Animal Caregiver Advocates
for Sanctuaries, Liberation
Q&A: SANDI SWISS
Planted | 22
When and why did you go vegan?
I went vegan in November 2009. I
met a vegan who asked me to watch
some YouTube videos. I watched them,
asked questions, thought about it for
a day or two, and then decided to go
vegan. Like many people, I didn’t understand
where my food came from and
was horrified by the footage. I just never
made the connection.
I had always loved animals. I adopted
two cats and loved my friends’ dogs. After
learning what farmed animals go through
every day, I could not be a part of that system
anymore. I am vegan for the animals
first, but I also care about the environment
and how farming impacts people.
What inspired you to volunteer?
I started volunteering because I love
animals and wanted to spend more time
with them. I later realized that visiting
a sanctuary and meeting the animals
is an important part of the vegan journey,
but sanctuaries need volunteers
and donations to exist and thrive.
I became even more passionate
about sanctuary advocacy in 2019
after a mass grave was discovered on
the property of a former sanctuary in
rural Illinois. I worked with a group of
activists and the state’s attorney for that
county to have the founder charged with
animal cruelty.
You’re a weekly animal care volunteer
at Tiny Hooves Sanctuary. What
are some regular tasks?
I do animal care and remote work for
Tiny Hooves, home to more than 150
animals.
I generally work with birds. Tasks
include providing food and water to the
chickens, ducks and geese. Ducks and
geese also need fresh pools when the
weather is warm. Depending on the season,
I open the shelter doors or insulate
them with straw. Next, I clean the stalls
and do dishes. Then it’s time to sweep,
take out the trash and head home. Plus,
Sandi Swiss
is queen of
the hay pile at
Tiny Hooves.
Below, she
poses with
Sir Nigel
Blacki.
PHOTOS COURTESY
OF SANDI SWISS
there is always
something unexpected
to manage:
a frozen or broken
hose, feed delivery to unpack or a door
that won’t stay shut. These tasks are
just a small portion of the animal care
side of running a sanctuary. In addition
to animal care, there is social media,
fundraising, office work, accounting
and planning.
Everyone who works at Tiny Hooves,
including the owner, is a volunteer. We
do this work because we love animals and
believe they deserve the best life possible.
Please share a story about one of the
animals at Tiny Hooves.
Spooky is a sheep who came to Tiny
Hooves in 2020. He and his friend Patti
had been neglected and then abandoned.
Patti died, and suddenly Spooky was in a
strange place without his friend. He was
scared and didn’t want to be near people.
After Spooky finished his stall quarantine,
he joined the “misfit herd” of sheep,
goats and one pig. He became friends
with other sheep and would get closer to
humans who brought hay. Just recently,
he started accepting snacks from the
hands of a few volunteers.
Spooky making animal friendships
and starting to trust humans after living
through trauma serves as a lesson. By
respecting Spooky’s boundaries, we gave
him the space to trust us.
You’re also involved with the Sanctuary
Advocacy Network. Tell us about
the project and your role with it.
Sanctuary Advocacy Network is a
project of the nonprofit Cruelty Free
You + Me. Our goal is to raise awareness
about sanctuaries in the Midwest and
encourage people to sponsor an animal
or donate to support sanctuary work.
We organize workdays to help sanctuaries
and allow volunteers to meet
rescued farmed animals. I am one of the
founding members.
Do you volunteer in any other ways?
I participate in other CFY+M projects,
such as food and toy drives. I also volunteer
with Chicago Alliance for Animals.
Their work recently led to a horse carriage
ban in Chicago after years of campaigning.
Their current campaign is to get
puppy mills out of Chicago. In the past,
I organized vegan festivals and events,
tabled at colleges, protested and leafleted.
Why is volunteering important?
Volunteering benefits everyone involved.
I would not have so many of my
human and animal friends if I were not
doing sanctuary and volunteer work. It’s
so important to surround yourself with
people who are working for the same
things you are. Volunteering is about
forming a community and building that
community. There is potential to change
the world when a community is strong
and passionate people come together.
Farm
VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHT