It is always a real pleasure and satisfying to all who volunteer and work so hard to carry out Black Pine's mission when "we" know someone "gets it"! Thanks so very much for your kind words and support. Your voice is so important and we appreciate that you took the time to share it here. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks, Phil, for taking time to share your review on TripAdvisor! We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and greatly appreciate your support and kindness! It means a great deal, thanks!- Lori
Karla,Thanks so much for returning, despite the disappointment of your first attempt to visit us! It means a great deal to us that you would make the effort to make the long trip again, and it tells us you had trust in our good intentions and understood the circumstances during your first attempted visit were out of our control. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time, and the pizza nearby! Hope you can come again!- Lori
This truly is a sanctuary...the animals are wonderful (of course) and Black Pines does everything possible to provide them with comfortable, suitable habitats to enjoy. There are a wide array of creatures to see at this right-sized facility. Go, see and, most importantly, Listen. The most compelling thing about Black Pines is the stories of these animals--each has a unique tale of their life before Black Pine and how they came to live at the sanctuary. Take the guided tour if possible so that you can hear the stories. This small staff does a remarkable job and clearly love the animals for whom they care. This is a relatively new location for BP and much improved over the prior small but homey locale. The local community has really stepped up to provide for these animals in need and each is healthy and well cared for. Each time I have visited the sanctuary has been clean and well tended. It is a pleasant experience--even though always a bit troubling to see magnificent animals live in cages, these are nicely done and all efforts are made to provide for physical and emotional needs. This is a great family or solo stop and to really see the place and spend time getting to know the animals, you should allow a few hours. The setting is in a small, rural Indiana community, but well worth the drive from any of the surrounding areas. Make it a point to stop in on your next visit to the area! Suggested donation is very reasonable.
We visited Black Pines for the first time this weekend with our daughter, and her family. As others have already mentioned, this place really has a passion for the animals that are there, and it is obvious with anyone there that you talk to. Anyone interested in animals, or in learning more about various species should visit this place. The tour is extremely educational for folks of all ages, and access to the animals is great!
Everyone should visit Black Pine. Our family visited during an Animal Enrichment event and loved the experience. The animals will melt your heart and the staff and volunteers truly love what they are doing. This is better than a zoo visit and the education is much more important.
Thanks very much for taking a chance on exploring Black Pine and our community! We are grateful for your kind words of support and that you enjoyed your time here. We hope you can come again!- Lori
I was an intern at Black Pine during the summer of 2013. I cannot express to you accurately how wonderful this place is. The care and passion the staff and volunteers have for these animals is incredible. In my three months there, I fell in love with so many of the animals, some of which regularly visit me in my dreams :) Every animal has a background, a personality, and Black Pine gives them such great lives. Like I said on many of my tours, "this is not a zoo, this is a sanctuary". Every animal is a rescue. Black Pine does not support the exotic animal trade and gives refuge to animals who have found their lives entangled with the greed or ignorance of humans. These animals are given such great care! It is really all about them! You will get to see beautiful creatures much closer and more intimately than you would in a zoo, and hear about their lives, their personalities, their likes and dislikes, anything you could want to know about them from a staff member or volunteer who has dedicated their life for these animals. I cannot give Black Pine enough credit and praise. If they were able to hire more employees, I would be there in a heartbeat, without a second thought.
We had a great time visiting this sanctuary. We learned a lot and had so much fun feeding the animals. My daughter also enjoyed riding a camel and her and I went on a horse/cart ride and fed goats while on the cart.
Thanks so much for taking time to share your kind words on TripAdvisor so that others can join you in supporting our mission! We simply could never do what we do without the support of so many who share our passion for responsible animal ownership and providing for a better future for animals - and public safety. Have a wonderful holiday season and we hope you will visit again! - Lori