Chris and Angela Fuller‑Wigg opened a half‑acre backyard in South Austin in 2016 to shelter Cookie, a LaMancha goat injured during childbirth, and her undersized daughter Bertha. The couple had no plan to create a sanctuary; they simply offered a home to two animals that a dairy farm deemed unprofitable.
By 2022 the project had grown to roughly 40 acres and was home to about 130 residents. In 2024 the property expanded again, now covering 95 acres and housing nearly 240 rescued animals, including goats, pigs, cows, turkeys, donkeys, Texas longhorns, water buffalo, and hundreds of chickens and roosters.
The sanctuary works closely with veterinarians at Texas A&M, providing specialized diets, mobility support, and medical transport for aging or disabled animals. A case study of a sick calf named Wendell taught vets a protocol that saved a later arrival, Zoe, illustrating the practical impact of the sanctuary’s medical program.
Beyond rescue, the Austin Farm Sanctuary partners with Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet (LEAP), a national program that sends middle and high school students to 18 sanctuaries. Students combine classroom lessons with hands‑on time at the farm, learning about animal welfare and plant‑based cooking with the goal of becoming “compassionate catalysts for change.”
The sanctuary’s mission, as stated by the founders, is to rescue farmed animals and reshape society’s view of them. From a half‑acre yard and two goats to a sprawling 95‑acre campus, the Fullers’ journey now serves as an educational model and a living testament to humane stewardship.