I’m on the train back from Toronto, reflecting on this weekend. Conferences are a rare opportunity to get away from the day-to-day grind and think bigger. What is my place in animal advocacy, and what inspires me? I had the humbling opportunity to speak about how farm sanctuaries are limited by charitable law. I dedicated my presentation to Maggie, my muse. As I spoke, no matter how frustrated I was at the system, I realized how passionate I am about this work. I want this ch

As we write this, we’re sitting outside with the chickens. Ellie is stretching his legs, wandering around on the grass while Penny is right behind him, foraging and chirping for his attention. Henry, Sophie, and Alma are having their promenade as well, and instead, they are choosing to dig around in the fallen leaves. We love this life we’ve been privileged enough to live, and it’s the greatest joy of our life. It’s been a difficult year, with so much loss sometimes, it feels

In the blink of an eye, summer arrived. Here at the sanctuary, that means longer days out in the sun and taking time to pause and enjoy the weather with the flocks. Leading up to the release of this quarterly update has been quite the whirlwind. We've handled more loss than we would ever hope for and spent more on medical bills than we ever thought we would have in four short months. Of course, we'd do it all again in a heartbeat, knowing we provided a life worth living for t

We were thrilled to welcome CTV News Ottawa to our sanctuary grounds this week to discuss backyard chickens. We wanted to share a behind-the-scenes peak at our interview and share information that didn't make the cut! Chickens can live up to 15 years old . Their breed plays a large role in the longevity of their life. For laying hens (hens that have been genetically modified to lay eggs at an alarming rate), most will pass away from reproductive complications before their fif

Ellie joined our family at only four months old. He was surrendered as a blind hen (surprise, he was a rooster!) because his flock mates had been picking on him. Over the past year, we’ve seen his personality blossom. We’ve learned his favourite things include stretching out in the hammock with us, listening to classical piano covers of Taylor Swift, and being whispered to (he purrs a trill-ing kind of chicken coo when we tell him he’s just a little baby). But one thing he do

When we launched the sanctuary, we knew we wanted to include transparency as a cornerstone of our rescue work. We both grew up in the city and worked most of our careers with non-profit organizations, witnessing all the “behind the scenes” aspects that make the gears turn. But oftentimes, the nitty gritty wasn't shared with the public. We wanted to prioritize sharing everything that makes our tiny but mighty sanctuary work. That’s why we’ve decided to share a quarterly update

Secondhand Stories is a registered non-profit chicken sanctuary founded in 2021. Located in Rideau Lakes, our mission is to provide a loving forever home to abandoned, abused and neglected chickens. Secondhand Stories was founded by partners Liz & Craig Wheeler, has no paid staff, and is 100% volunteer-run.  As we continue to grow, we are building a founding board of directors. We're seeking resourceful leaders with the skills and energy to help guide the future of Secondhand

Chickens are complex individuals capable of emotions  such as boredom . They experience joy  when learning, recognize human faces, form bonds, and show empathy  towards others.  Chickens can even anticipate the future and demonstrate self-control. Part of Secondhand Stories' vision is to ensure residents have fulfilled and enriched experiences while living at the sanctuary. We view enrichment as a necessity for care, not as a bonus.  This is especially true given our climate

Reproductive illness is the leading cause of death in egg-laying hens. The single best medical therapy option for mitigating this risk is by having a hen implanted, which decreases reproductive productivity in chickens, giving their bodies a much-needed break. A hormonal implant is inserted under the skin, slowly releasing the drug Deslorelin  (brand name Suprelorin ) which controls the secretion of other hormones involved in egg production, temporarily stopping the laying of

Secondhand Stories provides a loving forever home to 17 rescued chickens, many of which have unique special needs. Our mission is to provide a loving, forever home to abandoned, abused, and neglected farmed animals. Our vision is to offer a life-long sanctuary where our rescued farmed animals can: live out their natural lives in peace; be free from exploitation and suffering; and have fulfilled and enriched experiences while living at the sanctuary. In order to continue provi

Our hearts have never been fuller. 2023 was our first full year operating as a sanctuary and to say we went all out would be an understatement. This year we opened our doors to eight more rescue chickens from four different flocks. We purchased new coops, installed electricity, added insulation, built and expanded outdoor runs. The transformation has been unbelievable. As we write, this the snow has started gently falling in Rideau Lakes reminding us how lucky we are to prov

Secondhand Stories is a non-profit sanctuary that provides a loving forever home to 13 rescued chickens. We aim to provide a sanctuary where our rescued chickens can: live out their natural lives in peace; be free from exploitation and suffering; and have fulfilled and enriched experiences while living at the sanctuary. One of the most common questions we get as a chicken sanctuary is “What do you do with their eggs?” . Before I can answer what we do, let’s get into the who,

For 10 years Veganuary has inspired and supported millions of people to try vegan through their 31-day pledge. People across the world...

We recently posted on our social accounts about the recent news of the escaped serval cat from a “sanctuary” in Ontario. We wanted to take the opportunity to discuss the importance of the language we use when talking about animal facilities - mainly what constitutes one which is a sanctuary (a true refuge for animals) and a roadside zoo (one which exploits them). It’s important we understand the difference and ask for regulations to protect exotic animals, that licence and re

So here’s the story. We’ve been asked by another microsanctuary to take on their chickens whom they heartbreakingly must surrender - but...

What does it take to rescue chickens? It's a question we get often and it's the hardest to answer. The shortest version would go something like "Everything. It takes everything, plus some. It's like being responsible for 10 toddlers at once, but ones who can't speak your language." The longest version is our operations manual. Having worked in non-profit fundraising for over 8 years, I know the importance of transparency in building trusting relationships with supporters. Tha

Participants and organizations in favour of exploiting backyard chickens have been spreading misinformation and omitting critical...

The biggest challenge we've faced as a sanctuary in our first nine months of operations has been securing veterinary care for our chickens. There are over fifty veterinary clinics in Ottawa and surrounding areas. Only six of those will see chickens, and of those six only three are accepting new patients. Of those three only one has been available for emergency veterinary services. Of that one, only once have they had adequate staffing to see us on emergency. (This is not th

In a meeting with a staffer from the City of Toronto a couple of weeks ago, I expanded my concerns about the UrbanHensTO Pilot Project. While these concerns were aimed at stopping the pilot project in Toronto, all the same data applies to Ottawa and areas across Ontario and even parts of Canada. This is what I had to say: --- Since 2021 the spread of a highly infectious variant (H5N1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly referred to as “bird flu”, has incre

It is with a broken heart I have to share with you that Emily passed away last night at the vet. As you know Emily suddenly became ill on...