Sanctuary Compassion Fatigue Awareness, Part 1 of a Series

"Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper."

Dr. Charles Figley, Professor, Paul Henry Kurzweg Distinguished Chair, Director, Tulane Traumatology Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

I borrowed the above quote from the website of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project. This post is the start of a personal healing project within the Yoga Animalia Project, and it has to do with my time as a caregiver, and the intensely painful period I went through where compassion fatigue was ruining my life. It will be a topic to which I’ll return at various times; it is painful to write about, so the posts may be infrequent and slow, but I know firsthand that sharing it with others helps not only my own healing process, but can help other people in similar circumstances understand that what they may be experiencing is actually a real problem, not just something in their mind like I thought for so long.

After writing Deuce’s story (if you missed it, grab a facial tissue and click here to read about this amazing boyo), it got me thinking about all the stories of heartbreak found at sanctuaries. Tragic tales are part of sanctuary life. To be honest they are one of the main sources fueling donation requests, pulling the heartstrings of donors, encouraging the spread of the story. I don’t find fault in this; these tales should be shared, the public needs to be made aware, and these rescues or veterinary procedures happen because donations can help pay for it. However, one of the less thought upon aspects of these sanctuary stories is the effect they have on the humans charged with the rescue, rehabilitation, and care of the individuals.

Farmed animal care giving is demanding work, and part of that work requires integrating prior stories of new rescues, which can include grisly accounts or firsthand exposure for on-scene rescuers; continuing to integrate the story as the individual’s personality starts to shine forth as healing happens; adapting as physical challenges present; and then ultimately coming to terms with being part of a discussion about quality of life and euthanasia. And that for each individual in many cases. That is a lot to contain on top of all the physical duties, especially when so few resources can be directed to help the human animals.

As a former caregiver, and in quite a few conversations I have had with other caregivers, I notice a tendency for these tragic tales to weigh on the humans. There is a growing field of study on this topic: it is referred to as compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress. It equates to a lessening of an individual’s compassion due to chronic stress from care giving. I’ve seen and felt this personally and in others when present for new rescues, or major medical issues, or deaths; the accumulation of emotions can be intense and challenging to address. In discussions with leaders in the sanctuary world, compassion fatigue is one, if not the, leading cause for sanctuary caregivers to quit, and many sanctuaries do not even have a name for it other than burnout – one part of compassion fatigue, but not the whole of it.

The purpose of this first post is not to be an exhaustive examination of compassion fatigue – I honestly do not yet have that in me. The purpose instead is to bring awareness – which is the first step to dealing with the challenge. If the included graphic or discussion strikes a chord for you, I seriously encourage you to check out the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, or if you know caregivers personally, whether they work at an animal sanctuary or are care giving for an elderly human, I encourage you to support them in learning for themselves.

And to end a bit more joyously, I leave you with photos of humans loving nonhumans:

Safran & Danielle, Farm Sanctuary's Animal Acres, Acton, California

Friday & Roy, Animal Rescue Corps, Operation Seasons Change Part 2

Aengus & myself, Farm Sanctuary's Animal Acres, Acton, California - a treasured capture I have of this departed friend.

Sweetheart & Ethan, Animal Rescue Corps, Operation Seasons Change Part 1

Deuce Becomes One: a Tale of Heartbreak, Healing, and the Bonds of Family

Deuce, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary founder Faith has been helping me complete the stories of the many individuals I have photographed at the Salt Lake City sanctuary over the last two years. A few bring up sad memories of individuals who have passed, and others are joyous. Today’s story hit me in the gut when Faith shared it with me. I would like to introduce you to Deuce, a goat whose story has been similarly reflected in the literature of dog and cat shelters when they talk about humans surrendering beloved companions.

Deuce arrived about three years ago, brought to Ching by his human dad with whom he was intensely bonded. Deuce followed him around everywhere. He slept with the family’s horses at night, but all other times he could be, he followed his human dad around. Deuce’s dad gave him a banana, skin and all, every day. Theirs was a bond of companionship and family like many of you experience with dogs and cats.

I wish I could end the story there for you, but alas the family decided to move. It is a tale I have heard many times: a family is losing their home, or moving for a job, or shifting back to the city after a failed attempt to be country folk. The reasoning may be different, but oftentimes the result for nonhuman companions is not: they are not to accompany their families. For a goat family is everything. Goats bond intensely as familial units; you will see the lucky few families at sanctuaries most often together - lounging, browsing, goofing, plotting to take over the world, etc. Deuce was different only in that he did not have other goat siblings or parents, but instead had human parents.

So when Deuce and his dad arrived at Ching, Deuce followed him around with Faith as they walked the sanctuary grounds. He got his banana. But then Deuce’s dad left through the gate and got in his car, without Deuce. Faith said Deuce’s head shot up, and she swears his eyes bulged in alarm. As the car pulled away, Deuce frantically ran along the fence line with the road, trying to follow his dad. When he came to the corner edge of the property, his dad’s car disappearing down the road, Deuce stopped, and waited. Faith said Deuce waited without budging for four days, watching for the return of his family in 100 degree heat. Faith brought Deuce water and food, tried to lure him away from that corner vigil; however, it took a month of determined effort before Deuce could be brought closer to the main house. He showed no interest in any of the other sanctuary goats – what did he know of these strange, small four-legged people? Deuce knew only his human and his horse friends. Once closer, Faith was able to get Deuce to spend time with the sanctuary’s senior horses, giving him new friends more familiar from his home. And every day he got his banana.

With time (and daily bananas) Deuce started to settle into his new home. As with any severe heartbreak we might experience, it took Deuce time to heal. Part of that healing process was his gradual integration into the goat herd on his own terms. While not occurring overnight, it did happen, and now Deuce is a flirtatious member of the herd, fully part of his new goat family.

Stories like Deuce’s choke me up, partially because I cannot fathom leaving a family member behind, but also because they demonstrate so clearly the remarkable emotional lives of my nonhuman friends. When I photographed Deuce, sleeping standing up in the feed tub that snowy late December day, I had yet to hear his story, but I knew there was one waiting to be learned. All of the residents of the sanctuaries have them. Not only that, but they each have their own way of interpreting the world, just like us. It is this rich inner world into which I hope to provide glimpses with the Yoga Animalia portraits and stories, and I thank you for taking this journey with me.

May joy find you,

Cameron

Yoga Animalia: Caprine - Deuce

Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Deuce was a beloved family companion, bonded intensely with the husband whom Deuce followed everywhere. However the family moved, and their considerations did not include taking Deuce with them. Ching was able to take him in, but when Deuce’s dad left, Deuce ran the property line trying to keep up with the departing vehicle. At the fence edge Deuce stopped and waited for the return of his human without moving for four days. Gradually the heartbroken goat was lured closer to the main house, showered with affection, and, with time and healing, he discovered the joy of being a goat amongst other goats.

Roots of the Project: Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary

Daphne, Lincoln, & Apollo at the start of the drive.

Daphne & I had a snugglefest during part of the drive. Did you know that many turkeys love to sit in the laps of humans? Photo by Alicia Pell

Lincoln & Apollo were model passengers.

Costailo, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Clementine, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Sanctuary Spotlight: Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary

Each month I will aim to feature one of the sanctuaries and their residents whom I have gotten to know, starting with the sanctuary that helped me formulate what would become the Yoga Animalia Project: Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Herriman, Utah.

A rather magical thing happened on a turkey transport to Salt Lake City: the possibility of photographing all the farmed animal sanctuaries settled into my brain.

Before RV Katie Kowhugger was a glimmer of an idea, my trusty Calypso Prius provided transport to numerous farmed animal friends. On what would be the first trip to Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary near Salt Lake City, three turkeys - Daphne, a young broad-breasted white hen saved from a factory farm, and Lincoln and Apollo, broad-breasted bronze boys rescued before Thanksgiving from shelters – were ferried by my best friend and transporter extraordinaire Alicia and myself on a ten-hour journey. It was just after Christmas and as the uber-intelligent and weather-spoiled Southern Californian I am, I showed up at the snow-bedecked sanctuary in my Vibram toe shoes. It was cold. This may very well have been the start of my terror of all things snow.

The following day, despite the slow creep of cold into my toes, Alicia and I followed sanctuary founder Faith around and met the residents of Ching. It was the first time I was moving and photographing amongst sanctuary residents with whom I was not intimately familiar. This trip started my love affair with Abbott and Costailo sheep (read more about them here) and Alicia was wooed by Clementine turkey (his handsomeness is here); however, it also laid the groundwork for my next visit the following May when I would circle around from Missouri to stop in at Ching.

That May 2014 trip saw me freshly on leave from my job as a caregiver. The snow had departed by then, and I remembered my boots this time. Arriving at Ching I spent more time not only with the residents, but also with Faith. The outlines of the Yoga Animalia Project were starting to come together, and I shared my thoughts with Faith to get her opinions about whether it was too much to ask to visit and photograph and learn the stories of the residents: her response was enthusiastic and convinced me I could and should use my lens as a vehicle to tell stories.  Two days of sanctuary time gave me ample evidence that I could create portraits, coupled with stories from the residents’ caregivers, that would convey the personality of the sanctuary kids. 

I visited Ching again early in 2015 - Calypso Prius and I transporting a vociferous old lady goose named Serendipity from Las Vegas to the sanctuary. By this point it felt like visiting family, highlighted for me when Faith remarked how amazing it was I remembered the names of so many of the residents. That stirred so much joy for me. 

As family I grieve when individuals pass and celebrate when new individuals are rescued. With each sanctuary and each individual with whom I bond, my circle of compassion expands. Surely it encompasses heartbreak as individuals die, but I strive to live with an open heart, and my farmed animal friends inspire me to do so. My portraits become remembrances of those individuals who pass, and it keeps their stories alive. This has been a gift bestowed upon me by my visits to Ching. It is just one reason why I am honored to spotlight them.

For more information about Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary you can visit their newly designed website: chingsanctuary.org, find them on Facebook here, follow them on Instagram @chingsanctuary, and when you are in Salt Lake City schedule a visit to tour the sanctuary, and when you do, hug Abbott and Costailo for me, maybe flirt with Clementine, and make friends all your own. 

May so much joy find you,

Cameron

Sven & Sanctuary Founder Faith Ching, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Abbott, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Serendipity was a demanding passenger compared to the chill turkey crew.

Bandit & Rose, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Rascal, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Lincoln, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Daphne, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Apollo, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Serendipity Goose and I. She wanted to drive the whole way. Photo by Faith Ching.

Stealer of Hearts: Clementine Turkey Struts His Stuff

Clementine, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

January is the month of Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary and I'll be highlighting many of the amazing individuals I have gotten to know who called the sanctuary near Salt Lake City home. I also have just uploaded brand new photos to the Ching album which you can find here or by clicking on the photo.

Clementine will show you forthwith how awesome he is; enter his area and you will see just how big a character this guy is. Given the chance, he will probably sit in your lap, especially if you happen to be female - he is quite the Lothario of the turkey world, but is not biased in showing his affections only to turkey ladies. When I first met him, he made sure I got every angle of his perfection captured, and this image is still one of my most frequently admired, used by FARM in one of their campaigns, and Clementine wouldn't have it any other way!

Clementine

Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah

Turkey escapes before Thanksgiving are not uncommon, and are cause for joy in the sanctuary world. Clementine was found wandering the streets in Utah before Thanksgiving in 2011, and he was so personable and friendly toward the couple who found him that they assumed he was a beloved pet; however no human companions came forth in their search. Thus Clementine was welcomed to Ching, and he continues to be one of the friendliest of turkey toms, normally a territorial bunch, but Clementine loves human friends and even new visitors, greeting them with his impressive display of vibrant feathers.

In Memory of Andy

I met Andy at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary's massive vegan Thanksgiving potluck. I helped Carolyn, my friend and a caregiver at the sanctuary, tuck him into bed that night with his adopted grandma sheep Sammie, with whom he snuggled each night in their special needs stall. Carolyn painstakingly made sure his bed of soft straw fully supported him and kept him cozy.

When I was able to visit again the following week, Andy and I got a chance to hang out more, lounging together in the grass and sunshine near the main house. Trooping around in his cart, he would make sure no treats were in the offering before heading out to graze nearby. When it was time to move to the next spot during sanctuary chores, Andy always rode in the front seat so he could securely see where they were headed. Carolyn told me Andy looked forward to those rides. It was obvious to me how beloved this boyo was to his sanctuary family, and my heart goes out to them all during this challenging time. You can see the beautiful tribute Poplar Spring made to their special boy here on their Facebook page, including a beautiful photo of Andy with Sammie.

Andy

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, Poolesville, Maryland

An iconic figure at Poplar Spring, Andy’s story might have ended tragically except for an act of kindness. Purchased by a horse farm to be lamb barbecue at an event, tiny Andy developed an infection; he was left to die untreated in a cardboard box, but a boarder at the facility found him and brought him to Poplar. The infection left him unable to bend his back legs, but after his treatment Poplar secured a cart for him. Andy was often seen rolling around, accompanying caregivers on rounds, the center of attention to adoring visitors, or just enjoying sunshine and the company of other sanctuary residents. His affable personality and perseverance despite his physical differences made him an inspiration to many during his time at Polar Spring.