Kris Taylor is giving farm animals a new lease on life. Taylor is the director and founder of Shy 38, a sanctuary in Lawrence that’s helping people see industrialized farm animals in a new light.
Shy 38 is a 10-acre nonprofit farm that’s home to nearly 180 rescued animals, including cows, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, turkeys, and more. The operations have grown considerably since it was founded in 2015, but it started with one simple mission.
“My family used to live next door to a farmer’s herd of cattle in Tonganoxie. We watched those cows everyday, named them, and realized they have their own personalities, likes and dislikes. Then we saw their babies get taken away from them every year. That set off a light bulb,” Taylor says.
The nonprofit has a mission to change minds and save lives through advocacy, education, and rescue. But operating a farm is expensive, Taylor says. Between feed, hay, water, and medication for animals, monthly expenses hover around $6,000. People can support this mission by volunteering, donating, or attending events.
“I first came out here for one of the events, and when I met the cows and pigs and people, I just fell in love,” says Daniel Casey, a longtime volunteer. “These animals wouldn’t be here without this place, so it’s a great place for them to experience love and compassion, something they couldn’t experience in their previous life.”
Shy 38 is located at 2100 Wild Horse Road, about 8 miles north of the Lawrence Regional Airport. Learn more about Shy 38 on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Jordan Winter (she/her), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since August 2021, is a 2019 KU grad with degrees in journalism and political science.
Check out her work at jrdnwntr.com. See more of her work for the Times here.
