Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Ellie Laks, founder of The Gentle Barn, a vegan animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California, USA. When she was seven, Ellie had already dreamt of a place where she could live together with all the beautiful animals. “What was very clear to me at seven years old, was that I had this very, very deep connection with animals and I saw us as the same. I could hear them and communicate with them and they had so much to teach me. It was so clear to me that animals were here to help us, teach us and heal us. So, I had this idea that when I grew up, I would have this big place full of animals and I would show the world how beautiful these animals are, show people the intelligence of animals, their communication, their affection, and their magic, and maybe more people could be more compassionate and kind to them and we can head towards a gentle world.” The Gentle Barn’s mission is “Teaching People Kindness and Compassion to Animals, Each Other and our Planet.”