. (WJAR) — A local animal sanctuary is opening its gates to the public this weekend for the second time this year.
West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton is giving you the opportunity to mingle with their animal residents with their fall visitors' weekend.
Director of Development and Communications Patrick Cole said they run the visitors' weekend three times a year.
"It's a great opportunity for the community to come meet our rescued farm animals, learn more about West Place Animal Sanctuary, and enjoy a guided and educational interactive tour of the property," said Cole.
The public has the opportunity to mingle with and learn about their donkeys, alpacas, pigs, chickens, and more.
"All of our animals have come from a case of abuse, neglect, or cruelty. They all came to West Place with some sort of trauma whether it's physical, mental, or emotional," said Cole.
Visitors' weekend is also a major fundraiser for the non-profit organization.
"We are a small organization that receives no annual funding from the federal government or state governments," said Cole. "We rely on the public to continue the life-saving work we do here at West Place."
You can meet new faces like Jensen, a young calf, who will turn four-weeks-old this weekend.
"He's a three-week-old baby cow who was rescued during Labor Day weekend," said Cole. "He was being sent to auction after being separated from his mother, and we got the call and were able to bring him back to West Place and give him a permanent home and lifelong care."
The animal sanctuary highly recommends wearing closed-toe shoes like boots, so you can have cool interactions with the animals.
The tour is $15 for children and $20 for adults. If you cannot make it out this weekend, they plan to have one more visitors' weekend before the end of this year.
If you would like to learn more about the tour, visit the West Place Animal Sanctuary website.