These five animal sanctuaries in New Hampshire provide a safe haven for creatures in need. Here are the cute critters you’ll see at each one.
Animal sanctuaries are a safe place for abandoned, neglected, and abused animals that need ongoing care for the rest of their lives. This doesn’t necessarily mean they require prolonged medical care—although sometimes that is the case—but more so that they deserve to be protected and provided for by people who prioritize their well-being. Almost all sanctuaries operate as nonprofits, which means they’re run solely to benefit the animals and not to make a profit (AKA earn money through the business).
New Hampshire and New England as a whole have numerous organizations dedicated to helping creatures in need. Five of these animal sanctuaries in New Hampshire either host tours or allow visitors to spend time with the cute critters that live there.
We’ll go over those locations in more detail, but as a general piece of advice: Not every animal or wildlife sanctuary is open to the public. Sometimes the animals in the organization’s care are too emotionally or physically fragile to be around unfamiliar people. If you’d like to check out a few other places aside from the ones we’ve included here, it’s best to browse the sanctuary’s website or contact it directly to find out if you’re allowed to visit and whether any special regulations apply.
1. Bark & Bray Farm Animal Sanctuary, Wilmot
Bark & Bray Farm Animal Sanctuary works with rescue organizations to coordinate the housing and care of farm animals that have been neglected and abused. Oftentimes, the groups that initially go in to remove the critters from a bad environment are only able to provide temporary care, and that’s where Bark & Bray comes in. According to its website, the sanctuary provides “animals with security and safety for the rest of their lives. Due to their traumatic pasts, this allows them to heal and find joy in life again.”
Some of the beloved creatures you can expect to see here include rabbits, donkeys, goats, cows, horses, and pigs. Click here to check out B&B’s Instagram for some sweet candid shots. The sanctuary was temporarily closed to visitors as it was undergoing repairs but is set to welcome guests again now that the expansion is complete. Public trails run nearby, and B&B encourages people to use those to catch glimpses of the animals as well.
To learn more about what it’s like to visit and when you can go, please call 603-748-4481 or send an email to Ben@barkandbrayfarm.com.
2. Live and Let Live Farm’s Rescue and Sanctuary, Chichester
Chichester’s Live and Let Live Farm’s Rescue is a rescue and rehabilitation center in addition to being an animal sanctuary. Founded in 1996, the organization provides lifelong care for animals that cannot be adopted and offers temporary arrangements for pregnant cats, dogs, and horses that need a safe place to land for a little while. Visits are an essential part of this process because they allow the animals to get reacquainted with new people in a stress-free environment.
In addition to dogs, cats, and horses, Live and Let Live houses chickens, guinea pigs, bunnies, birds, cattle, and goats (to name a select few!). Many of these cute critters can be fostered or adopted. To set up an appointment to discuss these possibilities, Live and Let Live asks that you send an email to tehorse@aol.com. The rules for visiting this location vary from the previous sanctuary, so here’s everything you need to know in advance ⬇️.
Live and Let Live offers public tours at 2:30 p.m. every Sunday. If you’d like to attend, please arrive at 20 Paradise Lane in Chichester 30 minutes beforehand. Parking is near the pond on the property, and guests should head straight to the welcome center to wait for the tour to begin. Please follow these guidelines when attending:
- Do not smoke on the property
- Wear closed-toe shoes at all times
- Do not walk around the sanctuary unattended – you are only permitted to visit the animals if a trained volunteer is with you
- Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times
3. Tomten Farm & Sanctuary, Haverhill
Tomten Farm & Sanctuary offers educational walking tours for those who wish to visit 50 different rescue sheep, goats, horses, pigs, cows, mules, cats, donkeys, and fowl on the property. To virtually meet these adorable sweethearts prior to your in-person tour, follow this link.
Similar to Live and Let Live, this Haverhill sanctuary has specific guidelines in place to ensure that everyone treats the animals with gentleness and love. Any child you wish to bring must be 10 years of age or older and must remain with you for the duration of the tour. If you’d like to bring a younger child to Tomten to meet the animals, please call 603-989-5800 to discuss potential options.
The farm’s website indicates that an age restriction is in place “because we transparently explore why we rescue and the difficult fates our Rescues faced before finding their happily-ever-after at Tomten.” These details may be too graphic or sensitive for some children (as well as some adults) who wish to visit, so it’s important to bear that in mind prior to booking your tour.
A full list of upcoming events can be found here. RSVPs must be made in advance, and you’ll need to arrive 15 minutes before the start time.
4. Fast Friends Greyhound Adoption, Swanzey
Though it’s technically an animal shelter and not a sanctuary, Fast Friends Greyhound Adoption in Swanzey operates under the same premise as the other nonprofits on this list, so I wanted to include it anyway. The goal of Fast Friends is to educate people about greyhounds and sighthounds, and to give these dogs a second chance at happiness. Tours of the facility are available even if you’re unable to foster or adopt one of the canines rescued by Fast Friends.
Additionally, the public is invited to special events throughout the year, including an upcoming Yard & Bake Sale Fundraiser on May 9. Click here for details on that. There’s also an adoption event scheduled for May 14 where you’ll be able to meet the dogs and get to know the people who run the organization. This link has all the information you need. Both events are free to attend, but Fast Friends accepts donations on a rolling basis for those who wish to support the organization.
5. Pumpkin Wall Farm Animal Sanctuary, Derry
Pumpkin Wall Farm Animal Sanctuary is a unique organization because it not only provides care for rescue animals, but it also offers pet-assisted therapy for children and adults in the community. These sessions are offered to anyone with a disability, or who is struggling with bereavement, anxiety, PTSD, depression, ADHD, and autism, as well as to adopted and foster children, and children between the ages of 13 and 18 who are completing court-ordered community service hours.
Tours are also available. To book a personal tour, email pumpkinwallfarm@gmail.com to discuss availability. Prices are $25 per person in those cases.
When you’re at Pumpkin Wall Farm Animal Sanctuary, whether it’s for a tour or a therapy session, you’ll have the chance to meet sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, horses, bunnies, alpacas, ducks, chickens, and dogs. Adorable photos and videos are posted on Instagram if you want to get a sneak peek of who you might meet during your visit.
