Fairfield Sanctuary Owner Now Needs Help To Continue
Jeanine Wittlinger stretches her arms to hug Red the cow, one of the 76 animals at her sanctuary, during their afternoon feeding time. She calls each of her animals by name and talks to them with warmth.
Wittlinger is the owner and founder of Gentle Acres Farm Haven in Fairfield. She has helped over 100 animals in the past five years, but this time, she needs help from others.
She is seeking support via the Gentle Acres GoFundMe to help keep the nonprofit open as it will have to close if not enough money is raised by March.
Wittlinger was born a natural animal lover. She grew up in a family that had cats, dogs, bunnies, gerbils and fish and was comforted by their ability to show empathy and love without words.
“When I look back at childhood pictures, it’s really funny because in almost every picture of me, I’m holding or spending time with an animal,” Wittlinger said.
While considering what she wanted to do with newfound free time after her children grew up and had left home, she studied art history at Louisiana State University and was an art consultant. She later attended Northern Virginia Community College to partake in their Veterinary Technician program.
Her veterinarian knowledge led her to help with animal nonprofits across the country and eventually volunteer with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.
“The sanctuary there [in Namibia] is the size of Rhode Island, that’s how much land they have,” said Wittlinger. “I lived in a hut surrounded by leopards, baboons, jackals and the most venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders. It was a crazy, incredible, magnificent experience.”
Despite her plans to return to Africa after a brief hiatus, Wittlinger decided to open the Virginia sanctuary in 2020 upon learning of the hardships of animals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I thought, ‘Why am I going back to Africa to work to protect animals in another country when many farmed animals are experiencing cruelty in our food industry?’” said Wittlinger.
It took five months to find the seven-acre property in Fairfield after scouting places in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. Driving up the pathway for the first time, she said she instantly knew this was the place for her.
The animals of Gentle Acres come from “different degrees of neglect, abandonment or special needs,” Wittlinger said. She has taken in animals that are blind, morbidly obese, abused and have broken limbs.
Regardless of the conditions and locations the animals come from, her goats, cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks and cats still connect across species.
“All of my animals intermingle and get along with each other,” said Wittlinger. “The cows give you milk kisses and the pigs will kiss you, too. Especially after what some of them have endured, it’s about reinforcing the love and that they’re safe.”
Wittlinger works with the animals every day and hasn’t taken a vacation since founding the sanctuary.
Her strong connections to the animals have driven her to support them through every hardship.
“I just look into their eyes and I see these creatures that are so innocent, so loving and so deserving of love,” said Wittlinger. “They truly just let you into their soul.”
Wittlinger has witnessed many special moments at the farm, including a miracle birth from a cow that was thought to be too sick to have a baby.
“We woke up the next morning, and there was a tiny little baby boy. We had no idea she was pregnant,” said Wittlinger. “I was having a fundraiser the next day and 60 people showed up and got to see the baby!”
Memories like these are the reason she continues to care for the animals, practically on her own.
Some community members volunteer at the farm to give Wittlinger a helping hand. Those who are near her constantly experience the love for the animals.
“She’s got a huge heart,” said Maggie Schneider, a frequent volunteer at the farm. “She works very hard for the animals and she loves them very much.”
Wittlinger ensures that her animals are fed and living well, though the feed, veterinarian and medicine costs have added up.
Gentle Acres is currently in need of financial support to continue Wittlinger’s mission. The unique nature of the sanctuary means that surprise medical costs and specific food for the animals have depleted Wittlinger’s account. She has used up all of her savings and has cut out all extra expenses, even selling all of her jewelry just to make ends meet.
If she is unable to raise $50,000 by March, she will have to shut down operations. “I’ve cried all the tears I’ve had left … this is basically me on my knees and just praying for a miracle,” Wittlinger said. “I will do anything to give them [the animals] their lives and the lives they deserve.”
She created a GoFundMe in early December as a final effort to raise the money to continue to care for the animals. As of this week, she has raised about half of the funds she needs.
“One dollar makes a difference. People don’t think a dollar makes a difference but if 100 people donate a dollar, $100 is tremendous,” said Wittlinger. “The more eyes and the more hearts that see it [the fund], the more hope there is that this can continue.”
Anyone interested in donating can go to her GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme. com/f/save-our-virginiafarm- animal-sanctuary.
JEANINE WITTLINGER hugs Flower, who she has cared for since it was a duckling. Flower used to have difficulty walking but overcame their disability due to Wittlinger’s rehabilitation efforts. (Ava Tallat-Kelpsa photo)
GENTLE ACRES Farm Haven owner and Founder Jeanine Wittlinger hugs Red, one of the many cows at the sanctuary, during their afternoon feeding time. (Ava Tallat-Kelpsa photo)
