Our Story

In 2014, Leanne Lauricella’s life changed forever. At the time, she was working as a corporate event planner in New York City, wearing stiletto heels, carrying designer handbags, and throwing extravagant events for clients with deep pockets. One day in her office, a coworker mentioned factory farming. She had no idea what that term meant, but felt compelled to learn more. On her commute home that day, she searched “factory farming” on her phone. The photos and videos that she found showed abject, inhumane treatment of animals that shook her to her core. As a born-and-bred Texan, meat was a huge part of her diet, but her eyes were opened that day, and she went vegetarian on the spot. A few months later, after more research on factory farming, she transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. She had fallen madly and hopelessly in love with farm animals, and developed an intense compassion for them that would guide her through the next steps in her journey.

One Sunday, Leanne visited a goat farm near her New Jersey home. She was surprised by how engaged they were with her and by their charming, almost-human personalities! She felt truly connected to them. As her fascination with goats grew, so did her disgust at the way farmed goats were treated. Why are male goats on dairy farms killed at birth? Why do mother goats have their babies stolen from them over and over? Wasn’t there a better way? The more she learned, the more she felt the calling to save these little ones.

Soon, she brought home her first two goats, Jax and Opie, named after her favorite characters in a tv show she was binge-watching, “Sons of Anarchy.” She wanted to share their sweetness with her friends and family, so she created an Instagram account called “Goats of Anarchy” to post pictures and videos of them. The account became a daily document of the goats’ silly, lovable antics and Leanne’s new life as a wannabe farm girl. But before long, it became so much more.

As time went on and her herd grew bigger, Leanne felt more and more that time spent away from the goats was time wasted. Ever since Leanne was a little girl, she knew she would do something important one day. And suddenly, planning corporate events wasn’t feeling so important anymore. She was ready for a change and made the decision to leave her job. The first Monday of her unemployment was unsettling. But that afternoon, she checked her Instagram account and found that overnight, she’d gained over 30,000 new followers! She took it as a sign that she had made the right decision to change her life.

Since that day almost 7 years ago, Goats of Anarchy has grown beyond Leanne’s wildest dreams. It is now a registered 501(c)3 charity, nestled on a beautiful 30-acre property in Hampton, NJ. Almost 240 animals (and 5 humans) proudly call it home. So many of the animals have disabilities and would have been euthanized or slaughtered if GOA had not intervened. Leanne is deeply grateful for the support, both emotional and financial, that has allowed GOA to become what is is today.

Our Mission

At Goats of Anarchy, our mission is three-fold.

Our first priority is providing a safe, loving forever home to farmed animals in need (especially those with disabilities). We rescue and rehabilitate animals who are sick, injured, abused, and broken, and we give them a soft place to land. We take in animals with all types of disabilities, ranging from blindness to mobility impairment to neurological disorders. Rescuing animals with disabilities is very emotional, very expensive, and very rewarding. We work tirelessly to ensure that every animal under our care can thrive, even when the cards are stacked against them. The animals never give up, no matter what the circumstances, and we never give up on them.

A large part of advocating for animals is working towards creating a world where animals don’t need to be rescued. We dream of one day being unnecessary! As such, one of our objectives is to use our platforms to educate people about a vegan lifestyle. Simply put, veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals. It’s a compassionate outlook that views animals as sentient, valuable beings, rather than commodities. Veganism is easy, rewarding, and saves lives!

The animals have taught us so many lessons, and we strive to pass those lessons on to others by telling their stories. One of our greatest hopes is that our animals will help teach the world inclusion and acceptance of disabilities. Too often, animals (both human and non-human) with disabilities are viewed as “less than.” It warms our hearts to see our animals treat each other as equals, despite all their differences, and we see them as great examples of how humans should walk through the world.

These goals drive everything we do, and we invite you to join us in our mission to “fight like a goat" for the animals who need us most!