Exclusive Interview with Justin Van Kleeck

We had the chance to chat with the fantastic co-founder of the Microsanctuary Movement and Triangle Chance for All and longtime vegan, Justin Van Kleeck, about his experiences working with sanctuary animals on a smaller scale. He and his wife Rosemary have become indispensable advocates for animals of all species, and they have some incredible experiences to share.

FS: For those who don’t know, what’s the difference between a sanctuary and a micro sanctuary?

Justin: A microsanctuary is as much a state of mind, a perspective on the world and our place as rescuers and caregivers, as it is about property lines and resident numbers. It starts from the premise that one’s space and resources, though limited, are still sufficient to provide sanctuary to individual farmed animals in order to prevent them from ever again being used as commodities.

We have deliberately avoided defining microsanctuary in terms of concrete criteria like number of acres and animals, or annual revenue. We see a microsanctuary as distinct from a small sanctuary, and a microsanctuary is not a stepping stone to a larger (and larger) sanctuary. In essence, a microsanctuary is the manifestation of vegan activism that centers on individually rescuing and caring for farmed animals. Microsanctuaries are much less concerned with fundraising, growth, and brand recognition than doing what is personally possible and growing within reasonable, sustainable means.

FS: When did you first become interested in working with animals?

Justin: I have had a strong connection with animals from as far back as I can remember, but I only really started engaging in serious rescue work in 2012. My partner, Rosemary, had been active in rescue work before then, and I got involved along with her after we got together. A real turning point for me personally was Addie, a senior husky we rescued in early 2012. She had been dumped at a shelter at the age of around fourteen, with dementia, mostly blind, and mostly deaf. She was such an amazing being, and spending many hours caring for her helped me understand just how important it is to respect every non-human animal as an individual, and to give them each the extent and quality of care we would expect for any family member. Her loss was a huge blow to us both, but Addie truly changed my life forever in terms of being committed to rescue and caregiving--this all starting nearly thirteen years after I went vegan, mind you.

FS: Did you have any previous experience working with animals prior to beginning your micro sanctuary?

Justin: Rosemary did, much more so than me--she had volunteered at a cat refuge and was active with local rescue groups. I had walked some dogs and socialized with some cats at a few animal shelters. While we did not have farm sanctuary internships or other directly "relevant" experience before rescuing our first farmed animals, we did come equipped with a deep commitment to giving the best possible care and treating every individual in need as an individual...

FS: How did your micro sanctuary begin?

Justin: We started rescuing farmed animals in early 2014 after we discovered that there were farmed animals needing homes in shelters...and in North Carolina, where we were living, some were being auctioned by county shelters per state law! We helped insure that a goat named Lily went to a good home when she was auctioned, and then we raised funds for and rescued a ram named Bubba. It was a new experience to deal with farmed animal rescue, but we realized there was a larger need and decided to try to do more in the rescue-and-placement vein... Thus we started Triangle Chance for All.

Then we rescued two hens from a local shelter, whom we intended to place at a sanctuary. Of course, we were immediately smitten with them, and Clementine and Amandine (as we named them) caused us to rethink our model. We had talked about rescuing chickens "some day"...but we had a basement that would work perfectly well for sleeping quarters, and a fenced backyard outside of that basement for them to explore...and what the hell, why not now? In the ensuing days, those two lovely hens helped us to see that sanctuary is, at its heart, about the intention one brings to caring for these beings, as well as the effort one puts into their health, safety, and freedom from further exploitation. We knew we would never be a multi-million dollar sanctuary (and frankly we had no desire to ever become that), but our space was as much a sanctuary for Clem and Am as anywhere else. Of course, being small and focused on small-scale rescue work, we felt distinct from larger sanctuaries...which is what inspired Rosemary to coin the term "microsanctuary."

FS: How do you find animals for your sanctuary? What kinds of backgrounds do they come from?

Justin: It really varies, but for the most part we try to work with local shelters to help stray and abandoned farmed animals find vegan homes. Sometimes we take in owner surrenders, or get contacted about a stray animal wandering somewhere, or see an opportunity to rescue someone from a bad situation. We also work with other rescuers and organizations who deal with farmed animals in coordinated rescue efforts when we can. Basically, there is no dearth of farmed animals needing rescue. Between industrial farmers and backyard hacks, there are roosters and ducks and potbelly pigs and goats and rabbits and so many other farmed animals needing rescue. And these are all entirely legal scenarios, not involving any sort of purchase or payment to a farmer (we do not support paying for animals, because as much as we honor individual lives we also want to avoid supporting exploitation of future individuals--our business is to put ourselves out of business, not to pay farmers to create more victims and thus a perpetual need for rescue).

FS: Is there one specific rescue story you’d like to share?

Justin: Gosh, there are just so many--everyone we have taken in or placed deserves to have their stories told, because you can see just how wonderful they are and how tragic it is that humans have relegated them to servitude and consumption. One particular story I always think of, though, is that of Bibi. In late summer of 2014, we were contacted about taking in a hen by a woman in our area who runs a small alternative school out of her home. Like at so many schools, the students did a hatching project with eggs from a local farmer--a dozen eggs, because that's how eggs come apparently... The chicks hatched, and eight of them turned out to be boys and so were sent back to the farmer, where they were of course killed because nobody wants a rooster. The four hens were allowed to stay (hens lay eggs, after all, and pretty much every town that allows "backyard chickens" actually prohibits keeping roosters), and they were living in a small wood-and-wire enclosure lovingly called a "chicken tractor" in common parlance. These are death traps, and might as well be called "raccoon buffets" because they are, despite how fervently backyard chicken folk adore them. Well, as you might now expect, one night a raccoon broke into this chicken tractor and killed three of the hens. He was in the process of killing the fourth when the woman, roused by the commotion, ran outside and scared him away.

This fourth hen had sustained a break and puncture to her beak, as well as a tear to her wattle. But, the real shit of this situation was the psychological trauma she suffered. Imagine being trapped in a tiny space as some dark creature kills your sisters one by one, then grabs you in order to do the same. She survived, but she had lost the most vital thing she had--her companions, her flock. She refused to go back in that tractor at night, and she would just stand at the door to the woman's house during the day, looking in...or looking at her own reflection.

I picked her up one night in September, and she spent the next couple of weeks in our bathroom, barely moving, obviously suffering the most severe PTSD you can imagine. We let her heal, and in time we introduced her to one of the other hens here, Hypatia. That is when Bibi really came back to life. She had a friend again, and she was in a safe place. We were not able to restore her beak, but we worked with her to help her learn to eat, drink, and thrive (really it was all Bibi's ingenuity and determination). She is now a sassy, bossy, obstinate little white hen whom we love to distraction.

According to the dominant narrative, Bibi's original situation was about the best a chicken could hope for--so much more humane and respectful than "factory farms."...Every single aspect of Bibi's story shines a harsh, unflattering light on the reality that all forms of exploitation are cruel, unethical, and wrong...Bibi's story is enacted a thousand times over every day (or night) in some form or another, along with myriad variations on that theme, because people who use animals as means to an end will always have a limit to how much they actually care about and for them...We have to stop this nonsense. We cannot pretend "nicer" violence is not violence. To do so is condoning violence, pure and simple.

FS: We talk a lot about recognizing pseudo-sanctuaries on Finding Sanctuary. Do you have any thoughts on pseudo sanctuaries?

Justin: Be diligent when offering support and sharing material from sanctuaries. I deal with this issue a lot because, in my dwindling spare time, I help support sanctuaries through our grant program at The Microsanctuary Movement, as well as my work with A Well-Fed World and The Pollination Project. To me a big part of it involves how the residents are presented, and the situations in which they are put--either in person or online. Obviously extent of care, shelter, food quality, safe environment, etc. are all important, but it is hard for outsiders to get a good understanding of these things even after a visit. I personally don't think private sanctuaries are automatically suspect, and indeed putting rescued animals in situations where strangers are constantly in their space trying to touch them is actually a warning sign of problems for me.

I would suggest that people look out for rescues and sanctuaries that seem to be constantly asking for money and constantly tying any and every rescue to a fundraising pitch, for one. Also remember that any picture you see online is likely showing you the better side of the reality, so if you see some things of concern--barren habitat, trash and other detritus in living spaces, poor body or skin/fur/feather quality, etc.--in a photo, be aware of that there may be much more going on behind the scenes. It can take some getting used to, but try to look past the pictures of cute animals (if all you see are babies, not adult rescues, beware) and see how they live, how they are discussed, and how their individual needs are respected.

FS: What advice would you give to anyone interested in joining the micro sanctuary movement?

Justin: Great question! First and foremost, if you don't have experience with farmed animals and direct caregiving, do your research (including hands-on when possible). We firmly believe that microsanctuaries need to focus on quality of care rather than quantity of rescues, as well as personal commitment to every aspect of this work, so prepare yourself by learning about the needs of animals you anticipate rescuing. We have resources and support groups to help with this process (for example, at our website and in our Facebook group Vegans with Chickens), so combining your own research with networking with other vegan caregivers really is crucial. Beyond that, be honest with yourself about how much you can take on, and only grow within your means. There is not an infinite pool of donors and money out there just waiting for (micro)sanctuaries to scoop up, so understanding what it means to be self-funded is essential. You may get donations and volunteers over time, but forever and always your microsanctuary and its residents, who are your family members after all, will be on you to sustain. Keeping them safe means, in part, not putting them or yourself in situations of danger, and thinking long-term about what you can do to care for them.