Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary upgrades its facilities

Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary is hitting the road. 

With an anonymous endowment, Lisa Burns, a co-owner of the Myakka City nonprofit, said the nonprofit was able to purchase and retrofit a shuttle to be able to more safely transport animals and provide educational opportunities. 

The sanctuary will be able to take the shuttle to events and schools so people can see and interact with the nonprofit’s animal ambassadors, which include rabbits, ferrets, goats and reptiles. The shuttle will be able to fit about eight small cages and have an open area for a goat, Burns said.

Burns said previously, the nonprofit would transport animals in a horse trailer and have to set up tents outside. She said sometimes the heat could become too much for the animals. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

The air conditioned shuttle gives them the opportunity to comfortably and safely allow people on the bus to interact with the animals. 

The shuttle, which Burns hopes to start using by the end of August, also features pictures of Farmhouse animals on the outside. 

“I’m looking forward to being able to share the animals’ stories with more people and show the next generation what it takes to care for these animals and show them that their lives matter,” Burns said. “This is going to make a big difference in the lives of the kids who have never been able to get up close and personal with these animals. Most kids have been around cats and dogs and birds sometimes. We’ve had kids who come to our education programs who have never even seen a rabbit.”

The shuttle is among a few other projects the endowment has funded for Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary. 

Burns said a requirement of the endowment was that the money must be used for projects within 2024. 

“It’s exciting to have somebody see our vision and want to help us continue that,” Burns said of the endowment.

Burns said the nonprofit was quick to get started on projects she and her husband and co-owner, Dave Burns, have wanted to accomplish for years. 

The Burns have turned a former in-law apartment into a large classroom, bird room and volunteer break area. 

Walking into the building, there is the large classroom, which houses reptiles and ferrets. Some of the reptiles include bearded dragons, leopard geckos and small tortoises.

There is a kitchen section as well as a few tables. Burns said the nonprofit could fit between 15 and 20 people in the room, which further expands the nonprofit’s educational opportunities. 

Burns said the nonprofit only had a small education room that could only fit about four people. The large classroom allows the sanctuary to host meetings, educational events and more. Burns plans to host monthly classes for people of all ages who want to learn, whether it’s how to make a bat house or make toys for birds while discussing animal care. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

The other portion of the former apartment has become home to small birds. It will also serve as an area for more birds during winter or if there’s a bad storm. 

“It’ll be so much easier to take care of the animals in a setting like this,” Burns said. “Before we had birds in so many areas and we were running from one place to the other. This just makes it faster and more efficient.”

The next project on the Farmhouse to-do list is setting up an area to start providing hydrotherapy. Burns said the nonprofit cares for a dog with hip dysplasia, and a veterinarian suggested hydrotherapy to help. 

Two stalls of a barn in the back of the property that are currently being used for storage will be converted into a spot to provide hydrotherapy that also will include a dog washing station and grooming table. 

“We’re an hour away from everyone so it’s a little hard to take (the goat) for something like (hydrotherapy),” Burns said. “We got to talking about it and we decided we’d like to do something like that here. 

Burns said she hopes to offer hydrotherapy to community members for their animals.