Compassionate Care of Animals and Character Education to improve root causes of animal abandonment plus Public Service supporting caregivers and positive public policies.
Visit our new web site Compassion Ranch to learn more of our purposes and programs and see names for the Animals of Compassion Ranch.
See photos and information about some of our events during below and more at the new web site for Compassion Ranch. Also, use the Follow Compassion Ranch button above to follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“I cannot thank you enough for the sacrifice of your time and money to make an impact on our campers. They loved it!!!! We all did. Your entire team (humans and animals) were amazing and the day was magical!!! What a blessing it was indeed.”
-Terry Slaughter-
Founder, Camp Rockhurst, and Executive Creative Director, Devote Studio
Students and teachers in Camp Rockhurst (Rosedale/Birmingham Area) meet Patriot and Dr. David Dyson. Students cited the Pledge of Allegiance, learned a few basics of horsemanship, sat on a horse, added courage, learned more of compassionate care, learned tips for personal leadership, and had a photo taken to share.
Patriotism in Action of Life Leaders has coordinated or supported providing the riderless horse for Veterans Day in the founding city Birmingham for years. Thousands of adults and children line the streets.
Programs and Services
- Life Leaders Ranch Day (students)–Pinterest Board (Life Leaders Ranch Day for Camp Rockhurst)
- Compassion Camp
- Plan for School and College-Career-Character Readiness
- School class field trips, classes, seminars, day camps
- School administrators and/or teachers planning, team building…
- College student classes, seminars, workshops
- College administrators and/or faculty team planning, team building…
- Coaching for executives, teams, and individuals served by nonprofits
- Customized topics to provide on site or at your school or organization: Plan for School, College, Profession; Best-Self Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned from Horses; Sustainable Agriculture…
- Freedom Fence for Your Cats and Dogs: photos, info on materials, web page, presentations on why and how. Freedom Fence not only protects your pets from predators and dangers like cars on roads, it protects wildlife from your pets (cats kill over a billion birds every year).
- Life Leaders is a nonprofit providing programs and public service, not a place. Animals and Events are hosted at Triple D Ranch and Farm.
Camp Rockhurst student meets a horse for the first time. In a safe way, he transformed from a state of fear to courage to trust and try. Next time, he will be more likely to not let fear keep him from trying to grow and serve. And, he learned of a few abandoned animals and the importance of providing compassionate care to animals and humans.
A Sample Program
Principles and Practices
Animals:
- Animal sanctuary for horses, ponies, donkeys, dogs, cats, and wildlife
- Work and play with people to have purpose
- Support teachers and parents with programs and resources to help students develop compassion and courage.
- Practice Love ’em and Lead ’em Leadership (natural horsemanship)
- Advocate adoption and no-kill shelters except for mercy euthanasia
- Support honored tradition of riderless horses at Veterans Day
Camp Rockhurst kids head to the barn, pond, and walking trail…
People:
- Students learning about and working with animals develop fitness, responsibility, education, courage, and instinctive personal leadership
- People seeking to Master Goliaths can plan, renew, and begin action
- Veterans Making Comebacks can heal better from traumas and broken trusts connecting with animals
- People often treat other people and animals about the same when no one is looking so teaching higher levels of animal care and rights also helps human behavior, ethics, and social relationships in society.
Farm
Educational Service to Students on Animals, Agriculture
Dr. Dyson interviews University of Montevallo professor Dr. Susan Caplow after speaking on sustainable agriculture and personal leadership at Caplow’s “Environment and Society” class.
Dr. Dyson visited two sections of the University of Montevallo’s “Environment and Society” class to lecture on “Agricultural Sustainability and Personal Environmental Leadership.” Please feel free to use the following resources and share them with others!
- Agricultural Sustainability and Personal Environmental Leadership Planbook (PDF)
- Agricultural Sustainability and Personal Environmental Leadership slides (PowerPoint/pptx format)
- Agricultural Sustainability and Personal Environmental Leadership slides (PDF)
- What I Would Do: Student Wilson Operationalizes Personal Leadership (video)
- What I Would Do: Student Cockrell Operationalizes Personal Leadership (video)
- Seminars or guest-speaking in university classes
- Seminars at Triple D Ranch and Farm (location of plants and animals)
Farm Principles and Practices
- Grow fruits and vegetables organically using space at Triple D Farm
- Teach classes on Sustainable Agriculture & Environmental Leadership
Uses of Farm Grown Food
- Feed animals naturally grown foods
- Feed wildlife
- Donate food to veterans in homeless shelters
- Show and share food grown with students in lectures and classes.
