LEVERETT — In the company of young donkey friends, miniature donkey Franklin has perked up, overcoming the grief of losing his life mate of 20 years.

In a similar way, Rosie, another miniature donkey, who had once been left alone and without companions after her sister succumbed to a neurological disease, has made several new acquaintances.

And losing much of his mobility as the only sheep in the field, Lou is now rediscovering his purpose by looking after two young Jacob lambs.

Franklin, Rosie and Lou are all residents of Jefferson’s Safe Haven, a 3-acre site where 35 animals, including alpacas, sheep, lambs, goats, donkeys, chickens and a rescue dog, make their home.

“It’s a peaceable kingdom,” said Kathy LeMay, who, alongside sister Tricia Hamilton, runs the rescue home for farm animals from their Cave Hill Road home.

Founded in 2022, the sisters initially created the sanctuary as a space for the six alpacas they owned, but quickly grew the number of inhabitants as they adopted more farm animals, often coming from bad situations and at risk of being put down, such as a handful of chickens too old to lay eggs.

“We are first and foremost a rescue and forever animal home,” LeMay said. “The principle is for the animals to live out their natural lives here, and they count on us to take care of them.

“It’s a labor of love for me and Trish,” she added.

The origins of the sanctuary date back a number of years when Hamilton and her friend, Sue, were traveling through Oregon and, after spending weekends at a farm, fell in love with a newborn alpaca named Jefferson. Hamilton brought Jefferson with her when she moved to western Massachusetts.

Though Jefferson died in 2011, Hamilton began thinking about building a place where Jefferson and his fellow alpacas could be loved and appreciated. Then, seven years ago, she moved to Leverett and put the idea at the forefront, after boarding the alpacas at another local site.

“It’s incredible what they do for people,” Hamilton said of the animals she describes as being social and loving. “We loved them so much and thought people would enjoy them.”

While Hamilton currently works professionally in talent acquisition management, her prior career was as a veterinary technician for more than 14 years. She worked with large and small animals in several states. Hamilton combines that with LeMay’s experience as a professional fundraiser with 30 years as a global social change leader, though LeMay is now running a landscaping company and also earned a master’s degree in trauma-informed development psychology.

Education programs and therapeutic tours have become part of the purpose of the sanctuary. During the pandemic, LeMay said she and her sister began thinking more about the power of healing, and, since opening, have seen how people can benefit, like seniors with dementia and children with autism.

They also work with Community Options in Belchertown, whose developmentally disabled adults come, and their faces light up upon seeing the animals, LeMay said.

That same thing happens with children.

“They’re so social, kids go bananas here,” LeMay said.

The sisters, while living on site with their families, do much of the work in caring for the animals, alongside a single paid farm professional, Sierra Hirsch, who lives nearby.

“If you’re ever sad, hug a donkey,” Hirsch said while giving Rosie a hug, expressing her appreciation for getting to work at the site.

The biggest cost to having a sanctuary is medicine, LeMay said, but there are also costs associated with the feed and the structures on site.

“We have incredible loyal and committed donors, making increasingly generous donations,” LeMay said.

One donor has prepaid for significant amounts of hay to ensure a constant supply of food, especially during the winter months. Others have helped construct barns where the animals are sheltered, with fans running to keep some of the animals cool. The alpacas and sheep are also shorn before Memorial Day so they can be cooler during the summer months.

“We couldn’t do what we do without volunteers,” LeMay said. “Volunteers put in so much labor and donors provide us so many supplies.”

The sisters are planning to bring in another three to four alpacas, even though the site is nearing capacity. They want to make sure they continue to know each animal by name.

“We’re really close to all of them. We’ll always stay small enough where their well-being is centered,” LeMay said.

But there are hopes to continue to grow, with the sisters leasing another acre of pastureland from neighbors, so there is more room for the animals to graze.

Long term, LeMay said she would love to identify a 10-acre site that could house small cabins where students and others could live temporarily to get experience, whether it be for practical training in veterinary medicine or to be closer to a natural environment.

“Animals will give love easily,” LeMay said, “you just have to be kind to them.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.