Kathy Stevens
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Kathy Stevens

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Kathy Stevens spent her childhood on the rolling hills of a Virginia horse farm. At the height of his success, her father had close to 150 horses at a given time. Add to that the family dogs, a sheep named Babbette who wore diapers in the house, a burro named Linda, George the mynah bird, and Kathy's own show ponies and horses. Kathy left the South in the early 80's and entered graduate school at Tufts University in 1984. After two years in a public policy program, the idea of making a difference from behind a desk was utterly unappealing. She wanted to impact young people's lives through working directly with them. So she added a third year of graduate school and took her first English teaching job north of Boston in 1987. In the summer of 1999, after a decade in the classroom, Kathy was offered the principalship of a new high school scheduled to open in Boston in 2000. But to her own astonishment (again), she felt finished with public education. So one warm June day, she made her final end of the year speech to her final group of graduating seniors, encouraging them to be bold, to have courage, to write their own stories. But what was hers to be? She asked herself the big questions: "What do you love? What do you believe in? What do you do best? She talked with friends. She kept a journal. She cashed in her teacher's retirement to live on while she waited for answers to come. Mostly, she took epic hikes through the woods with her yellow lab and best pal Murphy. Three insights guided her through this important period of reflection: 1. She detested suffering and felt compelled to address it...in some fashion. 2. She loved teaching, and suspected she would miss the experience of guiding minds toward deeper understanding. 3. She loved and missed having animals in her life. In 2001, with some good fortune and a great deal of hard work, Catskill Animal Sanctuary, one of the nation's only "teaching sanctuaries," was born. Eight years later, Catskill Animal Sanctuary has saved over 1,600 farm animals--nearly all of them victims of unspeakable suffering. They have accepted animals seized by police from failed or fraudulent sanctuaries. They have worked with State Police and the New York State Humane Association to prosecute serial abusers who keep scores or hundreds in filth and confinement. On weekends, visitors come to this joy-driven place to meet their remarkable residents, and laugh when Rambo the sheep demands to have his rear end scratched, or when Franklin, their young orphaned pig, trots up and says, "Glad you're here!!! Have anything to eat??!" With meaningful relationships, a wonderful partner, and her best pal Murphy tagging along everywhere she goes, Kathy Stevens continues to live a blessed life. She is puzzled when people refer to her as a "hero" or a "saint." "How many people are fortunate enough to do what they love, what they believe in?" Kathy asks. "I'm the luckiest person I know. Catskill Animal Sanctuary is simply my gift to the world--a thank you for a life filled with opportunity. It's a place that embodies everything I believe in--and what I believe in, essentially, is love."
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    • Animal Camp

    • Lessons in Love and Hope from Rescued Farm Animals
    • By: Kathy Stevens
    • Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
    • Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
    • Release date: 28-02-13
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

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