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Founded by animal rights activists Adit Romano,
a 52-year-old former business executive, and Meital Ben Ari, 38,
who used to work in tech, Freedom Farm serves as a refuge for
mostly disabled animals and as an educational center for
visitors.
"If you want people to open their hearts toward these animals,
we have to bring them close," said Romano, stroking two pigs
named Yossi and Omri.
Most of the nearly 240 animals at the facility were raised for
slaughter. Some were donated by farmers who chose to save them.
Others, like Miri, who was found lying in a ditch with a broken
leg, were abandoned.
After Miri's rescue, her leg was amputated.
Ben Ari said children with special needs particularly enjoy
tours of the farm and its 5 acres (2 hectares) of green
pastures, stables and a barn in Moshav Olesh, an agricultural
community in central Israel.
On a visit with her 84-year-old father, Shira Breuer, 56, said:
"I'm worried about the future of humanity and this place sounds
like a place of hope."
The farm's most recent addition is Nir, a five-month-old cow
fitted with a prosthetic leg to replace one that was broken and
then amputated.
Freedom Farm raised money for the artificial limb and medical
care through an internet crowd funding campaign.
It costs about $1 million a year to run the farm, which relies
on contributions and volunteer workers from Israel and abroad,
including musicians - who come and play for the animals.
(Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Alexandra Hudson)
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