Our Story
Bonnie Perry
Dwayne Perry
We met while we were both stationed in the Army at Ft Eustis, VA. While Bonnie was serving as a Administration Assistant (71L), Dwayne was serving as a Drill Sergeant for an Advanced Individual Training Company (AIT). From that beginning we traveled to Germany where Bonnie entered Federal Service as a Contract Specialist, and Dwayne found himself the First Sergeant of a Medium Truck Company Hauling Armor for the 1st Armored Division. While Dwayne was deployed on and off in the Balkans, Bonnie steadily climbed up through the Contracting field. At the end of our overseas assignment we again found ourselves in Hampton Roads. By this time Dwayne was a Command Sergeant Major for a Truck Battalion and Bonnie was a GS-12 in contracting. Our lives where then interrupted by Iraq and Afghanistan for the next 10 years. First with Dwayne's back to back (2003 / 20005) combat deployment culminating in his position as a Brigade Command Sergeant Major, and then with Bonnie's rotations into Iraq and Afghanistan eventually serving as a GS-14 for the Army Corps of Engineers as its District Chief of Contracting for all ten provinces in Southern Afghanistan . While rotating in and out of hot spots we also worked hard to put our farm in order building infrastructure to support our first adopted horses acquired through Diamonds in the Rough in Isle of Wight. By 2012, Dwayne had retired as the 10th Regimental Command Sergeant Major for the Army Transportation Corps and Bonnie worked to finish her high three before retiring for here position at Veterans Affairs (VA).
Thus ending our time serving our nation and allowing us to pursue our longtime dream as Equine stewards on our 32 Acre Farm in Surry, Virginia at which time we began to work towards our eventual status as a 501C3 registered as a Farm Animal Sanctuary. This pursuit began as a passion for animals and their well being as well as a way to process Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through bonding with our adopted horse herd. This animal / Human collaboration is a calming process because it forces people with PTSD to calm themselves while interacting with equines because of the equine fight or flight response as a prey animal which is similar to the PTSD flight or fight responses. From this experience we decided to expand our farm to include other farm animals that have health problems or struggle with finding their forever homes.
We are not a 501C3 that adopts to find homes for animals but rather a 501C3 that works to provide forever homes for those farm animals in need of care.
Lord, bless this land you've given me and may I always know, As I tend each crop and critter You're the one who helps them grow.
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Grant me the strength and wisdom please protect me from all harm. And thank you Lord for your gracious gift
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the Blessing of our farm
Our Placement Process
Functionality You Will Love
01
Determine if placement is best for your animal
Everyone starts their journey with a farm animal with the best intentions pertaining to commitment and welfare of the animal. Unfortunately circumstances sometimes make us reassess ones ability to continue long term care which requires searching for a home more suited to take over that responsibility. Only you can make that decision but let us assure you we will not judge you for your decision or circumstance requiring your animal's surrender to us.
02
Visit our Farm and talk to us about your animals needs
Once you have made a decision to place your animal (s) with us we welcome you to visit us and see for yourself the continued commitment we will take on for your animal as well as give you a tour of the property so you can assess housing, feeding, quality of life the level of care and love we will provide them.
03
Rehome and animal quarantine period
Upon the animals arrival we will have you sign a general term of surrender document so that a legal transfer can occur between us. At that time we will quarantine the animal (s) and have the vet assess their condition, along with get them current on vaccines to safeguard not only themselves but to insure all our other animals are equally protected. This quarantine period also gets them accustomed to the other animal sounds, sights and general layout of their enclosure so they are not stressed.
04
Animal assimilation into our herd
The quarantine period is totally up to your animal and we will assess him/her daily until he/she feels comfortable with the other animals. We begin by expanding their enclosure gradually until they are ready to be added to the group. This will also give us time to insure they have had their shots, have had their dental checked and have had the farrier in to see them and take care of their immediate needs and get them on a wellness or maintenance program.
