In a world increasingly disconnected from nature, Ellie Laks, the visionary founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, is leading a powerful movement to restore our bond with animals, the earth, and ourselves. At The Gentle Barn, Ellie’s mission is clear: to rescue animals from suffering and create a sanctuary where they—and the people who visit—can heal together. Her work goes beyond animal rescue; it’s about fostering empathy, teaching reverence for all life, and inspiring a new generation to take action in protecting our planet. Amidst a backdrop of rising environmental destruction, health crises, and societal disconnection, The Gentle Barn offers a unique refuge where animals and children alike can rediscover their inherent worth. Ellie’s approach combines the therapeutic power of animal interactions with a deep message of compassion, inspiring visitors to reconnect with the natural world and become advocates for change. Through her dedication, Ellie Laks is not only saving animals—she’s cultivating a movement of kindness, reverence, and hope for a better future. Join Mystic Mag as Ellie shares the incredible journey behind The Gentle Barn and how her foundation is changing the lives of both animals and humans, one heart at a time.
What was the defining moment in your life that inspired you to create The Gentle Barn, and how has your vision for the foundation evolved over the years?
As a child, I was definitely born obsessed with animals. My mom fondly tells stories of how, the minute I could walk, I would run down the sidewalk after any dog I saw, wanting to pet everyone’s animals. As I grew older, I spent my time in the lakes and woods near my house, enjoying the animals and just being out in nature. I thought everyone was like that. I believed everyone loved animals the way I did, so I was surprised as I got older to find that people around me didn’t see animals the way I did. They saw them as unintelligent, dirty, or as things you could have if you wanted, but discard when you didn’t. This confused me because, for me, animals were always my greatest teachers, healers, and best friends. I turned to them when I was sad, and they listened to me while I cried. In my greatest challenges, they were the ones who mirrored back to me that I was wanted and lovable, encouraging me to keep going. I was perplexed as to why people around me couldn’t see what I was seeing.
From the time I was seven, I would tell anyone who would listen that when I grew up, I was going to have a big place full of animals and show the world how beautiful they are. I thought that if people could see animals through my eyes, they might understand what I was looking at and start loving them too. Of course, being seven years old, I had no idea how to actually manifest this dream. Growing up, I didn’t know what steps to take to start a nonprofit organization. It wasn’t until I was almost 30 that I discovered a petting zoo I had never seen before. I went in just to be nosy, and what I found horrified me. The place was full of suffering animals, but it was also full of people who couldn’t see the suffering in front of them. It blew my mind. I was running for the door when a very old and sick goat stopped me in my tracks, looked me in the eyes, and asked me for help.
At the time, I lived in a little house with a half-acre backyard, and I thought, “Well, I could bring home a goat.” So I went to find the owner and said, “Hey, can I have that goat?” She said no. I asked, “Can I buy her? Name your price.” She still said no. I told her, “Well, I’m just going to stay here until you say yes, because that goat is going to die, and I can’t just walk away from her.” I stayed there for 12 days until she finally said, “Fine, take the goat and get out of here.”
I brought Mary the goat home, got a mobile vet to come out, remove her tumors, trim her overgrown hooves, and teach me how to massage her deformed legs so she could walk again. Before I knew it, she was bouncing around the backyard, happy as can be. In that moment, I knew I had found my life’s purpose. I knew this was what I was born to do, and I had to do more. I returned to the petting zoo and brought home more animals. Word quickly spread in the community that I would take in animals no one else wanted. Before I knew it, I realized I had started living my dream.
That little goat, Mary, set me on the life path that was meant for me. I was fearful and scared, unsure of how to get started, stuck in trying to figure out the ‘how.’ But meeting Mary put me on my path, and I’m forever grateful for her. Since then, my backyard became a refuge for more and more animals.
A few years later, a volunteer became more involved, and we ended up falling in love. A year later, we joined forces to expand our mission. We moved from that little half-acre backyard to a much larger property just outside Los Angeles, CA. Over the years, we expanded further, opening locations in Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO. Now, we have three locations in Los Angeles, Nashville, and St. Louis, with approximately 200 rescued animals at any given time. Over the past 25 years, we’ve rescued thousands of animals, and we recently celebrated a major milestone: having 1,000,000 people come through our doors to learn about gentleness and compassion toward animals.
With the current environmental and health challenges we face globally, how does The Gentle Barn aim to educate and inspire people to take actionable steps toward a more sustainable and compassionate lifestyle?
We’ve taken our beautiful, wild nature and are covering it in concrete. We’re chopping down trees and becoming a nation of city folk. Of course, there are still some rural areas, but the majority of humanity now lives in big cities filled with noise, fast-paced living, and high-tech environments. We’re living an unnatural life, disconnected from nature and animals, and therefore, from the truth of who we are. Instead, we’re now focused on working harder, making more money, and building more structures.
This disconnection is leading to the demise of our environment—the pollution of our waters, the depletion and destruction of our forests, and the extinction of species every single day. We’re not just heading toward the destruction of our beautiful world; we’re also driving ourselves toward our own extinction. We cannot survive on a planet that we are destroying.
I believe it is vitally important for people to reconnect with animals and nature so that we can learn how to protect them and, ultimately, protect ourselves, along with every other living being. That’s why we have Gentle Barns—so people from the cities can come out, hug cows, cuddle turkeys, give pigs tummy rubs, look into the eyes of these animals, hear their stories of resilience, and be inspired to make changes in their own lives. These interactions can inspire people to protect animals, have reverence for the planet, heal our bodies, and keep things moving in a healthy direction.
If we don’t reconnect with nature and animals, things will end up in a very bad place for all of us, and I don’t want that. When children come to the Gentle Barn and develop a connection to animals, it stays with them for the rest of their lives. As adults, they’ll remember to “vote with their dollars” and vote politically to ensure we’re making choices on behalf of animals, nature, and our planet. It’s absolutely imperative.
The Gentle Barn focuses on healing both animals and people. How do you believe these two aspects are interconnected, and why is it important for people to reconnect with animals and nature?
A lot of people on social media sometimes ask us, “Why are you wasting so much time, effort, and money on healing animals when you could be helping humans?” I don’t think they understand that it’s one and the same. By helping animals and nature, we are ultimately helping people. And by helping people connect with animals and nature, we are helping all of us.
For us, it’s not about loving animals but disliking people. Our mission is to bring more kindness, love, and peace to this planet. We want to help people step into a greater love for themselves, each other, and every living being. That’s what we do at The Gentle Barn.
When people come to our programs, they can take tours, meet the animals, and learn about them. But we also offer healing programs where hurting humans can come and heal with the help of animals who were once traumatized, scared, and ill. These animals came to The Gentle Barn for their own healing, and now they pay it forward to help humans heal. It’s a circle of healing that fosters more love, peace, joy, and connection.
And it’s through these connections that we can ultimately save this planet. I truly believe that.
How do you approach the emotional and physical rehabilitation of animals that have experienced severe trauma, and what role does this healing process play in your overall mission?
We are actually going through this process right now with three different animals that have come in over the last couple of weeks. One of them is a dog who was very scared and ill and was scheduled to be euthanized. Fortunately, we were able to bring him home to The Gentle Barn, and we are doing a lot to heal him both emotionally and physically. We are giving him proper nutrition, conducting allergy tests to ensure he’s on the right food, and providing acupuncture to boost his overall energy and well-being. Of course, there are also some necessary medications. With time, patience, and a lot of effort, we are working to heal him so that he can shine and live the life all animals deserve.
At the same time, we recently rescued a new goat named Bria. While I’m not entirely sure what happened, it seems that about two months ago, at the farm where she was living, she lost the ability to walk. Whether it was due to injury or illness, her front legs are now bent, and she walks on her knees. When she first arrived, she was very scared, but we are giving her deep tissue massage therapy, acupuncture, daily stretches, good veterinary care, and plenty of scratches to soothe her itches. Having never experienced human kindness before and after suffering for such a long time, she is now beginning to come alive, simply from receiving love and care. She is starting to trust us.
It will be a long process, requiring diligent and slow work, to help straighten her legs and get her walking again. But because she’s young and we have excellent veterinary care—combined with acupuncture, massage therapy, daily stretching from our dedicated staff, and supplements like Sun Chlorella to boost her immune system—everything is working together to help her walk again. It will take time, but we’re off to a good start, and we’re excited to see her progress.
The Gentle Barn also focuses on helping children, particularly those from underserved communities. How do you see these interactions influencing the next generation, and what long-term impact do you hope to achieve?
These kids are being raised in the inner city with violence, concrete, and noise. They don’t see animals in their neighborhoods, and if they do, those animals are not treated well. They typically don’t have animals in their own homes, and if they do, the animals are treated as something that can be thrown away when not needed. They are not being taught kindness. Typically, they are in survival mode, living very harsh lives with difficult family circumstances, a lot of violence, fear, and loss.
When people are in survival mode, they are not really aware of things outside themselves. They are trying to survive each day alone. However, through our extensive programs and partnerships with the Los Angeles Police Department, probation facilities, drug and alcohol rehab centers, domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, and inner-city communities, we can bring groups of these beautiful people to The Gentle Barn.
First, they see that there is life outside their own circumstances. They learn that, although they might only know their harsh city reality, when they come to The Gentle Barn, they can see the big bright blue sky, trees, and creatures of every shape, size, and color. They can smell the fresh air and realize that there is life beyond their immediate environment. Once they are older, they can pursue their dreams, inspired by this experience. It is very inspiring and hopeful.
Second, they see that there are creatures of every different shape, size, and color, and they realize that while we are all different, we are also the same in many ways. Some of us might be big or small, fly, crawl, or run, but at the end of the day, aside from our different physicalities, we are all the same at heart. We all suffer from trauma, we are all resilient, and we all want to live a good life. We all respond to kindness and want peace.
Hearing the animal stories about their past traumas and their resilience makes the children and teens who come to us feel normal. Often, when we’re suffering trauma, we believe that we’re the only ones carrying that burden and that others won’t understand us. But when they come to The Gentle Barn and hear story after story of different past traumas and suffering, they inherently understand that we all have stories. We all have things that we’re struggling with and things we have to overcome. Our stories don’t make us aliens; they make us just like everybody else. Everyone has a story, which makes us feel normal and encourages them to keep going and create their happily ever after, just like our animals have.
They feel like they belong in the group, knowing that everyone has a story. Additionally, they experience unconditional love, non-judgment, and acceptance—all of which can be found at The Gentle Barn.
I’ve written two books. The first is called “My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope.” It’s about the origin story of The Gentle Barn, starting in my childhood and explaining how animals saved me, which is why I wanted to save them. It also covers the love story between me and Jay, and how we went through enormous challenges to maintain The Gentle Barn.
My second book, which was recently released, is called “Cow Hug Therapy: How The Gentle Barn Animals Taught Me About Life, Death, and Everything in Between.” It includes remarkable stories of some of our most resilient animals, how they’ve moved forward to literally save human lives, and how they teach us about our own humanity. I would love to share those books with you.
