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Community
ROTARY
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ben’s Rescue Ranch at their Danbury farm,” he began. “The ranch is a Forever Home for un- wanted, neglected, abused, or abandoned farm and domestic animals.”
In Dawn’s heart, though, Fitzherbert said, the desire to run such a place started when she was a teenager volunteering at veterinary clinics and animal shelters.
When she and Tom married and later made their home in Danbury, they decided to make that dream come true, and in 200,3 Tom began building a home for the animals. Before he was even fully done with the barn, however, along came Dawn’s first rescues—a horse named Reuben and two goats. Reuben lent his name to the busi- ness and is still among the many rescued animals residing at the ranch today.
While Tom had said he didn’t want any birds at the ranch, he was the one who first brought home a box filled with eight baby chicks, rescued when a local
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
August 2025
Plymouth Rotary 2024 co-presidents Alicia Williams and Beth Dever, along with incoming co-president Tony Fitzherbert far right), were pleased to present Dawn and Tom Thomson of Reuben’s Rescue Ranch in Danbury with the organization’s 2025 Citizen(s) of the Year Award during their annual dinner meeting last Wednesday. Photo by Donna Rhodes
the animals have robust appe- tites, incur other expenses, and occasionally need medical atten- tion,” Fitzherbert said.
He went on to explain that because of their many years of hard work and selflessness, much of it done at their own expense, his nomination for the Citizen(s) of the Year Award for 2025 was readily accepted by the members of Plymouth Rotary.
“The honor is a fitting trib- ute to two unselfish people who have devoted their lives caring for needy animals,” he concluded.
The mission of Reuben’s Rescue Ranch is “to nurture a symbiotic relationship between animals and people,” with their motto being, “People Helping Animals, Animals Helping Peo- ple.”
The ranch is open and free to the public on Saturdays from mid-May through October, by appointment or even “by chance.” Group tours are also welcome for a small fee.
Located at 161 NH Route 104 in Danbury, their story and more information about the ranch can be found at www.reubensrescuer- anch.weebly.com.
school’s egg incubation project was over.
“The way the world’s going, we may have to grow our own food,” he said as an explanation for his change of heart.
Dawn later laughed when it turned out five of the eight chicks were roosters, so the egg count was not going to be what her husband had expected.
Besides Reuben, the two goats, and even more chickens now, Thomson’s ranch is also home to three more horses, one of which is a retired racehorse named Mr. Beans. There is also a llama, tropical birds, dogs, and cats living amongst them.
In order to properly care for them all, the couple maintains jobs outside the ranch and, on
Saturdays, welcomes visitors to stop by and enjoy the “residents” of Reuben’s Rescue Ranch.
They also have a gift shop, a thrift store, and sell organic eggs. That money, along with dona- tions from not just visitors but the local community, all help keep things running smoothly.
“A lot of money is required to keep the ranch viable because