Jon and Tracey Stewart start animal sanctuary to rescue abused factory farm animals

In an effort to be the change he wishes to see in the world, comedian Jon Stewart, after stepping down as host of “The Daily Show,” has started a sanctuary for abused factory farm animals called Bufflehead Farm.

Bufflehead Farm, located in Middletown, New Jersey, is a 12-acre non-profit animal rescue sanctuary owned by Jon and Tracey Stewart, which will soon become home to dozens of cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys and other animals rescued from factory farms.

Stewart has consistently been an animal welfare advocate on his show, once devoting a comedy segment to the foolishness of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s refusal to sign a bill that would end the lifelong confinement of pigs in crates too small for them to turn around.

Tracey Stewart is known for her advocacy on animal rights, recently publishing a book on the topic.

According to a report by the Mother Nature Network:

The project has long been a dream for Tracey Stewart, an animal advocate and former veterinary technician, who has tirelessly worked to promote a plant-based lifestyle, animal welfare issues, and support for organizations like Farm Sanctuary.

Her new book “Do Unto Animals” (currently the No. 1 bestseller in animal husbandry on Amazon) offers more than 300 pages of beautiful illustrations and promises to give readers “insights into the secret lives of animals and the kindest ways to live with and alongside them.”

“If everyone did a bit more, if they fell in love a little bit more, so much could happen,” Tracey Stewart told The New York Times. “It doesn’t have to be going vegan. You can advocate for them. You can show tenderness. You can play music for them. I really hope people can connect with animals the way most of us did as children.”

Jon Stewart, accompanied by his wife and two children, were honored recently at an award ceremony held by Farm Sanctuary, an organization founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming and encourage a new awareness and understanding about farm animals.

“I’m a little uncomfortable. I’ve spent the last 20 years immersed in the world of Washington politics and the media landscape, so I don’t know how to deal necessarily with people who have empathy,” Stewart told the all-vegan banquet at The Plaza Hotel in New York.

The consistency of the Stewarts should be applauded. Rather than simply paying lip service to a cause, they are putting in the groundwork to support their espoused beliefs.

Similarly to how Morgan Freeman turned his estate into a bee sanctuary, Stewart has shown that celebrities have the ability to not only motivate others by raising awareness about issues, but to lay the actual foundation of real world change.