Farm sanctuaries provide refuge for rescued farm animals, but proper care for these animals requires understanding their complex physical and behavioral needs.
Farm animals at sanctuaries often arrive with severe health problems from their prior use - lame cows, arthritic pigs, chickens unable to stand due to skeletal deformities. Providing appropriate veterinary care for these animals requires specialized knowledge that differs from companion animal or production animal medicine. Sanctuary environments must balance the animals' social needs with their physical limitations. The welfare of sanctuary animals demonstrates what farm animals' lives can look like when their needs are prioritized - providing a powerful counter-narrative to industrial farming. However, sanctuaries must avoid the trap of providing poor welfare in the name of rescue.