--- title: Our Story --- [![](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hs-fs/hubfs/otplogo3_noSite.jpg?width=131&height=132&name=otplogo3_noSite.jpg)](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/home?hsLang=en) - [Our Story](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/our-story) - [Meet the Animals](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/meet-the-animals?hsLang=en) - News & Events - [Events](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/events?hsLang=en) - [In the News](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/news?hsLang=en) - Donate & How to Help - [Donate](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/donate?hsLang=en) - [Other Ways to Help](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/other-ways-to-help?hsLang=en) - [Planned Giving and Bequests](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/planned-giving?hsLang=en) - [Donate](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/donate?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/home?hsLang=en) - [Our Story](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/our-story) - [Meet the Animals](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/meet-the-animals?hsLang=en) - News & Events - [Events](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/events?hsLang=en) - [In the News](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/news?hsLang=en) - Donate & How to Help - [Donate](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/donate?hsLang=en) - [Other Ways to Help](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/other-ways-to-help?hsLang=en) - [Planned Giving and Bequests](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/planned-giving?hsLang=en) [Donate](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/donate?hsLang=en) # Out to Pasture's Story Vegan is love! ![Poppy+9-20-14+(2)](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Poppy+9-20-14+(2).jpg) ##### Helping Animals Since 2004 Founded by John and Kit Collins in 2004, Out to Pasture Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit vegan farmed animal sanctuary and licensed animal rescue with Clackamas County, OR. We provide a loving, forever home to abused, neglected, or abandoned animals including farmed animals, rescued laboratory animals, and others.     ![466094049_18468561829015359_806919590929172880_n-1](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/466094049_18468561829015359_806919590929172880_n-1.jpg) ![466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n.jpg) ## Partners and Values We work with animal groups such as the NW In Defense of Animals to investigate reports of animal neglect in Clackamas County and Northwest Miniature Pig Association to provide shelter for displaced pot-bellied pigs.   At Out to Pasture we believe in choosing compassion over cruelty. Animals value their lives as we value our own and deserve to live free of exploitation and suffering. We promote the sanctity of life for of all animals and advocate for an end to all forms of animals abuse through public education including leafleting, tabling, and articles in the Portland area. We promote a vegan lifestyle for reasons of ethics, compassion, health, and the environment.         # Meet Our Team Out to Pasture is an all-volunteer organization. ![IMG_20220411_113534_961](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/IMG_20220411_113534_961.jpg) #### Kit Collins, Co-Founder As a child, Kit cared for goats, sheep, horses, rabbits, chickens and a cow on her parents’farm. Witnessing the slaughter of numerous farmed animals made her question thenecessity of killing and eating her animal friends. Years later, when Kit’s older brother returned from Vietnam as a vegetarian, he vowed never to participate in the killing of anyone, human or animal. Impressed, Kit went vegetarian in 1976 and vegan in 2000. ![20220226_142037](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/20220226_142037.jpg) #### John Collins, Co-Founder In high school John read Henry David Thoreau’s story of planting extra rows of plants in his garden for the animals to eat. While other farmers chose to shoot the deer and rabbits that invaded their gardens, Thoreau chose compassion over cruelty.Several years later in 1970 watching a fish he had caught dying in the boat forced John to confront the reality of killing an animal and turned him into a vegetarian (and later vegan). ![Marco-2](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Marco-2.jpg) #### Marco Robles, Board Member As someone who strives for self-reflection in his life, the idea of questioning his eating and living habits made sense. He went vegan in 2004 and has been volunteering at Out To Pasture Sanctuary since 2012. Marco has assisted in rescues, animal care procedures, represented Out To Pasture Sanctuary at events and helped with fundraisers. Happily doing whatever needs to be done at the sanctuary to give the animals the best life possible. ![13 (2)22222](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/13%20(2)22222.jpg) #### Jessika Ava, Board Member Jessika Ava is the CEO of Thrive Philanthropy. Her experience includes grantmaking, biostatistics, NGO management, Asian street animal welfare, and Indian elephant conservation. She holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management and an MS in Biostatistics. ![Untitled-2](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Untitled-2.jpg) #### Matt Rossell, Board Member Matt Rossell is the Director of Public Policy at Beagle Freedom Project. Previously he has worked with Animal Defenders International, In Defense of Animals, and as undercover investigator at an one of the nation's leading animal research labs. He is an ethical vegan. ![public](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/public.jpg) #### All Our Volunteers Out to Pasture wouldn't be possible without all our volunteers! # Special Thanks To: Thank you to our probono photographers for sharing the visual story of Out to Pasture's animals. ![466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n.jpg) #### Beth Redwood Photography Thank you to Beth Redwood Photography for offering your talent and skills. ![Han+9-20-14+(333)](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Han+9-20-14+(333).jpg) #### Yoga Animalia Project Thank you to Yoga Animalia Project for offering your talent and skills. ![Ike+9-20-14+(4)](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Ike+9-20-14+(4).jpg) ###### Ike ![466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/466476702_960971816068207_3074914309151487007_n.jpg) ###### We're Not Dinner ![467345937_965099018988820_6250115396949872909_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/467345937_965099018988820_6250115396949872909_n.jpg) ###### Joyful Smiles at OTP ![430901008_797030549129002_5382691191147859604_n-1](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/430901008_797030549129002_5382691191147859604_n-1.jpg) ###### Anything for a Carrot! ![466094049_18468561829015359_806919590929172880_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/466094049_18468561829015359_806919590929172880_n.jpg) ###### We Love Lhamas ![467369887_965099025655486_8573948485956948882_n](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/467369887_965099025655486_8573948485956948882_n.jpg) ###### Dinner Time! ![Tenny+9-20-14+(2)-1](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/hubfs/Tenny+9-20-14+(2)-1.jpg) ###### Beautiful Tenny ### Anti-Harassment & Discrimination Policy Out to Pasture Sanctuary is committed to providing a safe environment free from discrimination or harassment based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, age, citizenship, or any other form. For our volunteers, founders, and board members, we operate a zero tolerance policy for any form of harassment, discrimination, misconduct, or abuse.       #### [Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/home?hsLang=en) ###### Estacada, OR 501c3 EIN: 74-3247113 [Donate](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=P22UNTWWWP254&ssrt=1736185861632) ####  Menu - [Home](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/home?hsLang=en) - [Our Story](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/our-story) - [Meet the Animals](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/meet-the-animals?hsLang=en) - [Donate & How to Help](https://www.outtopasturesanctuary.org/donate?hsLang=en) #### Contact Us PO Box 2315 Estacada, Oregon 97023 [kit.collins@gmail.com](mailto:kit.collins@gmail.com) Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions