By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Special Correspondent
Drive up the road to Unity Sanctuary and you’ll notice a few things.
The first is probably the apiary, buzzing with bees, that you pass. As you pull into the parking lot, you’ll notice the goats, staring at you as if they knew you were coming. Then, when you actually listen, you’ll hear the call of numerous Guinea hens; if you’re lucky, you may actually spot their hoard wandering about the sanctuary. Finally, once you get out of the car, you’ll realize just how massive this sprawling sanctuary actually is. Horses, miniature horses, ponies, goats, a varied number of birds, pigs, alpacas, a llama, cows and more all have found their safe haven at Unity Sanctuary.
Unity Farm was created by people who started off simply as animal lovers. The idea for Unity Farm began when Lara Heilbrun went to college. Her parents, John and Kathy Halamka, started doing research. Neither of them had a background in farming or agriculture, but they were determined to make their dream of a farm into reality. They read numerous books, spoke to those with experience, and sought advice from vets. Quickly, Unity Farm was established. “I came home and there were all these animals that needed taking care of that my parents had adopted," remarks Lara Heilbrun.
A few years into this endeavor, and they are still perfecting how they run the sanctuary. "It's all a learning experience. I'm definitely learning something new every day about what animals need and what they don't need," says Heilbrun.
There are over a hundred animals who call Unity Sanctuary home. Currently, they are at capacity with 40 mammals. Every animal at Unity Farm has a story with an interesting personality to match.
Star the spotted Sicilian donkey is a very vocal resident at the sanctuary. She came to live at Unity Sanctuary after living with sheep for over a decade. She appears to have been living a bit excessively. While sheep can eat and eat and eat due to their fantastic digestive system, donkeys cannot. For Star, her life before coming to Unity, eating bottomless grass, was like that of a young child that never left the candy store. She came severely overweight. However, since her arrival, Star has lost over 40 pounds. Though it is crucial for her health, Star still misses her endless access to food and makes her displeasure very clear with her consistent braying.
All three of the three cows at the farm each have a unique and heartwarming story. Audrey Heifer was born at a dairy farm, where it was intended that she would live her entire life. However, Audrey Heifer is a freemartin cow. Freemartin cows are twins to a male cow; they are almost always sterile and cannot produce any milk. Luck was on Audrey’s side as she was rescued by Totem Farm in New Hampshire. Eventually, she was brought to Unity Sanctuary.
Coincidently, Audrey lives only minutes away from where the famous Emily the Cow resided. Emily was also a freemartin cow and avoided death by escaping from a slaughterhouse. Following her daring escape, Emily lived her days out in Sherborn at the Peace Abbey until 2003, when she passed away. Audrey will never have to endure the trauma her predecessor went through, but she will get the chance the live a phenomenal life at Unity. She lives with her best friend, Elliot, a fellow Jersey cow.
Audrey and Elliot’s neighbor, in comparison, looks like a giant - it’s like looking at the bovine equivalent of small and mega-gulp drink sizes - though the three are best friends. Dudley is a white Scottish Highland bull. He has attracted a fair amount of attention because of his story. Dudley was born in Wilton, New Hampshire, and was owned by a beef farmer. David Wirbal formed a close relationship with the young bull, often visiting him and giving him treats. After finding out that Dudley was going to be sent to a slaughter house, Wirbal organized a GoFundMe to buy him and relocate him to a permanent home. Today, Wirbal still keeps an eye on Dudley, checking in on the viewing camera set up in the pen.
The rest of the animals are just as bright and varied in their personalities. Palmer, the turkey, who prefers the company of humans, will follow any one he meets around the farm and requests attention.
A herd of alpacas is accompanied by two giant Great Pyrenees and a llama named Orchid.
There are chickens who love to be held. "They're like a house cat that is a descendant of the velociraptor," says Kathy.
They’re joined by a number of human helpers.
The sanctuary now has an endless stream of dedicated volunteers who come each week to visit with the resident critters. Some have their favorites, and take time to do things like playing music for the animals. Others come to help clean up and feed the various animals.
Unity Sanctuary is a miraculous example of what can happen when only a couple people set their minds to something. What started off as two people with a goal has resulted in the saving of 150 animals. No matter how these animals’ lives began, they can rest assured knowing that they can now peacefully thrive for the rest of their days in their new home.
