Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Dieterich.
Hi Diane, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was rescuing animals out of my suburban home and was getting involved in more frequent farm animal rescues. It seemed that there were some great organizations that helped companion animals, but there was very little help available for farm animals in need. Since I couldn’t keep farm animals in my backyard, I founded Greener Pastures and found a place with a barn where I could help farm animals whose lives were in jeopardy. This didn’t happen overnight. I held fundraisers and worked to educate people about farm animals. Most people think of them as commodities, egg machines, or burgers, but these animals are unique individuals, just as sentient as pets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle has been fundraising. As a nonprofit organization we try to get creative with events and fundraising, but it’s not easy staying afloat. The prices of everything from feed to vet care is constantly increasing and we do not receive discounts, unfortunately.
The other challenge is that we get calls every day from people who don’t want their animals any longer. People who unwittingly got roosters and can’t keep them. We don’t have the space or resources to take in every single animal, so we only take in animals whose lives are in danger.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We provide a safe home for farm animals who would otherwise be suffering or worse, killed. Our rescued residents come from all over the country. Usually, people reach out to us when they know of an animal in peril. We take each situation very seriously and evaluate if we have the space and resources to provide the best care for that animal.
We have hens from Utah, where they were rescued from the egg industry. Egg-laying hens are typically killed at only 2 years old. They could live to 6 or more!
We have sheep surrendered by students in the Future Farmers of America program. The animal is raised essentially as a pet and then shown at the county fair where they are sold for slaughter. It’s sadly an ultimate betrayal of friendship.
We have a family of horses saved from a kill pen in Oklahoma where they were going to be slaughtered for meat. We have animals that were found abandoned, and others saved from the meat industry, and still others whose owners were terminally ill.
Greener Pastures is unique because we are a relatively small organization. This affords us the ability to form a close connection with every animal. We spend quality time with all 53 of them! This helps us monitor each one more closely and form deep bonds that makes this work incredibly rewarding.
The best part of this work is seeing abused animals learn to trust. When their health improves and their personalities begin to blossom, we count that as a success.
Our proudest moment is the transformation we saw when we rescued a potbelly pig named Dinkey. She was surrendered to a shelter during a wildfire. The poor thing was obese, fat-blind, and sunburned. Dinkey was going to be euthanized because of her appearance and concerns that she was suffering.
We jumped at the opportunity to give her a second chance. When Dinkey arrived at Greener Pastures she was scared and confused. We fed her a healthy diet and over time she lost nearly 200 lbs! Unfortunately, she was still fat-blind. We took her to UC Davis where she received a brow lift. Her life was drastically improved immediately! Dinkey began to explore the pastures and was now very active. It was clear that she was so much more comfortable and happy. She even made a best friend, Kip the barn cat. They sleep together every day and truly enjoy each other’s company. I even turned Dinkey’s story into a childrens’ book- “Dinkey. The True Story of How Kindness Saved a Little Pig”. It’s available on Amazon and the link is on our website.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Joe Kennedy has been a great support and cheerleader from the beginning. Sherstin Rosenberg has been in the trenches for a long time and provides ongoing inspiration. Yvon Gressor has shared her expertise of fundraising for a nonprofit organization.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greenerpasturessanctuary.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/greenerpasturesfarmsanctuary/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/greenerpasturesfarmsanctuary/
