Lorri Houston

The Farm Sanctuary^[2] was the first shelter for farm animals; created to protect and advocate for the rights of farm animals against factory farming and mistreatment. While doing research and observation at a stockyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Houston came across a living sheep on a pile of dead carcasses.^[3] She is now known as Hilda, and was immediately rescued by Houston and was taken to a veterinarian. It turned out that Hilda was perfectly healthy, but was discarded as a "downer" because she was unable to stand after enduring the brutal conditions of transportation from farm to factory. Unable to keep a sheep in her backyard forever, Houston started Farm Sanctuary with then-husband Gene Baur, and Hilda was their first rescued farm animal. Today, Farm Sanctuary houses over 400 rescued farm animals in three locations in the United States.^[4] Houston left Farm Sanctuary in 2004 to begin the establishment of Animal Acres in 2005.

Animal Acres^[5] was founded in May 2005 as an extension of Houston's work with the Farm Sanctuary. It provides a home for farm animals that have been abused, neglected, and/or mistreated. Located in Los Angeles County, California, Animal Acres also provides tours about factory farming, vegetarianism/veganism, and animal rights.^[6] Houston left Animal acres in April 2011.