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Transcript/Script
CONNECT Gentle Barn (TV)
HEADLINE: The Gentle Barn
TEASER: Owners make compassion central to animal care
PUBLISHED AT: 04/18/2022
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
DATELINE: Santa Clarita, California
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
PRODUCER: Genia Dulot, Jack Lacy
COURTESIES:
SCRIPT EDITORS: EA
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:00
VID APPROVED BY: EA
TYPE: VPKGF
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((Eds: This is a self-narrated feature.))
((INTRO:)) [[Petting zoos can be a wonderful way for people to better appreciate barnyard animals. But too often, conditions are not ideal for the animals themselves. VOA’s Genia Dulot reports from Santa Clarita, California on one family’s mission to provide a compassionate environment.]]
((NATS of Laks//Weiner Family, MUSIC))
“Pumpkin time.”
“One, two, three.”
((Ellie Laks, Founder, Gentle Barn))
I met a chicken when I was eleven years old in my school and I knew that she was terrified and she was in the gymnasium in a cat carrier and she was shivering.
I picked up on her immediately and went over to her, pulled her out of the cat carrier and started cradling her in my arms, telling her that she's going to be OK and that she's not alone and that I wouldn't let anything happen to her.
The principal came in a few minutes later and said, "Stop petting the chicken, we've got to get her to the slaughterhouse." And it was then that I realized that chicken and rice is the same thing as chicken, the animal.
((NATS))
((Ellie Laks, Founder, Gentle Barn))
Hi, everybody. Hi. Hi, sweetheart.You want to give me a kiss?
And then as a young adult, I was living in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and I saw a petting zoo I'd never seen before. What I found there was really horrific. There were dead animals in cages. There was no water, even though it was very hot that day. They were beating the ponies to keep going round and round in circles, and the whole scene was just an absolute horror show. And I was running for the door as fast as I could. And blocking the exit, was a very old goat that looked like she was about to keel over any second. And she looked me in the eyes, and she asked me for help. And I brought Mary home and I called the vet out that helped remove her tumors, and trim her overgrown toenails, and teach me how to massage her deformed leg so she could walk again. A couple of months later, she was bouncing around my backyard as happy as can be. I started going back to the petting zoo for more animals that were suffering there. And before I knew it, the backyard was full of animals.
I opened it to the public so people can come out and hug the cows, and cuddle the turkeys, and give the pigs tummy rubs. We had hundreds of people every Sunday come out and interact with the animals and hear their stories of resilience. Jay came in to the gentle barn two years after I founded it as a volunteer.
((Jay L. Weiner, Cofounder, Gentle Barn))
I loved animals. I was always connected to them. I grew up with them. I think that when I came out to the Gentle Barn, I felt like I was at home.
((Ellie Laks, Founder, Gentle Barn))
And a year later, we fell in love. And then Jay took us from that little half acre backyard to a national organization. We now have three locations.
((Cheyenne Weiner, Daughter of Jay and Ellie))
This has always been, like, my go to, fun place to be.
So, this is the chicken that was raised in my house with us. He would cuddle right here every night and he would, like, reach his little neck up.
You want to do it again? What do you think? What do you think?
((Ellie Laks, Founder, Gentle Barn))
Come closer. Come here.
Hi, this is Sun. She's our cuddle turkey in Los Angeles. Once a girl turkey trusts you, you can sit in front of them and just pet them. And eventually, they just close their eyes and fall asleep in our laps. Girl turkeys are every bit as affectionate, cuddly, loving and social as any dog or cat in anybody's home.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Santa Clarita, California
Embargo DateApril 18, 2022 16:00 EDT
Byline
Genia Dulot
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
