In 2013, animal lovers Gabrielle Stubbert and Peter Nussbaum decided it was time to open their 40-acre Sussex County farm to more pets. Already dog owners, the couple adopted two roosters, whom they named Yuri and Jupiter. They didn’t know it then, but doing so would ignite a shared passion for rescuing animals.
By the end of the year, Stubbert and Nussbaum had rescued about 70 chickens. Soon, they turned the property into an animal sanctuary, and in 2014, launched a nonprofit they named Tamerlaine Sanctuary & Preserve. The farm grew quickly, and when a nearby property hit the market—already equipped with barns, stables, fenced-in pastures and hay fields—they took a leap of faith and purchased the larger spread.
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Today, the 336-acre farm in Montague is home to more than 200 animals, including pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, cows, horses, turkeys and rabbits—many of which were abused, abandoned, injured or destined for the slaughterhouse before they came to Tamerlaine. The sanctuary also has a wildlife program dedicated to restoring native habitats, with a garden full of native pollinators for Monarch butterflies, and nesting boxes for screech owls and American kestrel falcons.
Photo by Joe Polillio
Tamerlaine’s annual Flocktoberfest fundraiser has been cancelled this year due to coronavirus restrictions, but you can still visit the farm for a private tour to meet, pet and feed the sanctuary’s residents, like Penguin the pig, Ferdinand the cow, Buck the duck and Jasper the goat. Tours must be booked in advance at tamerlaine.org/tours. The website store offers a selection of T-shirts, sweats and three varieties of Tamerlaine Farm hot sauce. All proceeds support the sanctuary.