Compass Rose Farm Sanctuary

12/05/2025

Some days at the sanctuary are full of bounce and mischief and baby-goat chaos… and some days look like this: quiet moments with Honey.

Honey is one of our elders, and lately she’s been slowing down in the ways that tell us she may be entering the final chapter of her long, gentle life. It’s a kind of heartache that never gets easier — loving an animal enough to notice the small shifts, the fading stamina, the whispers of a body growing tired.

Caring for older residents is one of the hardest parts of sanctuary life. It means extra time, extra attention, extra worry… and eventually, extra grief. But it also means witnessing something incredibly beautiful: an animal who is safe enough, loved enough, and supported enough to grow old on her own terms.

Honey has brought so much sweetness — true to her name — to our barn. She has weathered winters, befriended newcomers, and taught us more about patience and tenderness than she’ll ever know. And now, we have the honor of walking with her through whatever comes next, one warm coat and gentle step at a time.

We can’t predict how much time she has, but we can promise her this: she will be cared for, respected, and cherished every single day.

Thank you for loving our elders right alongside us. They deserve the world, and your support helps us give it to them.

12/03/2025

Big gratitude today! 💚

We’re so incredibly honored to receive a grant from the Owen County Community Foundation in support of our new automatic watering system. This upgrade means safer, more reliable care for our residents — and a little extra peace of mind for us humans as well.

Thank you, OCCF, for investing in compassion and helping us keep every animal hydrated and happy. 💧🐐🫏🐖🐑🐎💧

11/27/2025

On this day of gratitude, we thank our supporters for loving our animals, believing in our work, and helping us create a place where every life is valued. Your kindness makes our work possible. We’re grateful for our community and we wish you a warm, joy-filled Thanksgiving.


11/25/2025

When you’re soaking wet but still committed to self improvement through nutritional excellence.

11/21/2025

The Families We Choose

At Compass Rose, we see all kinds of families—some born, some blended, and some woven together by choice. And no one embodies that more than a beautiful sheep named Jupiter.

Jupiter has a way of creating family wherever she goes. She welcomes newcomers without hesitation, nudges the shy ones into the group, and keeps an eye on the wanderers. She has even folded a couple of goats into her circle because to Jupiter, family isn’t about matching faces or species—it’s about showing up with kindness and being there for one another .

There’s a strength in her gentleness and a foundation in her presence. Watching her tend to her little circle is a reminder we all need:
Family is less about who we come from and more about who we choose to love.

Here’s to Jupiter, and to every chosen family that makes this sanctuary feel like home. ❤️

11/05/2025

If love were enough…

RamDog is still with us tonight— awake and aware, but still unable to stand. We continue to hold him up with hope, soft blankets, and every ounce of love we can give. We are so very grateful to all of you  for the care you’ve shown for this amazing guy.

Tonight, RamDog received the most beautiful gift when my dear friend and neighbor Hudson came to sit and read with him as evening approached and the world outside began to quiet. No rush, no expectations… Just love for an old ram who deserves to feel safe and cherished in whatever time he has left.

If love alone could heal, RamDog would be running in the pasture by morning. But even if love can’t change the ending, it can change everything about how we get there.❤️ 

11/03/2025

Earlier this year, we welcomed a sweet old ram named RamDog to the farm. His beloved owner had entered hospice care following a diagnosis of end-stage cancer, and he needed a safe and loving place to live out his days. Since his arrival, he has inspired us daily with his quiet strength, his gentle eyes, and his own steady kind of wisdom. Today, he is still bright-eyed and aware, but his body is growing tired. He’s unable to stand on his own, and we are doing everything we can to keep him warm, comfortable, and surrounded by the friends (both animals and humans) who love him.

We don’t know what the next hours or days will bring. If this time is a harbinger of
RamDog’s departure from this world, we want above all for it to be peaceful…filled with kindness, dignity, and the same kind of love that he has so freely given.

We would be deeply grateful for your thoughts, prayers, good energy, or any loving wishes you feel moved to send his way. Every bit of that love matters. It always has.

Thank you for holding space in your hearts for him and for all of us here at Compass Rose as we travel alongside RamDog in the final stages of his remarkable life.❤️

10/31/2025

10/28/2025

In Loving Memory of Oliver

Oliver’s arrival to Compass Rose was heartbreaking…he was well over ten years old, frightened, and unsure of the world around him. His feet were painfully overgrown, and for the first few weeks he rarely left his corner of the barn. He preferred the safety of the shadows to the outside and the open sky.

But I remember the day his life began to change. Emily, our farrier, had just finished trimming his hooves for the first time. We then moved on to other pigs needing trims, thinking that he would remain where he’d settled. I went to check on him a bit later, and found that he wasn’t in his stall. My heart skipped a beat, until I spotted him outside…standing in the sunshine for the very first time since his arrival. He was basking in the sun, eyes half-closed, soaking in warmth and freedom, and I knew then that he had finally begun to trust that he was home.

It was Oliver who inspired our Dinner Club — a paddock of older pigs in need of extra nutritional support — a simple idea rooted in kindness and good food, shared in community and love. Today, we said goodbye to Oliver, but his amazing spirit will always linger here — in the sunlight on the grass, in every meal shared, and in every animal who learns that it’s safe to step outside again.

Forever at the table, forever in our hearts.
RIP, sweet boy❤️

With Flip Side Hoof Care Emily Ellsworth

10/25/2025

At Compass Rose Farm Sanctuary, every day is spent caring for animals who depend on us for safety, health, and peace…animals with backgrounds of neglect, abuse, abandonment, and myriad other circumstances in which their needs could no longer be met. As one of only a few sanctuaries in Indiana still able to accept pigs, we see the growing crisis of overpopulation up close. Each rescue is a balance between heart and capacity, and we answer as many calls as we can, because the alternative for many pigs is grim.

Our mission is simple but enormous: to provide lifelong sanctuary to farm animals in need. We operate almost entirely through personal funding and volunteer effort, amplified by the compassionate understanding of our supporters. Every decision…every rescue, every intake…is made with one guiding principle: what is best for the animal.

In September, we were contacted by Bartholomew County Animal Control about a pig repeatedly loose on a local property. Acting at their request, we brought him to safety. That pig, whom we now call Lincoln, has been receiving care, proper nutrition, and veterinary treatment here at the sanctuary ever since.

It is deeply troubling that a lack of secure containment led to Lincoln’s escape in the first place, and equally troubling that backyard breeding continues to fuel the overpopulation crisis that fills sanctuaries across the country. Too many animals are bred and sold without accountability or long-term care, leaving rescues to shoulder the burden of their survival.

The situation with Lincoln will now be addressed in a court of law. This is unfortunate, and it shines a harsh light on the risks that sanctuaries face when stepping forward to help and protect those with no voice. It is a painful illustration of what can happen when focus shifts away from responsibility and compassion. False accusations and public hostility do not hurt just one organization…they threaten the entire rescue community. If sanctuaries must fear legal action for responding to animal control’s requests, and if agencies become reluctant to intervene at all, it is animals like Lincoln who will pay the price.

We are grateful beyond words for those who stand alongside us with compassion, understanding, and faith in the work we do. Rescue is not simple. It is exhausting, emotional, and often misunderstood. But it is also rewarding and beautiful. Every healed wound, every safe night, every quiet breath from an animal who no longer fears…these are the reasons we carry on.

Thank you for supporting Compass Rose Farm Sanctuary. We will continue to lead with kindness, truth, and the unwavering belief that those without voices deserve to be heard and protected.

10/22/2025

We are ALL looking forward to welcoming you to the farm this coming Sunday, October 26 from 1-4pm, for our Sheep Shearing and Wool Processing Workshop, led by Yvonne Jones of JC Llamas and Alpacas. Cost is $35/person. Please call (812-585-1770) or email (hello@crfsanctuary) to reserve your spot!