These are the residents of Four Roots Ranch. Sixty plus alpacas and llamas, along with sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens, all living out their lives here.

Browse some photos of our daily sanctuary life below. We've moved our storytelling to Substack, where we share updates, animal stories, and life at the ranch.

Follow our story and animas on Substack → https://substack.com/@fourrootsranch

See our photo archive on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fourrootsranch

View fullsize Over the past two mornings we’ve had our first real cold temps of the season, and in the middle of all that frost I spotted this little dandelion hanging on. It’s persisting pretty bravely in the cold, I’d say.
View fullsize We suffered two difficult losses this week. The first was Duke, which came as a surprise. Several years ago, Duke went through multiple rounds of treatment for urination issues, and the scarring that remained left him with some lasting challenges. He
View fullsize We’re grateful today and every day for our online and in-person community who support and encourage us, whether you’re engaging with our posts here, stopping by to say hi at events, donating, or doing all of the above. It means a lot to h
View fullsize Have you heard the saying “adopt don’t shop”? Or “rescue is my favorite breed”? Maybe you own a dog or cat from a rescue, or your heartstrings have been pulled by reading stories of horses saved from slaughter. If you&rs
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View fullsize Just a little life update today. Slide 1: I’m really looking forward to our oldest son coming home for Thanksgiving break starting tomorrow. It will be great to be able to hug him every day. This photo was taken mid-hug. 🙂 Slide 2: Usually,
View fullsize Bertie may have very bad skin from years of malnutrition, but she has excellent "hair” on the top of her head. She's the only alpaca with that level of curls, and she wears it well. (And she’s started growing back some of her lost fi
View fullsize Just a reminder that the November newsletter should have arrived in your email inboxes, so please be sure to keep an eye out for it. We recently experienced a big loss, but we also have some good news to share about Bertie, our newest female alpaca.
View fullsize I snapped this photo last night as my youngest daughter watched the alpacas run into the pasture after hearing our voices. The glow of her flashlight, the clear, starry skies, and the blur of the alpacas all made for a magical photo in my eyes.
View fullsize Elodie stopping by to wish you a happy Friday! Elodie was the first baby born at the sanctuary, way back in 2021. Initially, we were told her mother hadn't been with any males before we took her in, and we didn't have her in with any male alpacas.
View fullsize Heads up! Our state veterinary teaching hospital offers great learning opportunities for anyone who wants to feel more confident handling animal emergencies. OSU’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine offers a series of what they call “
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View fullsize This photo was from a few years ago, right after the first snow of the season on November 1st. Doesn't the snow make everything look so peaceful? It kind of feels like we’re on a countdown to that again and any day now, the snow will be back. I