The Gentle Barn: A Healing Haven for Abused Animals and Children

By Carol Johnson

In 1999, Ellie Laks realized a dream that she had nurtured since childhood. During her formative years, Laks had faced numerous challenges of not feeling understood and not fitting in with other children. But in dealing with those challenges she found that animals were always soothing and helped to heal her soul. So she decided to find a way to help other troubled children. She majored in special education and psychology, and with that educational foundation and her special love of animals, Laks founded The Gentle Barn.

The Gentle Barn was started on a half-acre property in Tarzana, California, in the middle of the San Fernando Valley. The concept was simple: bringing together troubled children and abused animals and letting them interact to heal each other. By helping animals learn to trust and depend on people again, kids also learn to trust, along with developing empathy, kindness, forgiveness, courage, and leadership skills. The healing that results is nothing short of a miracle. "I think ‘The Gentle Barn’ just incorporates everything that we do," Laks said. "We love to focus on that word because that's what we're trying to teach to the kids, is gentleness."

Five years ago Jay Weiner joined The Gentle Barn as a volunteer, but quickly fell in love with the idea and decided to partner with Laks to expand the operation to help even more children and animals. In 2003 The Gentle Barn moved to a six-acre property in Canyon County on Sierra Highway, where it is home to more than 60 animals—sheep, pigs, cows, dogs, cats, turkeys, goats, chickens, donkeys, and several horses—who were rescued from abusive environments.

The property features large horse and cow pastures surrounded by trees, an organic vegetable garden, and a red and white barnyard for smaller animals. The Gentle Barn offers a peaceful refuge for various types of groups and individuals, from abused, at-risk inner city youths to special needs children, teens on probation, kids recovering from substance abuse, foster kids, and children and adults with emotional, mental, and physical challenges. The programs offered by Laks and her staffers help visitors to build self-esteem, learn positive values, and change their inner perspectives about the world and themselves. Since its inception, The Gentle Barn has welcomed over 100,000 people.

Laks and her volunteers believe that animals have special qualities that help hurting people to heal themselves—unconditional love, kindness, and a non-judgmental attitude being at the top of the list. All of the animals were rescued from severe abuse, and after being brought to The Gentle Barn they are rehabilitated with chiropractic care, herbs, nutritional supplements, top quality feed, deep tissue massage, and numerous hours of love and attention from staffers.

When people come to The Gentle Barn, they spend time bathing and grooming the horses and cows, going on nature hikes, feeding the animals, planting and tending vegetable gardens, and learning about the animals and their backgrounds. "The first time they come, they come very defensive, very shut down, very unwilling to talk to us or even look at us," says Laks. "They think that it's a total waste of their time, and they wonder what they're doing there. "But when we tell them the stories about the animals we have, and the abuse that they've gone through, (the kids) quietly start paying attention. And after about 20 minutes of us talking to them, they soon realize that the animals are a lot like themselves."

In addition to hosting youth groups, The Gentle Barn is open to the public on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For a donation of $5 or more per person—which helps to pay for the animals’ food and veterinary expenses—visitors can feed, groom, and interact with the animals. Private VIP tours for families or groups can be booked at a cost of $400. "They get a nice hands-on experience and they get to learn all the animals' stories," Laks says. "It's a lovely way to spend the day."

The first visit to The Gentle Barn gives visitors an opportunity to get a feel for the program and begin to develop relationships with the animals. After just a few visits, deeper effects begin to emerge. "They really transform," says Laks. "It’s the sweetest, most miraculous thing to watch."