The Gentle Barn of the Santa Clarita Valley has been teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other, and our planet since 1999. Owner and operator Ellie Laks had a dream to help animals since she was 7 years old. At the Gentle Barn, the stand up for the innocent, the voiceless by helping animals and children remember that they matter. They open people\u2019s hearts with the connection to mother nature. They open people\u2019s minds to their surroundings. They inspire people to become an integral part of the solution.<\/p>\n
We live in a concrete, violent, noisy, high tech, busy world. We have lost our connection to animals, to nature, and most of all, to ourselves. Animals are living lives of torment from beginning to end. Their cries are unheard, their pain is unseen, and they are suffering. The rate of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes has never been higher. The rain forests are being destroyed, we are in a global drought, we are polluting our air, and species go extinct every day. But by having reverence for all life and by reconnecting with mother nature, that can all be changed.<\/p>\n