a little bragging could quiet some local rumors, spread by hate it seems!!! Why do people do this? Jealousy? Their nature? Just Evil? These are not customers, my customers (over 20 years) all seem pretty happy with their pets. You can read what they have to say on the dog pages and see the pictures that they have shared with me! I consider them my extended family, as my pups are a huge part of their family!!
www.oak-tree.org/windom-hill-paris
www.oak-tree.org/windom-hill-kye
www.oak-tree.org/pixie-ped
To Whom It May Concern;Some of the people that have known me awhile have written, "To Whom it may concern" letters. I would like to share them with you.
I have known Carol Butler and the Oak Tree Sanctuary for over 6 years. I know that Carol is a dedicated person in care and concern of all the animals there at Oak Tree Sanctuary. The animals are well fed and have appropriate shelter/housing for all the year round. They are all healthy looking and reasonably clean, remembering that a farm area will have nature’s promises.
I first met Carol in response to my request for stud service for my female Cocker Spaniel. I have been very pleased at the good line of Cockers that Carol has. So I have continued to use the studs that she has for my female Cockers. I also asked her to see if she could find or knew someone who had a horse for a companion to my aging horse. She let me know that she had one there that she was looking to place in a good home. I was very pleased with the small horse that I adopted as a companion. When I got her home, I was very pleased with how healthy and well fed that she (the horse) was. She was also fairly easy to handle thanks to the time that Carol took with her. We really enjoy the horse and could not be more pleased with the work and time that Carol took in helping this horse, so that she could have a new start at a good home.
I am so glad to know a person like Carol and grateful for her unfailing honesty with us. It is a great asset to this area to have someone who cares so deeply and is so dedicated to the animals in her care. Not many other people would or could do as much as she has done.
Julia S.
Bath, NY 14810
To whom it may concern:
I would like to share about Oak Tree Sanctuary and Windom Hill Farm. It is a lovely farm overlooking the Canisteo Valley. Many abandoned animals have found refuge and safety in the care of Carol Butler. Food and shelter are provided as well as health care by a local veterinary. Fences are always attended to for animals needing room to stretch.
As for the breeding of the A.K.C. registered animals, such as puppies, kittens, etc., the parents are on site for inspection, as well as papers showing needed shots, worming, and other necessary care. They are always a pleasure to visit and play with. It might be noted that cages are always clean when I visit.
I am comfortable enough with the care that Carol gives to her animals that when I am away, she most always baby-sits my Cocker Spaniel Toby, sometimes for two weeks at a time. On his last visit, he received a most delightful haircut! In this summer heat, Toby was much more comfortable with his new hairdo.
Before Toby, I had two other dogs who also stayed with Carol. My first dog, Nixon spent many vacations with Carol. She was 16 when she died, and had spent most vacations with Carol. Sargent, a beautiful Springer Spaniel, whom I received from Carol, also spent many summer vacations with her. And, of course, as ladies do Carol and I would spend time visiting, looking things over so that I always knew where my dogs would be staying, and well cared for. I never spent any time worrying about the dogs when I was away. Frequently on my return to pick up the dogs, they would be bathed, had their nails cut, and were always in good condition.
I have known Carol Butler for almost 20 years, and have always found her to be very conscientious about caring for the farm, and her animals. It is my hope that she will have many more years to do so. She gives the community a great service in the care of injured wild animals, bringing them to the best of her ability, to health.
Sincerely,
R. Renee P., Arkport NY
To Who It May Concern,
I am a freelance writer, novelist and a hereditary witch. Most of my stories and articles are centered around the craft. I've known Carol at the Oak-Tree Sanctuary for the better part of a year now and have been spending a good many of my weekends since the spring of this year, camping in her woods with craft friends and family. As we are all so taken with the eco-friendly, Gaian nature to the way she runs this farm, it has become our custom to donate a few hours of our camp time helping out where we can on the farm. We've helped clear pasture, by chopping and burning logs and deadwood, caught pigs and prepared them for transport to market to help pay for the costs of managing all the rest of the animals there. We've hauled heavy barrels of fresh veggies to feed the livestock, caught goats and held them for hoof trimming and medicating. We've watered, set out hay, grain, salt and worming blocks for the critters there. Expanded fields and maintained fencing for them. All in all, I've seen these animals well cared for and have learned to know most of them by name and personality as they have gotten to know me. None there suffer for any lack of food or attention. Even the goats and pigs I've had to chase down and catch, still come up to me when I visit for a friendly pat or a treat when I have them. I've enjoyed my experiences on this farm and am very taken with the gentle and friendly nature all these animals display.
I know Carol as a practicing Gaian witch. It is not something she preaches to others as much as she observes her faith in the course of her daily life. For those not familiar with paganism or the craft, Gaia K_our living, breathing Earth, or Mother Nature as you may know her by. Carol's running of Oak-Tree Sanctuary embodies her beliefs and her reverence for Nature in all of its forms. Everything we do there is in support of maintaining a healthy, happy food chain for the wild as well as the farm creatures. Those of us belonging to some branch or craft families share her respect and reverence and hence we spend our free time as often as we can on her farm and in her woods. Even as I'm an elder born and raised in an ancient family of witch practitioners, Carol has had much to show me in her devotion to Gaia. Not as some mystic ceremony but in practical living. She is a fine example to us all of what a true witch embodies as Natures own servant.
To even out my observations, I report here that as even in nature, all is not perfection. I've seen geese with genetic wing defects called "angel wing". In spite of this, they seem happy and well fed marching their way to and from the pond and interacting with the other farm animals. I've seen nothing I could interpret as suffering on any of their part. Also, there were two lame goats. One was getting on in years and arthritic and another had mastitis and they had to be humanely put down. But even these had moved in and out of pasture with the rest and ate apple quarters from my hand and appeared to enjoy the most life had to offer them. I must say there are a couple of us who will miss them, but we understand life, death and even sickness are part of the normal cycles in nature. Some of these animals are to be eaten, some sold to finance the running of this farm, some are breeding stock and some are just ordinary residents. All of them interact and socialize among each other and with those of us who will take the time to visit with them. All of them have free range over a large area to move about and get the exercise and variety in their environment to maintain physical and emotional well being, which is how we are able to interact with them as we do and without harm to any. These are happy, healthy creatures in an environment that honors Gaia and as long as it does, they and Carol will have friends like us in the Native American and pagan community. I would very much like to see more establishments like this one cropping up around the countryside.
Sincerely,
John Stormm, author
To Whom it may concern:
I have known Carol for a little over a year and I have been camping out at Oak-Tree sanctuary several times over the summer. Each time I arrived I was greeted by many healthy and happy animals. I am constantly astounded by her devotion to the animals in her care. Even with her own health problems I have never once seen these animals neglected or mistreated, they all have plenty to eat and clean places to sleep.
During my stays at Oak-Tree I have been helping where I can. Clearing brush and dead wood to prevent wild fires, helping to feed the animals, clearing trees to help the forest, catching pigs so they could be sold at the market and other works to aide the sanctuary.
All too often we hear stories of places where animals are treated cruelly; starved, confined in small cages and worse. We forget that there are still people who care about the animals and will help them. Oak-Tree is every bit the sanctuary and Carol a loving caretaker for these animals.
Signed,
Robert, Huether.
Stoughton, Ma.
