Stevens Animal Sanctuary Fall Newsletter: Leroy's Grazing Gazette
Leroy’s Grazing Gazette
News, Events, and Heartwarming Tales | October, 2026
Fall is here and it's glorious!
Hello to my fabulous Sanctuary supporters! It's Leroy here, your bovine sanctuary reporter on a lovely October day and I'm finally catching up on my writing. In September, the incredible team at Christensen painting came out and did an amazing job making all of the barns look beautiful and stay weatherproof for the winter. We were a little put-out because we couldn't come in to our stalls/beds for a few days, but there were plenty of trees and soft grass and it wasn't raining, so I guess we can't complain too much. Check out some of the "after" pics below, our little Sanctuary is looking pretty snazzy! On and off throughout the year, Gary Holdener had been tidying up and repairing things and adding walls and lofts and doors etc, and it was very exciting to see it all come together with the paint job, thanks to donations from the 2025 Auction!
On September 26th, we held our 4th Annual Auction and Dinner. A few of my smaller herd-mates were present and reported that it was a huge success! They had fun meeting so many of you in person. Baloo, Sienna, Adele, Dottie, Luigi and Seamus returned, but it was the first event for Frankie, Soleil and Asher, as well as Simon and Garfunkel. Thank you to everyone that sponsored the event, donated an item, attended, or just sent positive energy our way! It was a great success and we made almost $145,000!! Despite rising costs, the humans said that even after expenses we made a little more than last year and it should be enough to cover our expected annual costs of food and care for all of us, as well as repair/replace some fencing! It sounds like folks went home with some fun auction items and had a great time. There were a lot of smiling faces, so be sure to scroll below to see some of the photos! Pretty amazing, so thank you!
Keep reading for more news from the Sanctuary.
Leroy Resident Steer & Pasture Correspondent Steven’s Animal Sanctuary
Resident Spotlight:
3 alpacas and 2 donkeys
Back in August we lost Quito, our old alpaca that had only been with us for a year but was Amigo's best frenemy. We didn't want Amigo to be the only camelid in the herd, so we reached out to Firwood Farms Alpacas to see if they had any old boys in need of a soft landing. It turns out that Mo, Huckleberry and Bo could come keep Amigo company, so they made the move to Steven's. One of them, Huckleberry, arrived with testicles and a bit of an attitude, so he lost those and is working on having better behavior, but all in all we are certain they will give Amigo a little camelid crew he can "talk" to.
More recently, Ron and Barry, two adorable miniature donkeys, came to join us. Their family has been struggling with loss and changing circumstances, and they wanted a safe future where these 2 sweethearts could join a herd and make friends. We thought maybe Sheldon would appreciate meeting some of his relatives since he is half mini-donkey, but so far he is keeping his distance and watching from afar. We will keep you updated on how that relationship progresses. The rest of the herd seems content to let them wander all around and settle into Sanctuary life.
Send holiday greetings with a 2027 calendar
If you didn't get to see them at the auction, you can buy your very own 2027 calendar and visit with all of your favorite sanctuary animals throughout the year. You can also check out our other shop items for yourself or family/friends. Every dollar supports the animals here. If you're a Carousel Vet person, we have some calendars in the truck with us for purchase as well.
SAVE THE DATE!
SEPTEMBER 18, 2027
Green River Event Center
Auburn, WA
Our next auction is lined up already, and both Bender and Tim have agreed to join us for another great event! It will be our 5th Annual Auction and Dinner, on our 10th anniversary as a Sanctuary, so you know it will be a great time! You won't want to miss it!
We would really love to get more native species of shrubs and trees planted, as well as weed and blackberry control down by the water. We'd love it if we had some garden/plant enthusiasts willing to help spearhead this for us. If you're interested and haven't already been in touch, we are thinking about November 14th as a work party day. Please email or text us for clarification.
Looking for other ways to make a hands-on difference?
Whether you're supporting events or lending a hand with special projects and work parties, we love the support of our volunteers.
Fill out our form below and we will be sure to reach out!
More info and photos from the Auction event
We have sent out receipts for event purchases and donations, and more recently the item donation receipts, so let us know if you haven't received yours yet. We want to make sure you get what you need for the IRS.
During our 2025 Auction we raised funds to "ReRaise the Barn". Thanks to your generous donations were able to repair and repaint our barns, install much needed stall fronts, pour gravel and grade the paddocks, ensure our electrical is up to code, expand the hayloft, and then paint. All of these projects will hopefully make the rainy/snowy season a bit drier and cozier for all of our residents.
Thank you!
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