First grader Alexia Dague lives and works at Happy Snout Ranch, a Wisconsin-based non-profit rescue farm for animals previously stuck in bad living conditions. Alexia’s mother Flavianne is the sanctuary owner, caring for over 150 animals on a daily basis.
“It’s hard work, but it’s so fun being around the animals,” Alexia said. “They are important because they’re my friends—I love them so much.”
Some of Alexia’s day-to-day responsibilities include opening and closing the chicken coop, gathering eggs and cleaning up animal waste.
As far as funny stories that have happened during ranch life, Alexia shared one about when her mom thought a pig named Dexter ran away.
“It was a rainy day and she was running around the neighborhood looking for him,” she said. “She went back home and was soaking wet—when she went in her bedroom Dexter was laying in bed under the covers!”
Alexia wants people to know that animals at Happy Snout houses over 150 neglected and abused animals. “Now they are in their happy place,” she added.
Eventually, Alexia is hoping to become president of Happy Snout Ranch when she’s old enough. When she’s not working around the ranch, she enjoys riding her bike, cooking vegan food (the ranch houses an organic vegetable garden and many fruit trees), taking ukulele and piano lessons and doing arts and crafts.
More information on Happy Snout Ranch can be found at https://www.happysnoutranch.com/. Once on the home page, you can meet all of the animals who call the ranch home. There’s the mischievous Dexter smiling wide, the wide-eyed chihuahua Nino and the handsome horse Toffy, among others.
You can get involved with Happy Snout by either donating or volunteering. More information can be found here: https://www.happysnoutranch.com/get-involved.