For many who dedicate their lives to the challenge of any social movement, March 20th is the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on what has been accomplished and to connect to the global community of enthusiasts that has been established. March 20th has been marked as the International Day of Happiness and recognized by all 193 United Nations member states[1]. As one of the leading Animal Welfare Advocates and Founder of The Gentle Barn, (www.gentlebarn.org) Ellie Laks understands the healing power of animals and pets and the profound happiness that comes from being compassionate towards all living beings.
The organizers of the International Day of Happiness are asking people from around the world to share images and photographs of their most authentic happiness. Showing her excitement for International Day of Happiness, Ellie will be posting hugs of happiness with her closest friends from The Gentle Barn and sharing them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To Ellie Laks, happiness is celebrated every day at The Gentle Barn, “I’ve experienced the healing power of happiness and I’ve seen it take effect with people who come to The Gentle Barn, often from difficult life situations. After just a few moments of hugging one of our cows or rubbing a pig’s tummy, especially the children from our outreach program turn into a whole new person. Bright, big smiles appear and they seem lighter and more authentic and vulnerable, which is where healing begins.”
Animals have such a veritable impact on our happiness. We hope you’ll check out Ellie’s posts on what makes her happy while also posting your own pictures! Post a picture of a dog, a cat, or your beloved parrot with the hashtag #PlanetHappiness to join the International Day of Happiness in celebration.
Please be sure to find Ellie on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/TheGentleBarn and Twitter @GentleBarn to join the fun this Friday.
About The Gentle Barn
The Gentle Barn (www.gentlebarn.org) is a nonprofit organization located just north of Los Angeles in Santa Clarita, California that was founded by Ellie Laks in 1999 as a safe haven and place of recovery for abused farm animals. The Gentle Barn’s unique philosophy rehabilitates animals and connects their stories of survival and healing, to the personal experiences of at-risk and special needs children who have suffered physical, mental or emotional trauma. By interacting with The Gentle Barn’s one hundred and seventy animals and taking a hands-on role in their welfare, those who participate in the programs at The Gentle Barn learn empathy, trust, forgiveness and leadership. The mission statement at The Gentle Barn is simple: “Teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other and our planet.” The Gentle Barn is run by founder Ellie Laks and her husband/co-founder Jay Weiner, both of whom were healed and supported by animals as children. The Gentle Barn is open to the public on Sundays from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Celebrity supporters of the organization include Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Mark Wahlberg, Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Hilary Swank, Rondi Reed, Rose McGowan, Tiffani Thiessen, Sierra McCormick and Laura Vandervoort to name a few.
Credit: The Gentle Barn.
awesome!