An Interview With Penny Bauder
I have always had big dreams. With big dreams comes big effort. The dream and the doing can sometimes feel different. The dream is always sweet and the mission is always pure and wonderful. But the implementation of the dream requires problem-solving, overcoming challenges, setting up protocols, training others, learning from mistakes, and having much patience. These things are not as fun. I wish someone had told me that the bigger and more effective the organization grew, the less time I would have to actually feel the bliss of the dream. But I cherish every single minute that I get to spend out in the barnyard healing an animal, talking one on one in an intimate conversation, or just watching a butterfly; the still quiet moments that I had a lot more of when it was all new and young.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ellie Laks.
Ellie Laks is the original founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, a national organization that rescues and rehabilitates unwanted animals and helps to heal people with the same stories of abuse and neglect. She is a powerful speaker, celebrated animal welfare advocate, humane educator and author of My Gentle Barn: Creating a sanctuary where animals heal, and children learn to hope.
She founded The Gentle Barn in 1999 and invented her own “gentle-healing method” that allows old, sick, injured and terrified animals to fully recover using a mixture of Western medicine, holistic healing modalities, holding therapy and lots of love. Ellie is an expert in healing orphaned and sick animals, like puppies with Parvo and calves from veal crates. She has hosted hundreds of thousands of at-risk, inner-city and special needs children, war veterans, seniors, victims of domestic violence, children in foster care and those in recovery from drug, alcohol and gang affiliation.
The Ellen Show, People Magazine, Life Magazine, Animal Planet, The Huffington Post, Turning Point, Women’s World, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, and The New York Times are just some of the influential media outlets in which Ellie has been featured. She is also a highly sought-after guest speaker who has presented at animal rights conferences, environmental conferences, eco-feminist summits, self-discovery retreats, corporate functions and universities nationwide that serve to motivate their audiences towards higher awareness, profound compassion, realizing dreams and an enhanced sense of purpose. Ellie is a TEDx speaker, and the keynote speaker at West Coast Eco Feminist Conference, Animal Wisdom World Summit, The Difference Maker series, Phoenix House, Winnipeg’s Vegfest, UCLA, USC, The Los Angeles Green Fest and many more.
To date, Ellie has saved thousands of animals and hosted over 500,000 visitors. The Gentle Barn is currently home to approximately 200 animals and has three locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee and St Louis, Missouri. It is her goal to be the voice for animals, share their stories and open the hearts of humanity towards all living beings, “Teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other and our planet.”
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I grew up in Boston, St Louis, and New Haven. There were woods and lakes by my houses, and I got to slosh around in the lakes watching tadpoles turn to frogs and sit with the bunnies in the woods. I brought injured animals home to my house to heal. I have always been obsessed with animals and nature and my surroundings afforded me days full of magic and delight. The orthodox, Jewish community in which I grew up didn’t see animals the same way as I did, and it confused me greatly. By the time I was seven years old I knew that all I wanted to do when I grew up was have a big place full of animals and show the world how beautiful they are.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
We are all living in a high-tech, fast-paced world where we are disconnected from nature and from ourselves. The further we get from nature, the more our suicide rate, rate of depression, crime rate, and divorce rate goes up. Most people are living unfulfilled lives and we have forgotten who we are and why we have come. I believe it is essential to reconnect to nature and animals in order to find ourselves. Our Peace Enhancement, Animal Assisted Therapy, Cow Hug Therapy, and Literacy Programs help people overcome mental health challenges and feel hopeful. Guests can practice motor skills, vocal skills, leadership skills, confidence, and compassion among the animals and end up finding themselves in the barnyard.
If we trace all our problems like disease, environmental destruction, and animal cruelty back to their origins, we can find that animal agriculture is at the heart of it. By going vegan, we can reverse the damage we have done to our environment and our bodies and stop the suffering of animals. Animals are so far removed from our neighborhoods and our lives that it is easy to ignore their cries and be in denial of what is really happening. But at The Gentle Barn people hug cows, cuddle turkeys, hold chickens, hear their stories of resilience, look them in the eyes, and realize that though we look different, we are all the same. Our hearts open and we connect and develop empathy which we then extend to not only animals, but to other people. We become stewards for the environment, advocates for animals, and open up our own intuition that we have long ago forgotten. And with the future generation opening their hearts and awakening, animals will be happier, people will be healthier, and we can protect this beautiful planet we call home.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
I had struggles in my childhood and animals were always my healers, teachers, and friends. They listened as I cried, mirrored back to me that I was loveable, and convinced me to keep going. Because of this firsthand knowledge of how healing and life-changing animals are, I dreamed of having a place where rescued animals and I would partner to help other people who were struggling. I feel most alive when I am rehabilitating an animal and am able to connect them to people who need that unconditional love.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Though The Gentle Barn was my dream since I was seven, I had no idea what my first step would be or how to achieve my dream. While I was busy procrastinating, I drove past a petting zoo I had never seen before and went inside just to be nosey. The abuse, neglect, and suffering I saw there made me sick to my stomach and I ran for the door. Blocking the exit was an old goat who was in awful shape. She looked me in the eyes, stopped me in my tracks, and asked me for help. I asked the owner if I could have her and she said no, so I told her I was going to keep coming until she said yes. I stayed at the petting zoo for twelve days and finally on the 13th day, the owner allowed me to take Mary the goat home. It was that little white goat who set me on my life’s path and reminded me of my true destiny. I ended up healing Mary and going back for more animals until my backyard was full of animals that I saved and rehabilitated. One day I woke up, looked outside to a barnyard full of animals and realized I had started my dream.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I think the most important part of starting an organization is to be crystal clear on what the organization will do and what it will look like. I knew that I wanted The Gentle Barn to be close to the city, and I knew I wanted to rescue farm animals who had nowhere else to go. I also knew that I wanted to bring people in to fall in love with the animals and heal alongside them. All that was left to do was choose a name, create a nonprofit corporation with bylaws and a board of directors, bring in the animals, and open our doors. Of course, I also had to learn how to fundraise and run a business that did not come to me as easily as working with the animals.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I have so many beautiful stories about our animals and the many people they have healed and inspired. But one of my favorites happened recently, during the start of the pandemic. We got a call from the slaughterhouse saying that there was a calf born inside the slaughterhouse and would we take him. They would not allow us to take his mom, but we were grateful to be able to save the baby. We brought him home at a week old, orphaned, scared, and very sick. It was 106 degrees in Los Angeles and we could not bring down his temperature in the heat, so we moved him into our house. I moved downstairs to become his mom, and he and I were together day and night for six months. My husband and co-founder of The Gentle Barn built him an oxygen tent and with great vet care and lots of love he made it.
We named him John Lewis Thunderheart and slowly introduced him to the other cows to make friends. John Lewis spent longer and longer amounts of time with the cows until he moved into the cow pasture permanently at nine months old. I still bring him a bottle each morning and bedtime cookies each evening. His recovery, the time spent in the house with us, his friendship with our dog, his walks and playtime were all shared with the world through social media. During a time when the world was on lockdown and people were scared, John Lewis made them laugh and gave them something to focus on.
Once we finally reopened after the pandemic, we created cow hug therapy sessions for people to come out and reconnect, get cow hugs, meditate in the barnyard, wash away the past, and move forward hopeful, inspired, and strong. Lewis became a therapist and lies down, wraps his body around people, and gives them all of his energy. We have had many people who have really suffered during the pandemic, who got through it because of watching Lewis’ videos and stories and promised themselves that they would come and meet him. The reunions have been so beautiful!
We have even had people who have gone through surgeries during the pandemic, where they were alone in the hospitals without anyone to visit them. They said that the only thing helping them get through it was watching Lewis. Once recovered they came out to meet him and there was not a dry eye in the house as they met him, and he gave them huge hugs!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?
I hated the straw in the pig houses, I thought it was prickly and pokey. Wanting the very best for our rescued pigs, I removed all the straw and installed soft, warm, carpet that I got donated, along with blankets. I was so excited that the pigs would have the cozy carpet, but the pigs were not amused. They did not like the carpet one bit and refused to go into their houses until I finally ripped out the carpet and put back the straw.
Another time I saw how hard it was to clean the pigs’ pool and thought how wonderful it would be to put in concrete and a drain so we could keep it spotless, only the best for our babies! Once we were done the pool was gorgeous and clean, but the pigs refused to go into it. They went on strike for weeks and we finally had to jackhammer and remove all the concrete and put the mud back.
What I learned is that my ideas, even with great intentions, are not always what the animals want. And the animals do not have the same esthetics and need for cleanliness that I do. I learned to see them better, learn their likes and dislikes, and allow them to tell me what they want and need. After all, I am just here to serve them and make them happy. I think that lesson helped me to accept our guests for who they are and for what they need more as well. Each individual who walks through the gates of The Gentle Barn, animal or human, has trauma they are trying to recover from, and have things that heal them from the trauma. For some it is a cow hug, and for another it is a muddy pool and a house full of straw. I am here to honor and help both!
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I had my hero, Jay! I started The Gentle Barn in a half-acre backyard and would probably be there still if not for Jay. He came in to volunteer and quickly became more involved. He helped me set up a website, create our first fundraiser, took a seat on the board of directors, and a year later we fell in love. He took me from a half-acre backyard to a national organization with four locations, and from a handful of animals, to hundreds. He has been by my side for the hard times and for the joy. He has given a much larger voice to our animals and an opportunity for much more healing for all those who visit. I am so grateful for his business savvy, courage, and strength. I don’t know where I would be without him and I can’t wait to see where he takes us next!
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I wish the politicians would step up and protect animals and the environment, but sadly I don’t think they will. The solution lies in the hands of the individual. While big business is destroying the rainforests and creating factory farms that are enslaving animals by the billions, we as the consumer can vote with our dollars and bend big business to our will by supporting companies and products that protect the environment and animals. There are cruelty-free and vegan products in all stores now, it is getting easier and easier. The thing that our communities can do to make the biggest impact on animals, our health, and the sustenance of the environment, is to go vegan. I think meeting animals, learning about the problem, and being empowered to be a part of the solution is where the Gentle Barn comes in.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
I think more and more consumers are becoming aware of environmental issues and are wanting to buy products that support the environment. It is starting to matter to the consumer what goes into a product and where it comes from. Products that are green, sustainable, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly are really appealing to people. Beyond Meat for example started out as a small vegan burger company but marketed to meat-eaters. The consumer really liked that it was a healthier and just as tasty source of protein and iron. Beyond Meat is now a seven-billion-dollar company! It is in restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken, Carl’s Junior, and Del Taco nationwide. They don’t have to breed, feed, clean up after, transport, and slaughter animals, they just turn plants into burgers in a factory. It is just a matter of time till all companies start creating protein out of plants; it is just simply good math.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
When I Founded The Gentle Barn I was young, naive, and had a head full of dreams. I had no idea what it would be like. I knew that loving the animals would be amazing, and it has been, but working with employees, volunteers, and the public has not always been so easy. Each person comes in with their own histories, issues, agendas, and needs. Navigating them all has sometimes been challenging. I wish someone had told me to screen my volunteers more carefully. At the start of The Gentle Barn I let my heart and my compassion for people and their hardships overpower my intuition at times. I am a firm believer in second chances but not everyone comes to the table with the right intentions. As a result of a few challenging, and disappointing experiences, I have learned to create a stronger volunteer screening and training and that has helped the organization thrive. We often learn our best lessons from mistakes and bad experiences, and I am grateful for each and every one.
I have a huge heart and always thought that if I just love an animal enough then I can save them. We have saved thousands of animals, but sometimes we rescue animals who are too damaged and the kindest thing to do is to let them go. When an animal is severely abused but I can make it right, then at least the animal has a happy ending. But when an animal has been abused only to be euthanized, without the happy ending or living apology, it is hard to make sense of that. I wish someone would have told me that I won’t be able to save them all. But the truth is, even if someone had, I doubt that would have stopped me from living this dream or made the losses any easier. Each time is just as devastating as the first. But I am grateful for loving them and knowing them, if only for a short time!
I have always had big dreams. With big dreams comes big effort. The dream and the doing can sometimes feel different. The dream is always sweet and the mission is always pure and wonderful. But the implementation of the dream requires problem-solving, overcoming challenges, setting up protocols, training others, learning from mistakes, and having much patience. These things are not as fun. I wish someone had told me that the bigger and more effective the organization grew, the less time I would have to actually feel the bliss of the dream. But I cherish every single minute that I get to spend out in the barnyard healing an animal, talking one on one in an intimate conversation, or just watching a butterfly; the still quiet moments that I had a lot more of when it was all new and young.
I wish someone had told me that I would sacrifice time with my son. When he was little, I thought that I could start The Gentle Barn with him in a backpack or playing next to me. But as the organization and my son both grew, they sometimes had opposite needs that pulled me in different directions. If I could go back in time, I would probably have started the organization when my son was a little older, as I’ll never get those years back with him. I believed that I could run a national organization and have a family, and I have indeed done that, but at a price. On the other hand, staying up all night with my kids to watch an animal give birth, working side by side with my family to open another location, and seeing the love and empathy that live inside my kids have brought me the greatest rewards!
I wish someone had told me that I would be lonely sometimes. I am laser-focused on my goals and expansion and it leaves very little time for socializing or making friends. I think most people with a type-A personality are probably like that. But I love working side by side with my husband and Co-Founder, Jay Weiner. I adore my staff and cherish my volunteers and I love meeting each person who comes into The Gentle Barn and hearing their stories.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I would tell them that to serve, to make a difference, to leave a legacy, to create positive change for future generations, is the stuff of dreams. I would also tell them that we do not have as much time as we think we do on this planet if we continue to do things the way we have always done it. Mother Earth simply cannot withstand what we are doing to her. The way we are living, the destruction caused by factory farming, the way we are harming the environment, it is simply not sustainable. If we want to have a beautiful comfortable planet for our grandchildren, we all must find a way to help and make a difference, before it is too late.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Many vegans or animal advocates become so desperate to spread their message, that they become angry, judgmental, and critical. But that defeats the entire purpose to become vegan in the first place. For me it is all about love, gentleness, and kindness. I want to help people evolve to a plant-based diet and be kinder to animals, of course, but I want to do it by loving them as well as the animals I save. So, this quote makes so much sense about spreading more love and light in everything we do. I try to live up to that quote every day.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would like to have a private meal with the mayor-elect of New York. I’d like to speak with him about making the NY horse carriages electric, keeping the drivers’ jobs, making the unions happy, and allowing New York to be futuristic and cruelty-free. Then we would launch an adoption program nationwide to adopt the horses and we would keep the oldest to live at the new Gentle Barn in Central Park. The Gentle Barn would then partner with the animals to give healing to the underserved community in Manhattan, like those recovering from substance abuse, in foster care, on probation, and homeless. I would really like his help to create all this and with his blessing of course.
How can our readers follow you online?
Readers can find The Gentle Barn at www.gentlebarn.org, and @thegentlebarn on social media. Folks can find me at www.ellielaks.com and @ellielaks on social media.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Ellie Laks Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.