We’re looking forward to introducing you to Alli Chambers. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Alli, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The sun is shining, roosters are crowing, and it’s time to start pre-chores! First thing we do is let the 4 dogs outside to potty, feed and water the outside cats, feed and water the bunnies, and clean up Tanka’s (big boy turkey) area in the ICU sun-room and get him out to the yard for his breakfast. Then, head out back to let the first flock of chickens out of their coop and feed them. Head over to all the goats and sheep who are screaming at me about what a beautiful day it is! Run with all 16 of them out to the big pasture so they can graze before it gets too hot and they all want to go back in their rooms to get in the shade. You must be discreet so the donkeys and longhorns don’t come racing over to steal the goat pellets used to convince the crew to go out. Then, it’s duck time! We have 3 duck groups so I let them all out of their huts individually and get them to their day rooms with their breakfast. Then, I let Tilda out of her room and she decides to either join the main flock of chickens on the other side of the yard or stick around with the ducks for the day. You know? Big lady turkey decisions! Then, I let Rico Suave (roo #3) and his ladies out of their coops and get them set up with their brekkie. Always say a quick good morning to Arthur (tortoise) and Punky B (pot belly piglet) before heading inside to make some tea, check emails, make our to-do list for the day, and chill out for a few minutes before we actually get the day started with morning chores.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Alli Chambers, President and Co-founder of The Zend: Final Farm & Sanctuary, a non-profit farm animal sanctuary located right here in the heart of North Texas. Our mission includes rescue and rehabilitation for farmed animals facing slaughter, abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment. Our promise to our residents is long-term, compassionate care for the rest of their natural lives. We also have a very important focus on engaging and educating the community about making the world a kinder place through various vegan outreach programs, public events, and private tours. The Zend is “a safe refuge for gentle souls”.
We currently care for 89 residents across 12 different species all of whom would not receive the love and respect they do if they weren’t in our care. Most would’ve already lost their lives to the animal agriculture industry or the cruel fate their original human caretakers left them to. We are always growing and looking to find ways to make their lives better in all the ways we can control. We’re 100% donor funded and could never do the work we do without the support of our community and other animal lovers all over the world.
Our motto is Zen until the end…The Zend.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I’ve always loved animals and was fortunate to grow up in a household where my parents honored that love. I had dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, hamsters, mice, geckos, hermit crabs, you name it!
Years later, as a young adult, I chose to eat a mostly vegetarian diet due to my family’s history of obesity, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. I decided I didn’t want to go down that path and chose a healthier way to nourish my body.
Fast forward to the summer of 2017. I’ve now been married to an amazing man for 12 years who also loves animals and the planet and he encourages me to think in ways I never have. We promised to always grow and change together and that’s what we’ve done.
One fateful afternoon we watched two documentaries and it turns out, those were the moments that would change our lives forever. What the Health and Earthlings….What the Health is great doc illustrating the health benefits of a plant-based diet and even as a vegetarian I was shocked to learn things about the dairy and egg industry that I didn’t know. We’d all been brought up to think they were healthy food choices, when in reality it was all marketing and we had been lied to. Now, rest assured we did more research to back up our findings, but these were the catalyst to real change in our life.
Earthlings is about speciesism and is one of the very docs that most people will refuse to watch because “they don’t want to know”. It very graphically displays the horrors of what we have done to animals and our planet for burgers, boots, “entertainment”, and leather furniture…most people don’t take into consideration how their seemingly innocent, every day choices have a devastating impact on the world around them and the animals that many of us claim to love, but indeed it does. Being made aware of that gave us no other choice. It completely reshaped how we saw the world and how we chose to move through it from that moment on.
That day we chose to adopt a vegan lifestyle. We didn’t want to spend another day of this life hurting the very animals we love so much. Realizing the choice was ours and we had that control we knew there was no other way to move forward. We’ve been vegan over 8 years now and have saved countless lives through choosing to live life with compassion at the forefront. Our actions now align with our hearts. Not only are we saving animals though our work with the sanctuary, but with every meal and every choice we make each day. We took control of what we could and continue to spread love and compassion to everyone we meet.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
For sure. This journey started in our hearts and on paper long before it became a reality. The biggest hurdle we faced was all because of a stupid global pandemic. Just kidding, haha, but not really. For 10 years I was a small business owner (The Cryo Spa) and for almost 20 years Justin worked in sports television as an engineer. Everything was smooth sailing when we decided to start the sanctuary. The world was relatively normal. Or as normal as it could’ve been at the time. By the summer of 2019 we locked down our 501(c)3 non-profit status and started packing up our house to find the property that would become The Zend. The entire house was boxed up, we were opening our second spa location in Dallas, sports television was better than ever then, BOOM! The entire world shut down.
After a year and a half of chaos, the dust began to settle and we started to get the ball rolling again on finding our future and starting the sanctuary. But now, it was a different world. Opening our second location during a pandemic was not ideal and the landscape of sports television was exceedingly different, leaving us without the incomes we were going to rely on to make this happen. Our careers were in jeopardy, our incomes had changed drastically, I started to flounder, and hope began to run dry…how on earth were we going to pull this off?
It seemed completely and totally impossible. But, we had already come too far to give up. This was a big, wild dream and it was going to take a serious miracle to pull it off at this point…..
Mom has now entered the chat. During all of our planning we had joked that my mom, Ann, should sell her home and come with us. We all laughed and didn’t get too serious about it, but there was something there. After a time, we couldn’t ignore it. Mom was the missing link! Ultimately, she decided to come with us on this wild adventure. Without us joining forces we wouldn’t have been able to acquire the property we did and we wouldn’t have been able to save the animals that we have. My mom is my hero and she taught me to never give up. It just isn’t an option. Thanks, Mom! Look at what we’ve built together!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
In my heart I hope more people will begin to agree with me on this and I know a lot of our friends and supporters already do agree…Peace begins on your plate. It’s really quite simple. When you love someone, you protect and nurture them. You go out of your way to not cause them harm. Animals are not here for us. They’re here with us and when you live your life in a way that honors that truth you find peace.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand the moral implications of our relationship with animals and the far-reaching impacts of animal agriculture, including its contribution to human exploitation in the workplace, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. We are all intrinsically connected to each other, the animals we share our planet with, and the very ground beneath our feet. As an ethical vegan I have a deeper understanding of the inherent value of animals, the systemic issues of animal exploitation, and the feasibility and benefits of choosing a way of life that respects and protects the rights and well-being of all sentient creatures. It’s possible to live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life without consuming or using animal products. I would say, it’s not only possible, it’s absolutely the way to go. When you choose compassion you can never be wrong and that feels pretty damn good.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thezendtx.org
- Instagram: @thezendtx
- Facebook: @thezendtx
- Youtube: @thezendtx
- Other: tik tok @thezendtx
Image Credits
Trademarek Photography and us
