Broken Shovels Farm and Sanctuary School

With this past year of the most violent weather and flooding we’ve ever seen in 150 years of Colorado history wreaking havoc on this little property, we are desperate to expand the sanctuary for the health and happiness of the over 500 rescued animals who call Broken Shovels their home.

The opportunity has finally arrived, as the adjacent property has gone up for sale, and the price is within reach of our means! We can double our space and provide even better care and enrichment than ever before, and finally have the space we need to revamp and heal our original broken property so that we aren’t so devastated by every weather event.

Over the past 11 years, you’ve watched us grow from the original teeny tiny micro dairy into a rescue and sanctuary you know today, housing some of the country’s most abused, neglected, critical and special needs animals, given a second chance to heal and thrive, and to be loved.

Behind the scenes, we’ve also been in an 11 year battle (from two different owners) with harassment, threats to our animals and staff, low key stalking, antagonizing and disturbances from the property next door. Constant police involvement and drug activity, illegal, un-permitted dirt fill that has caused even more destruction on our side of the fence due to runoff that intensifies the flooding here has convinced us that not only for the space to expand, we need this only adjacent property to stay safe and comfortable without the worry of what the next neighbor will bring.

We’ve known our need for expansion has been looming for a long time. We’ve put it off because we can’t bear to think of having to move the sanctuary so far outside the city that we become inaccessible to all of our fans and miss so many opportunities for outreach and education if we were to have to leave our perfect location, just 15 minutes from downtown Denver, minutes from the South Platte Bike Trail and within walking distance to bus and rail public transit.

For the staff of Broken Shovels and its animals, our dreams aren’t fancy cars, fat salaries, world travel or beach homes. It’s providing a safe, compassionate corner of the world where the most hurt and discarded find their place to become whole, no matter what species you are. And we want to do the best job of that happy forever home we can make it. Adding this additional space is the surest way we know how, but to do that, we must raise more down payment cash, as soon as possible.

Governor Polis and First Gentleman Marlon Reis provided the first $150k of that down payment by making us a beneficiary of the inaugural ball, and if we can match this generous gift, we know we can make a bigger, better, cleaner, more beautiful and even happier Broken Shovels a reality.

Even a single dollar from many will go such a long way into carrying us all, the hooved, feathered and furry, into making our dreams come true.