When Our Companions received the Ashford Sanctuary property in 2002, it was home to an abandoned, dilapidated factory farm. The site contained the three biggest buildings in Ashford which, when combined, measured 98,000 square feet (nearly the size of two football fields!).

In 2007-2008, Our Companions raised $300,000 for the “Demolition Phase” of our capital campaign.  The purpose of this initial capital fundraising phase was to remove the factory farm structures - which were not only an eyesore for the local community, but a hazard to nearby residents and the environment. We then embarked on the extraordinary task of restoring the land.

It is no small irony that the same site where hundreds of thousands of laying hens were exploited is now a place of sanctuary, love, and rehabilitation for animals.

In 2013, Our Companions built a Remembrance Wall on an original piece of the concrete slab. Made from one of the chicken coops, it memorializes the history of the land and educates people about the many impacts of factory farming.

To see images of the wall and photos from the opening event, click here.