My grandmother used to tell me stories of an animal sanctuary nearby that took care of retired show animals. Well, it turns out that the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has two locations, one in Galt and another in San Andreas, California. I know she always wanted to visit the place but it was never open to the public during her lifetime.
A lovely soul named Pat Derby started this organization in the ’80s after she saw animals in show business being neglected, abused, or abandoned after filming. She and her husband ultimately created a sanctuary where they have taken in Elephants, Big cats, Bears, and more. Pat has since passed away but her mission is being carried on by a large group of wonderful people.
I finally had the opportunity to visit one of the locations for a charitable open house. We were able to see Brown Bears, Bengal Tigers, and Elephants. We were able to explore the grounds and meet the trainers and learn more about the non-profit. It was a very wet day but it was worth being out in the rain to get a taste of what this wonderful organization does.
For more information on PAWS I encourage you to visit their website by clicking here.
The Elephant trainer displaying his method of positive reinforcement training helpful in caring for the animals without use of bull hooks or other pain methods
Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny 
Save the animals! Surely as LITTLE as ‘civilization’ has advanced in several thousand years we can improve our treatment of them. One of the more disgusting things I came across recently was ‘farming tigers in China’. (Google that phrase.) Thank you for sharing this.
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Yah, the three tigers came from a roadside circus!? WTH! I didn’t know there was such a thing in this day and age.
It went over the top for me when they started talking about some people using flame throwers to train the elephants. That’s why this organization exists and I am so happy they are there.
Thanks for he comment.
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What a noble mission. I hate to think that they have to have 2 locations when there should not even be one.
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There as some wonderful people out there, thankfully, to counter-act the hideous ones. I hope they continue to get the support they need.
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Me too! Thanks for the comment.
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A wonderful initiative indeed. 🙂
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So wonderful to see the animals have so much wide open space. Looks like a lovely retirement from what had to have been some very hard work.
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I think so too. The property was really beautiful. Best case scenario if you ask me considering the alternative life they had.
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There are just some fabulous people in this world. Lovely post thank you so much for sharing. I love hearing that animals are living the life they deserve.
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A good organization and a worthy cause. Thanks for sharing. Was driving down 49 from Diamond Springs to Jackson today, BTW. Gorgeous. –Curt
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We’re the wild flowers out in force?
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Of course. 🙂
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My timing is always off! 😉
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Ours was off for Death Valley. Had we been just a week earlier… –Curt
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Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
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This is a lovely post. I am glad to hear there are people working so hard simply to do the right thing in the world. They must not be receiving the financial compensation they deserve, but the spiritual compensation must be enormous. It’s a gorgeous property too. The whole story warms my heart.
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Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. They tell me they are doing ok financially so that is great too.
I know I fell in love with the property. I imagine the animals do too.
Happy Easter Crystal.
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The elephant looks so sad! Sigh. It’s nice to hear about places like this taking care of animals who will never be able to return to the wild.
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I’m so glad this place exists – these animals have had a tough ride, and it’s good to see them being cared for in such beautiful surroundings. Great photos, too!😀
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Thank you! They seem happy and at peace now. 🙂
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Hi Jenny. Wonder how i missed this post. Nice one.
Also wondering where you’ve been? Everything all right?
(Or are you busy preparing your trip to Paris?)
Take care.
Brian
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Hi there. Thanks for checking on me. I have been busy at work and consequently haven’t been anywhere worthy of blogging about. I went to San Diego for the day but only saw the inside of a conference room. I will be in Paris in a few weeks and ready to enjoy photographing the city. If I gather up the energy I might go somewhere this afternoon and take some photos. And I’m supposed to go to Napa next Friday to photograph some wineries. Spring has sprung up here!
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Photograph wineries? You mean taste the wine, right? Take care Jenny.
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Looked at your post again. Quite a nice initiative.
(The weather looked quite Irish, though?)
🙂
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It was a little soft actually now that you mention it. It had rained the day before and was sprinkling a little throughout the day.
What have you been up to lately?
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Not much. We’re selling the house to move to the South of the city. Don’t want to think about the packing… 😦
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Oh my. That’s the worst. Pay some college students to do it then go off and have a drink somewhere. 😉
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Haha! Unfortunately we don’t have access to that facility here. 🙂 And the movers are quite careless. I’m visualizing weeks of prior packing. ‘t’s all right. The worse will be the 3,000 or so books. 😦
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OH gosh, I remember packing up all of my books and trying to do it in a way that would be easy to put them back in the proper place. I wish you happy and easy packing and unpacking.
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Thank you. So you are a book lover too?
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Definitely. Wish I had more time to read…but I do love them.
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That’s nice. I read every single day. At night. Even is it’s only two pages, even if I arrive at 3AM. It’s an addiction. 🙂 For which I will pay dearly when I start packing. Who are your favourite authors?
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Now you are asking the hard questions. It really depends on what I am in the mood for. Some days it is just to relax so it is something light. One of my favorite books , which I think you could relate to, is by Leila Hadley called Give me the World. It is a story about her taking her very small son all over the world back in the 50s when women barely traveled alone let alone single with a child.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1355874.Give_Me_the_World?from_search=true&search_version=service
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Interesting. I’ll look it up. (And indeed the world has changed a lot since the 50’s, especially for women) 🙂
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