Our Story

VINE Sanctuary

Team captain Patches exemplifies the VINE ethos of self-determination and freedom within nurturing relationships. After evading capture when her dairy herd was sent to slaughter, Patches lived on her own, glad to be alive but sad to be lonely. Upon arrival at the sanctuary earlier this year, Patches immediately struck up a fast friendship with elder goat Rosie and soon moved into a leadership role among the goats. Charismatic and athletic, she is sure to lead the goat gang in high-spirited hi-jinks throughout the Goat Games.

VINE Sanctuary is an LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary founded and predominantly staffed by people with disabilities. Chickens, cows, ducks, sheep, geese, alpacas, turkeys, and many other animals -- including goats Bishop, Church, Hayley, Marble, Patches, Pumpernickel, and Sugar -- co-create our unique multispecies community.

In addition to caring for hundreds of animals, VINE projects include on-site and virtual Humane Education programs for children, educational programs for animal advocates, and innovative efforts to promote veganism, including our annual Pride Month Vegan Challenge and Rainbow-Palooza combined Pride and VegFest. We were the first sanctuary to develop a protocol for rehabilitating roosters rescued from cockfighting, and we teach our methods to sanctuaries around the world.

More than 500 animals live at VINE Sanctuary. In addition to helping to pay for a new elevated "Goat Walk" inside the main barn, your donation during the Goat Games will help to ensure that all sanctuary residents have the food, bedding, and vet care they need. You'll also be boosting the morale of our hard-working animal care team members, all of whom will be cheering the goats on during the games!