This Michigan farm is a sanctuary for the ‘misfit’ animals

EATON COUNTY, Mich. (InvestigateTV) — The term “misfit” is used to describe someone or something that just doesn’t seem to fit in or belong.

On a farm in rural Michigan, it’s actually a term of endearment. It’s all thanks to a woman who has cultivated a special way of caring for animals in need of a forever home.

Victoria Worthy has turned 28 acres just west of Lansing into a place that caters to displaced farm animals. There are goats, sheep, a horse named Timmy who shares a pen with a mini donkey named Lexi-Lou.

They all have one thing in common: they’re all misfits, and Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary is their forever home.

Every animal that lives here has a different story.

For Scarlet the pig, it’s a story of survival. She escaped from the back of a truck heading to the slaughterhouse.

“And the woman called and she said, ‘Vic, is there any way you can take her? This pig fought for her life,’” Worthy recalled.

The answer was yes, because Victoria Worthy has devoted her life to rescuing farm animals.

Worthy said once animals arrive at Mitten Misfits, they aren’t adopted out or used for food. She says her hunger for helping animals in need began in the late 1980s, fostering dogs.

“And somebody came and saw that we had barns and said, ‘Would you take two goats? I’m going through a divorce,’ and I said, ‘Why not?’ That’s how it started,” said Worthy.

Those two goats led to a menagerie of misfits, now nearly one hundred strong and multiplying daily.

Beardsly and Onyx, a couple of white and black bunnies, came here when their petting zoo days were over.

And it’s not just a forever home for four-legged animals, but also those on two feet. Here you can find ducks, chickens and geese, plus a gaggle of turkeys named Slim, Shady and Freedom.

Every animal here is given the liberty to live out its life, no matter the medical issue, like Marshmallow the mini horse.

“She’s six this year. They said she probably won’t live past seven because of her medical issues,” said Worthy.

Donations from the community cover all the veterinary bills. Local food banks and grocery stores help with the food.

Worthy said she’s absolutely thankful for the nearly one hundred volunteers who help with daily chores, including her handy husband, Bob.

“We couldn’t do it without them, every single one of them,” said Worthy.

All are welcome at Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary. From a small horse that likes to kick, to five donkeys spared from the meat-packing plant, to a herd of sheep rescued from a cruelty case.

“I wish I could do more if we had more space, more barn, because there’s the need out there,” said Worthy.

Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary has been operating as a nonprofit for the past five years.