Healing through Animals

[00:00:00] Alex Re: Hello. Welcome to On Wildlife. I'm your host, Alex Re. On this podcast, we bring the wild to you. We take you on a journey into the life of a different animal every week, and I guarantee you you're going to come out of here knowing more about your favorite animal than you did before. We have a special episode for you today because we're not talking about one specific animal like we normally do.

[00:00:26] That's because I got the chance to interview a special guest. Her name is Ellie Lacks, and she's the founder of the Gentle Barn Foundation, which is a really unique organization that helps to rehabilitate animals and people.

[00:00:57] Let's get right into the interview. Hi Ellie, how are you doing?

[00:01:02] Ellie Laks: I am doing great, and I am really happy to be here.

[00:01:05] Alex Re: I'm happy to have you. Thank you so much for coming on. You're welcome. Thanks for having me. Of course. So first, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself and what started your passion for helping animals?

[00:01:18] Ellie Laks: I was born an animal lover, which I think we all are. Luckily, I never lost my connection to animals and nature. I was lucky to grow up in the Midwest and the East coast. So there was always forests and lakes by my homes. And I was able each day after school and on the weekends to journey out to the woods and the lakes and watch tadpoles turn to frogs and overturn logs and find magical salamanders, sit by shade trees, and watch the bunnies hop around me.

[00:01:44] So, I mean, nature has always been my sanctuary and animals have always been my teachers, healers, and friends. And they've saved me so many times in my life that as a very young child, I vowed that when I grew up, I was going to save them. So I always had this dream to have a big place full of animals and show the world how beautiful they are.

[00:02:06] And all the hurting people of the world could come and heal with us. And that's kind of was my mantra at seven years old. I procrastinated for a really long time because I had no idea how to start that or what the first steps would be. But I finally discovered a petting zoo. In Los Angeles as a young adult, almost 25 years ago.

[00:02:24] And to make a very long story short, started bringing animals home from that petting zoo, resuscitating them alongside a wonderful veterinarian. And one by one they healed. I got more and more animals from that petting zoo. And before I knew it, I realized I had started my dream. And the longer version of that story is written in my book, My Gentle Barn, creating a sanctuary where animals heal and children learn to hope.

[00:02:48] Alex Re: Wow, that's amazing. And I myself was a wildlife lover as a kid looking under rocks for salamanders as always. So I completely connect with what you're saying. That's amazing. And you're the founder of The Gentle Barn. Could you just talk about how you started that organization a little bit and what your mission is?

[00:03:08] I know you talked about it a little bit already.

[00:03:11] Ellie Laks: Absolutely. So yes, it was that petting zoo that geared the gentle barn into action, started taking those animals home to my half acre backyard, realized that I had started my dream, started opening it to visitors to visit those animals, and then I started inviting Probation camps, inner city schools, drug and alcohol rehab centers, domestic violence shelters, war veteran centers, senior centers, and schools for the disabled and special needs to come and heal with the animals.

[00:03:39] And they started coming. We lasted in that little half acre backyard. We lasted for about four years and moved to a much bigger location located just outside Los Angeles. Eight years ago, we opened in Nashville, Tennessee. And six years ago, we opened in St. Louis, Missouri. So we have three locations. We have 68 staff, we have 200 animals, and we have, um, a global reach through our social media.

[00:04:02] Um, we do two things at the General Barn. The first of which is we save and heal and rehabilitate animals that have nowhere else to go. Animals that are too old, too sick, too lame, or too scared to be adoptable and are euthanized in the shelters. We bring them in, we rehabilitate them. With that care, but we also use acupuncture, massage therapy, ultrasound, ice therapy, water therapy, energetic healing, nutritional supplements, and lots and lots of love.

[00:04:28] Once they're restored to health and wellness, we either find homes and families of their own by adopting them all across America and into Canada, or if they need, if they have ongoing care for the rest of their life, we keep them. And we give them sanctuary with us when they're ready. We partner with them to heal people with the same stories of trauma in our cowhug therapy sessions and our private tours and our school field trips were open to the public on Sundays for people to come meet these animals and connect with them.

[00:04:56] And then they kind of pay it forward by like, we restore the animals to health and wellness. And then they help people that are hurting. And hopefully those people will turn around to be kind to the animals.

[00:05:08] Alex Re: that's great. And what kind of animals do you have? I know you mentioned

[00:05:13] Ellie Laks: home to horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, llamas and dogs.

[00:05:20] Alex Re: Great. So all kind of like domestic animals that, you know, you could find at a farm or in a barn or even in a zoo. So you were talking about how Gentle Barn incorporates veterinary medicine with some holistic healing approaches. How do these two worlds come together to provide the best care for your animals?

[00:05:45] Ellie Laks: So. My journey with this started many decades ago when I had a beloved dog that was very, very, he was beautiful, he was young, he was nine years old, which to me is very young because our dogs live well into their teens. And one day we woke up and he couldn't walk. And I brought him to the veterinarian, he did x rays, he said that his spine was fused in three different places, he'd never walk again, here's some pain meds and bring him back when I want him to euthanize him.

[00:06:13] I was so distraught by hearing this. That I went to another veterinarian for a second opinion, and he said the exact same thing. I brought my dog home, couldn't stop crying, and my friend said to me, Why don't you try acupuncture? And I said, what would acupuncture possibly do for a dog whose spine is fused in three different places?

[00:06:31] She said, well, can it hurt? I said, of course not. So I brought my dog to this acupuncturist that she knew. I went once a week for three weeks and, and the three week mark, my dog was totally normal, was running around like he used to be. And he lived many, many more years with no other problems since then.

[00:06:50] And that's when my eyes were really opened to the benefits of acupuncture. So since then we've incorporated. All the list, you know, acupuncture massage therapy, but we use Jill and Joan CBD. We use some chlorella algae, superfood to boost the immune system. We use pure remedy healing self for skin issues.

[00:07:07] And over the last 24 years, I've gathered. All of these different modalities that aid in the healing process, keep these animals mobile and comfortable for much, much longer, keep them living way past their life expectancies and help in the veterinary care. So all of these modalities help each other to make a whole and complete animal who can live as long as they want to.

[00:07:33] Alex Re: That's really interesting and it makes sense because just like people, animals are multifaceted and we use all of those kinds of things. We use acupuncture and, and different gels and, and ointments and things like that. So why don't animals need that? And also we might not think about how emotionally complex animals are compared to humans.

[00:07:56] So that that's great. And so you were talking a little bit about how you have people with similar situations interacting with the animals that you have rehabilitated. So can you talk a little bit more about that and how that interaction benefits? the animals and the visitors?

[00:08:16] Ellie Laks: Absolutely. So in my childhood, I was going through the challenges of growing up and no matter how bad it was, no matter what I was ailing from, there was always an animal that was there to listen as I cried.

[00:08:30] mirrored back to me that I was lovable and make me feel like there was hope. And so I know firsthand how incredibly healing and therapeutic animals are. And so part of the original design of the gentle barn was not only to save animals that had nowhere else to go, but to partner with them to heal humanity.

[00:08:48] And so at the gentle barn, we have three different healing modalities or animal therapies. If you will, we have Cow hug therapy, where people can come, rest their faces against these gentle giants, clear our minds of our worries and thoughts, slow down our heartbeat with theirs, rise and fall to match their breathing.

[00:09:11] We can be centered and grounded. We can feel vulnerable, humble, and small against a giant. Protective frame. And that's where healing and hope starts and it can restore people to health and wellness. We are talking therapy might be too hard. Talking therapy is wonderful when we're brave enough to talk about our experiences and dissect them to find the lessons.

[00:09:34] hidden within. But when we're too shut down or angry to talk, when we don't want to rehash painful experiences, or when we're grieving over the loss of a loved one, when there's not really anything to talk about, we're just in excruciating pain. Talk therapy. might be difficult, but resting against a cow when they're giving us all their energy and all their nurturing.

[00:09:56] I'm telling you, it is restorative on so many different levels. And I really invite you to come try it.

[00:10:04] Alex Re: It sounds incredible. It really does. And who wouldn't want the chance to hug a cow? I agree. And can you share an experience that you've had that's made a lasting impact on you while you were doing work at the Gentle Barn?

[00:10:20] Ellie Laks: Oh my god, I could go on and on. How do you narrow it down to one answer? I have had so many incredible experiences. I had A teenager who was a selective mute and hadn't spoken a word in 12 years, but she loved music. And I had a turkey that loved music, and I paired them together, and this teenager, because of this beautiful turkey that she fell in love with and spent time with, and knowing that the turkey needed music in her life, this teenager started singing to the turkey, and eventually, by the time she graduated our program, she was fully vocal.

[00:10:59] Wow. I've seen miracles every day where animals come in more dead than alive, and they find a way to walk again, a way to play again, a way to come alive again. We've gone through two fires at our California location, evacuated twice, and in those darkest of moments. I've seen the most beautiful parts of humanity where people came together to help and support.

[00:11:26] And I think my own self care practice and my own view of mental health was born in the barnyard with these incredible animal ambassadors teaching me how to live, how to take care of myself, how to meditate, how to slow down, how to be present in each moment. All of those things I learned from animals.

[00:11:46] Alex Re: Wow. So there's really a lot that we can learn from them, even if it's not so clear or so present. That's, that's amazing. And what are some of the challenges that you've seen that domestic animals are facing right now?

[00:12:01] Ellie Laks: I think that that's a, a few part answer. Number one, I think our domestic Animal partners are suffering because most of their people are working so hard, right?

[00:12:15] The culture, especially in America, is to work a 40 hour work week and those animals are at home. And the lucky ones are able to lay on the couch and kind of have a break and wait patiently till the person gets home and kind of work around our crazy work schedule. schedule, but the young ones, the more active ones, the smarter ones are less able to just chill out and wait.

[00:12:38] And so they act out, right? They, they chew the couch or they chew a hole in the door or they cause havoc. And that the lucky ones. Are with people that are going to support them, understand them and make adjustments. But the unlucky ones are the ones that find themselves in shelters through no fault of their own.

[00:12:57] It's not their fault that they're a young puppy and their people are gone 40 hours every week and they have to just sit there and stare at the walls. And any puppy is unable to do that. It's not their fault. They're a perfect, beautiful puppy that just needed a more active home. So I think a lot of animals are being displaced because their environment is not conducive to their needs.

[00:13:17] Because so many people are kind of not getting the right fits for their family, animals by the millions are being sent to the shelters and the euthanasia rate is just sky high. So, you know, I, I, that causes a lot of pain for me because these animals don't deserve that. They're born perfect and they deserve families to support their needs instead of not having their needs met and now They get euthanized.

[00:13:45] I wish we had a better system to take care of them. The other problem that I see for our domestic partners is The foods that we serve them because we work so hard, we need foods that are really super easy, fast and convenient. And so the pet companies are catering to, to our needs instead of our animals needs.

[00:14:06] So animals are eating fast food. Basically they're right. They're eating crunchy food or canned food. And it's basically like feeding your child burgers and soda at every single meal. And now the health issues that they have to deal with. And it's shortening their lifespan. So, what I'd like to see is, I'd like to see people be very, very intentional when they bring an animal into their home.

[00:14:30] If they're working all the time, bringing in an older animal, or maybe even better yet, two older animals that can keep each other company, but they can be low key while you're at work. And if you have a very active lifestyle and you are home, then yes, it's appropriate to get a puppy. So, starting the match.

[00:14:48] Right in the beginning will set the humans and the animals up for success for a lifetime together, feeding more wholesome, organic, homemade foods and using supplements like sun, chlorella, algae, superfood and digestive enzymes and probiotics to set that animal up for success. You're spending much less time at the vet and more time having fun.

[00:15:13] I think those two things alone could really benefit our animals so much.

[00:15:19] Alex Re: Yeah, definitely. And it's really important to stress why it's so vital to be doing your research before you go out and just buy an animal, you need to make sure that you're getting a pet that's right for your lifestyle.

[00:15:35] Ellie Laks: 100%. You know, I was doing dog and cat rescue from the high kill shelters in Los Angeles before I opened the gentle barn.

[00:15:42] And I remember having, um, a very small puppy that I was trying to adopt out. And on, uh, an adoption Sunday, his lovely family came and they said they wanted that puppy, but in asking them questions about their lifestyle and how long they work and when they're out of the house and, and their routine, they revealed that they're out of the house for the majority of the day.

[00:16:02] And I said, I'm so sorry, but I'd really like to introduce you to some of my older dogs and cats, but you know, it's, it's not going to be a good match for this puppy. And they were furious. They were absolutely furious. But I had to stick to my guns and reject them for that puppy. Because. If you don't make the good match right off the bat, it's only a few weeks, if not few months till that puppy gets returned.

[00:16:28] Then the people are upset. The puppy has had an abandonment and it just hurts everybody. So I'd rather upset that family and reject them for the puppy than let them take that puppy home. That puppy is going to annihilate their house when they're gone and be very lonely and anxious and then that puppy is going to have heartache, um, for the rest of his life.

[00:16:50] Alex Re: Yeah, absolutely. And what can people do to get involved in the gentle barn?

[00:16:56] Ellie Laks: So first of all, I would like to invite everyone out to the gentle barn through our website, gentle barn. org, see our programs, visit our animals, read their stories, check out what we do. So that's gentle barn. org. You can also find The Gentle Barn on all social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.

[00:17:18] Get to know our animals, see their videos, see their friendships. You will fall in love with them. Find a Gentle Barn near you, either in St. Louis, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee, or Los Angeles, California, and come visit. Come hug a cow. Cuddle a turkey, give a pig a tummy rub, look in these eyes of these animals, hear their stories of resilience, and know once and for all that we really are just the same, even though we look different.

[00:17:40] To know how and why the general barn came to be, to learn about the founding animals that came into the general barn in the beginning, to learn about all the groups of herding people that came to heal with those animals and how they transformed, and, Anyone wanting to help us to rescue even more animals and open even more human hearts to the plight of animals.

[00:18:01] Thank you for your donations. You can donate at gentle barn. org.

[00:18:04] Alex Re: That's great. And I think that's the perfect thing to end it on. Definitely go read the book, my gentle barn. And go visit if you're in the area, because it sounds amazing. You definitely want to go and hug a cow, right?

[00:18:19] Ellie Laks: I like to say we haven't lived life till we've hugged a cow and cuddled a turkey.

[00:18:24] Alex Re: Absolutely. Well, Ellie, thank you so much for coming on today. I learned so much and I think our listeners are really going to enjoy what you have to say.

[00:18:33] Ellie Laks: Thank you so much for having me and loving animals with me.

[00:18:38] Alex Re: That was an amazing interview, and the work that Ellie is doing for animals and people is really cool.

[00:18:46] If you want to hug a cow or just want to support Ellie's mission, go check out the Gentle Barn Foundation and her book, My Gentle Barn. Thank you so much for coming on this adventure with me as we learned about the Gentle Barn. You can find the sources that we used for this podcast and the organizations that we reference at onwildlife.

[00:19:08] org. You can also email us with any questions at onwildlife. podcast at gmail. com. And you can follow us on Instagram at on underscore wildlife and on TikTok at onwildlife. And don't forget to tune in two Wednesdays from now for another awesome episode. And that's On Wildlife

[00:19:35] Jess Avellino: You've been listening to On Wildlife with Alex Re On Wildlife provides general educational information on various topics as a public service, which should not be construed as professional financial, real estate, tax, or legal advice. These are our personal opinions only. Please refer to our. Full disclaimer policy on our website for full details.