The couple formed the sanctuary in 2017, first in the town of Washington, then in 2019 they moved their setup to Tunbridge.

By Camryn Brauns

At the top of a steep gravel driveway splitting pastures and rolling fields sits a farm animal’s dream. The Little Red Barn Farm Sanctuary in Tunbridge, owned and operated by Missy and Steve Gilbert, is home to more than 70 sheep, 16 goats, four cows and a surplus of feathered and other four-legged friends. 

The co-owners first found inspiration for the sanctuary in Sprout, a white-haired goat they took in around 2019 who suffered from a cleft palate. The couple had wanted to start a goat dairy, and Sprout was to be one of the first members of its herd. But seeing the extent of care she required, the pair realized taking in animals that needed second chances aligned more with their beliefs. 

“She would definitely be what started this,” said Missy. We had some random sheep and goats, but she was more of a rescue, not some pet that we just got. It changed the direction of where we went.”

The Gilberts formed the sanctuary as a nonprofit in 2017, first in the town of Washington, then in 2019 moved their setup to Tunbridge. There, up on Whitney Hill Road, the pair now house over 100 animal residents on their roughly 20-acre property — along with rotating guests at an inn, which funds most of the farm’s work. In February, the couple welcomed their newest rescue, as of late April: Blossom, a then-days-old lamb with mobility issues who was rejected by her mother at birth.

“We said, ‘Oh sure, what’s a little lamb with contracted tendons? We can do this,’” said Missy Gilbert. “So, they brought her to us, we wrapped her up and within two weeks she was able to walk on her feet.”

But with such a young and vulnerable animal in their care, the Gilberts needed help. That’s when a group of local volunteers began taking shifts to bottle feed, brush and nurture Blossom. 

Linda Lazaroff, who lives in Tunbridge, quickly formed a bond with the lamb. “The first Saturday I was there, I was sitting up in the barn and all these animals surrounded me. They started licking my face and sniffing me and I just fell in love with them, and they’ve gotten to know us. It’s something I look forward to every Saturday, just spending time with them. And of course, with little Blossom.”

Lazaroff was first introduced to the sanctuary at a reiki class held on the property, where she asked if she could visit the animals.

“My sister thought it would be good for me,” she said. “I’ve been having a really tough time. I lost my dog two years ago, and the grief has been overwhelming because she was my constant companion. Those animals have helped me more than any therapy I would ever pay for.”

For about a month before Blossom’s arrival, Lazaroff and other volunteers devoted their Saturdays to the sanctuary. Once the crew met the little lamb, it turned into three or more check-ins per week. 

“When I first started going, I said to Missy, ‘Thank you for trusting us with your animals,’ because I would not have been as trusting with people around my dog — I was very protective of her,” Lazaroff said. “They didn’t know us, but I think she could see that we would treat them with love and respect.”

Another volunteer, Cheryl MacNeil, had previous experience with sheep, so caring for Blossom was nothing new. Still, she said, “it’s a tremendous amount of work. Feeding is all the time, and when they get older, they get into everything, but it was just fun.”

It can be more than fun — it can also be therapeutic. As sister of Lazaroff, friend of MacNeil and fellow volunteer Carolyn Boothroyd said: “I live with chronic pain due to rheumatoid arthritis — when I sit with the animals, the pain disappears.”

And that’s the goal of bringing people to the farm, said Missy Gilbert. “It started off with animals, but I think the fact that we have a lot of people come here, tons of guests and visitors, it also turned into how it affects people,” she said. “That was sort of an added bonus.”

All told, she said, “it makes you feel like on the hard days that we are making a difference.”

Camryn Brauns reported this story on assignment for The White River Valley Herald. The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.