Down a winding country road in Luther, a menagerie of injured and special needs animals finally has found a safe space to live in peace. These grazing or relaxing residents take turns venturing out of their pens each day to happily greet visitors. Oliver and Friends Farm Sanctuary helps cofounder Jennie Hays combat the American cultural conditioning to view farm animals merely as food. In this bucolic paradise, animals are so much more.

Hays was inspired to start Oliver and Friends when she watched a documentary in 2014 that convinced her and her husband, Jason, to go vegan. They purchased land near Luther with the idea of keeping horses, but Hays wanted to rescue other animals as well.

“I can only physically save so many, and I don’t want what we’re doing to stop there,” Hays says.

The Hays' sanctuary only is open to the public by appointment and on special occasions. Photo by Charlie Neuenschwander

It takes a whole team to help some of the animals thrive. Hays, her family, and a small group of volunteers can care for about 150 at a time, and thousands of creatures have found sanctuary here over the years—many of which have had special needs.

One resident, William, was the first cow—as far as Hays knows—to learn to use a prosthetic leg. He was rescued from Pennsylvania, where a farmer performed an at-home amputation. After William arrived at Oliver and Friends, Summer Heatly of Great Plains Veterinary Services in Arcadia performed a revisional amputation and determined that William was ready to be fitted for a prosthetic. When Hays contacted Andy Anders, a certified and licensed prosthetist at Celerity Prosthetics in Oklahoma City, he was up for the challenge.

“The hardest part with fitting an animal is that they can’t tell you if the prosthetic is hurting,” Anders says.

Anders watches for signs the animal is uncomfortable, including places the prosthetic could be rubbing. He fitted William with several test sockets before creating his permanent prosthetic.

“Watching William change from an absolutely terrified animal to one who not only tolerates affection but seeks it out is a really special thing to watch,” Hays says.

About 150 animals are cared for at the Oliver and Friends Farm Sanctuary at any given time. Photo by Charlie Neuenschwander

In fact, many animals on the farm use prosthetics, including Zuri, a goose who lost part of his foot after a bullet wound. Other residents simply needed a safe place to live after an accident, like Clark, a tortoise who was run over by a lawnmower before he found a home at the sanctuary. Hays works with Heatly to make sure all the animals stay healthy and happy, including any needed physical therapy.

“The most rewarding part of helping the animals at Oliver and Friends is the fact that we actually get to help them,” Heatly says. “These animals would not have gotten the care they needed or be here today if it weren’t for Oliver and Friends.”

Hays is so committed to rescuing needy animals that she sometimes takes on cases other rescuers might balk at. In 2019, the sanctuary went viral when they took in Milo, a hound puppy born with his paws backwards. The Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences team performed Milo’s extensive surgery, and he now gets physical therapy. As a permanent member of the Oliver and Friends family, Milo is a beloved “wild mess.”

For the Hays, the sanctuary is a labor of love. Neither takes a salary from the nonprofit, allowing all the money raised to go to the animals. They welcome volunteers as well, as Jennie stays busy throughout the day refreshing water, feeding animals, repairing fences and pens, and getting resident animals physical therapy and vet care.

“The world’s not a kind place for anyone, human or animal, and it’s rewarding to feel like my existence has made the world a slightly better place,” Hays says.

Written By

Abigail Singrey