Heaven on Earth welcomes famous new resident

Excitement was in the air at the usually peaceful Heaven on Earth animal sanctuary when a famous new resident moved in on Aug. 9.

The two resident brown Swiss cows, Daphne and Pepper, grazed calmly, but they appeared to be keeping an eye out for the cause behind the humans’ hustle and bustle, reading for the arrival of Miss Mable.

Miss Mable, a red cow with a large white spot on her forehead, comes from Bellingham. Last October, she and her truckmate escaped while being transported to an auction, where they would either be sold to slaughter or sold to a breeder. Her truckmate was caught early on. Mable lived on the streets of Bellingham for nine weeks, Whatcom Human Society staff said. The owner threw up their hands and said whoever could catch her could have her, and the Whatcom Humane Society finally did. She had been staying at their farm facility temporarily until Heaven on Earth stepped up to provide her with a forever home with her best friends, Pepper and Daphne.

The brown Swiss pair came from a local 4-H family. Pepper could never get pregnant, so she could not be a dairy cow. Since Pepper and Daphne were bonded, Heaven on Earth took them both. Sadly, Daphne had to leave a calf behind that the family wanted to keep.

“Daphne missed her baby terribly when she first came here,” Karen Clark Cole, executive director of the nonprofit, said.

The hope was that Mable’s young age might bring out the moms in these two best friends.

Each of the animals at Heaven on Earth has a story to tell. Cole, the sanctuary staff and volunteers are there not just to take care of them through their remaining days, but to help share their stories.

“Every animal that has come to us has either been a rescue or a retirement,” Cole said. Many have come from Pasada Safe Haven, a nonprofit based in the Seattle area with a mission to fight animal cruelty.

At Heaven on Earth, the geese were the original residents, happily swimming in the ponds, honking. This crowd always has a lot to say. They are among the first things guests will hear upon arrival.

A herd of goats was rescued next, including Esther, who had so many babies that she permanently stretched out her stomach. One of her daughters, Josie, along with friends, the Sugar and Spice gang, kick and frolic while Esther, the eternal mother, looks on.

Chairs are scattered throughout where visitors can have a seat, watch and be with the animals. Signs are displayed at each of the animals’ habitats, complete with facts about each one: goats, pigs, chickens, horses, cows, llamas, and how each is and has been used and treated by humans.

A flock of sheep rescued from a hoarding situation lay in the shade. At the time of rescue, their wool was thick and overgrown, filled with parasites. Now they are sheared, pest-free and living their best life with the ability to choose between shady spots beneath the trees or finding a sunny spot in the grass.

Jethro the pig came from Pasadena. Someone reported a husky in a parked car, and when the rescuers retrieved the husky, they found a very obese Jethro in the car as well. Pigs are susceptible to fat blindness, Cole explained, but he is now down to a good weight, and he is content in his new life outdoors in the breezes with a pair of sister pigs, Hannah and Phylis. Jethro doesn’t wallow like most pigs, rolling about in the mud. Having gotten used to being in a car, Jethro, Cole said, isn’t a fan of getting dirty. Since mud protects pigs’ skin from the sun, Jethro gets sunscreen treatments instead.

Juan and Charlie are a couple of older donkeys. These boys have a strict diet because they have kushings, which is essentially diabetes. Still, they love their lettuce, and come running and hee-hawing when they think someone might be bringing them a treat.

The two horses, Harley and Foxy, are both unable to be ridden. Harley’s wrist and ankle joints caused her pain, but that is only a piece of what she has been through. Some people on Orcas had bought her from New Mexico, but when she arrived on the island, they were stunned. She was severely underweight and pregnant. Now a healthy weight, Harley does not forget going hungry. While she and Foxy are bonded and stay close together most of the time, that experience turned Harley into a food bully.

Foxy was rescued from a kill pen. She, too, has her physical ailments. Of concern to the sanctuary staff is that she doesn’t lie down to sleep, which horses need to do in order to get a full REM sleep, Cole said.

There are also llamas, roosters, chickens and ducks, each with their own stories to tell. The sanctuary keeps afloat through donations, sales from the unique gift store items and guided tours. Local grocery stores, including Kings, Market Place and the Roche Harbor grocery store, all donate unsaleable produce, for which Cole expressed gratitude. On Wednesdays and Fridays, Mandy Heitkamp teaches yoga amongst the animals at 11 a.m., which goes toward the nonprofit. Cole said they are also starting a three-day kids camp that teaches youth about the different species. All of that is a drop in the bucket toward the operating expenses, food, bedding, labor, vet and grooming costs, however. Cole is hoping to engage a few major donors to make a significant impact.

That impact extends beyond providing a safe, comfortable home for the residents.

“We want to enlighten people to animal cruelty, to think about animal consciousness, to create empathy and [provide a space for people to make] a spiritual connection with them,” Cole said. Although they are light-handed about it, they also try to encourage guests to take a look at their diet. “Eating less animals is better for the planet, human health and of course animal welfare.”

Most people have not hugged a cow, she pointed out: “They are similar to dogs. They like chin scratches and snuggles. They are just big, warm cuddly creatures.”

That Saturday, Mable peered out of her trailer as it backed into the field. She stuck her head out first, but any hesitation quickly vanished, and the Marvelous Miss Mable bolted free.

Pepper and Daphne rushed to meet their new friend, and suddenly the three were off and running, sniffing, enjoying a few apples together. More than one person shed tears. “You’re a lucky girl, Mable, to be able to live here,” one of her former caretakers said.

To learn more, visit https://www.heavenonearthanimalsanctuary.org, or watch a video of Mable moving in on their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/heavenonearthanimalsanctuary/.