A place to stand down,
breathe, and begin again.

A veteran-founded sanctuary where service members, first responders, and their families find peace through animals, farm life, and the company of people who understand.

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Visits by appointment · About 40 min south of Tacoma

A woman in a cowboy hat feeding a group of friendly goats on the farm

Our Mission

A quiet place to step out of the fight — to rest, reconnect, and begin again.

Stand Down Sanctuary and Farm gives veterans, first responders, and their families room to breathe alongside animals who ask for nothing but your presence. No pressure, no timeline — just a calm, working farm and people who understand the weight you carry.

What we offer

Three simple kinds of healing

Come for an afternoon or become a regular. However you arrive, the farm meets you where you are.

Animal-assisted healing

Time with horses, goats, chickens, and dogs that meets you where you are — calming, grounding, and entirely on your terms.

Farm experiences

Hands in the dirt and a real day's work. Feeding, grooming, and caring for the animals brings purpose and a steady rhythm.

Peer-to-peer connection

You're among people who've served and who understand. No explaining required — just company that gets it.

Meet the herd

The ones who do the real work

Horses, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, and dogs call the farm home — with more joining as we grow.

Founder hand-feeding a grey horse in the pasture — Among the horses

A red hen held gently on the farm — The flock

Founder smiling while holding two black rabbits — Rabbit cuddles

Founder kneeling beside a goat with a rabbit nearby — Goats and bunnies

Founder giving a black rabbit a gentle kiss — A quiet moment

Founder standing among three chestnut horses — The herd

Founder resting peacefully in the grass with a rabbit

"A place to stand down, breathe, and begin again."

Founded by a veteran, Stand Down was built from a simple belief: that the quiet of a working farm and the steady company of animals can do what words sometimes can't.

Everyone is welcome here — at their own pace, in their own time. No uniform required, no story you have to tell. Just space to set things down for a while.

— Stand Down Sanctuary and Farm

Meet the founder

Susan's story

Susan is a proud veteran whose life has always been intertwined with animals. Raised on the steady rhythm of farm life, she learned early that animals have an incredible ability to soothe, comfort, and heal. After experiencing that healing power personally — both during her service and long after — she felt called to share it with others.

Today, she is dedicated to creating a welcoming, therapeutic space where veterans, first responders, and their families can find peace, connection, and support through animal-assisted healing. Her mission is simple: to pay forward the calm, strength, and hope that animals have always brought into her own life.

— Susan Cliber, Founder

Visit us

Come see the farm

We welcome visitors by appointment, so every guest gets a calm, private, and unhurried experience. Reach out and we'll find a time that works for you.

By appointment only. This keeps the farm peaceful and gives every visitor a private, therapeutic setting.

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