The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch is a world-renowned animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas founded in 1979 by author and animal advocate Cleveland Amory. In 2005 the board of directors of The Fund for Animals voted unanimously to memorialize its late, great founder by renaming its flagship animal sanctuary in his honor.
With over 1,400 acres, it is home to more than 800 domestic and exotic animals, many rescued from near-death situations such as slaughterhouses, biomedical research laboratories and trophy hunting ranches. Many others were rescued from roadside zoos or were former victims of the exotic pet trade. Still others came from public lands where they were threatened with extermination by the federal government. Bison and cattle, horses and burros, antelope and apes, reptiles and tigers: all have permanent, safe homes at the ranch.
The Sanctuary is also home to the Doris Day Equine Center, which focuses on developing optimum programs to elevate the public perception of horses rescued from cruelty and neglect. The Sanctuary serves as a resource and support system to rescue centers around the country.
The Sanctuary is not a zoo, but is now open to the public 1-2 times per month for small, prescheduled, guided tours to respect the peace and privacy of the animals. Check out our events page for upcoming tour dates, and schedule your Ranch of Dreams tour today!
Cleveland Amory, prominent humorist and humanitarian, founded The Fund for Animals in 1967 and served without pay as its president until his death in 1998.
Amory was a best-selling author who began his literary success as president of the Harvard Crimson. Upon graduation, he became the youngest-ever editor at The Saturday Evening Post and served in Army Intelligence during World War II. After the war, he produced a trilogy of social history studies that are still acknowledged as classics —The Proper Bostonians (still in print after 50 years), The Last Resorts, and Who Killed Society? At the same time, he served for eleven years as social commentator on The Today Show. From 1963 to 1976, Amory served as chief critic for TV Guide, while writing a weekly column for Saturday Review and a daily radio essay, Curmudgeon at Large.
In 1974, he wrote Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife, which was widely attributed for launching the anti-hunting movement in the United States. Man Kind? was one of only a handful of books in history to be awarded an editorial in The New York Times, and the book even sparked a CBS documentary on hunting, The Guns of Autumn.
From 1980 to 1998, Amory was senior contributing editor of Parade magazine. His three books about his famous cat, Polar Bear — The Cat Who Came for Christmas, The Cat and the Curmudgeon, and The Best Cat Ever — all became instant best-sellers, and are now available as The Compleat Cat, which contains all three in one volume. Amory’s last release, Ranch of Dreams, tells the story of The Fund for Animals’ Black Beauty Ranch, a sanctuary for hundreds of abused and abandoned animals.
Cleveland Amory passed away on October 14, 1998, at the age of 81. His ashes are at Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, surrounded by the animals that inspired his work.
Constable James Sharp has awarded more than 30 neglected and seized horses to the Anderson County Humane Society. The Humane Society will now attempt to find the animals new homes. Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor said the Sheriff’s Office seized the horses July 3, due to severe neglect and malnourishment. Taylor said a hearing last week determined the horses would go to the Humane Society – not returned to their owner, who does not reside in Anderson County.
After hearing testimony from the horses’ owner, who stated she checked on the horses weekly, Sharp awarded the animals to the Anderson County Humane Society, which will put the horses up for adoption. The owner has ten days to make an appeal, however Taylor said it was unlikely she would be able to make a strong case based on the level of neglect.
In an investigation that started July 2, Animal Control Deputy Jimmy Chambers checked on the horses and found many malnourished and neglected. Taylor reported the remains and carcasses of at least four horses were found. With evidence of cruel treatment, the Sheriff’s Office established probable cause to seize the horses.
The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate whether state criminal charges of cruelty to livestock will be brought against the horses’ owner. Taylor said his office’s investigation found the horses had no access to grass, other than scrub, and that they were virtually starving.
Thirty-two horses were confiscated from the property after a neighbor made several reports, including information on horse carcasses.
Animals are protected by federal, state, and local laws. Investigations are conducted on all cases of suspected animal cruelty reported to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Taylor encourages anyone with knowledge of an abused, neglected, or tortured animal to report it to the Sheriff’s Office.
Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch welcomes four horses rescued from neglect
(MURCHISON, Texas) Four horses suffering from severe cruelty, neglect and malnourishment arrived at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch after being confiscated as part of an Anderson County neglect case.
The Anderson County Humane Society was awarded 32 neglected and seized horses who will now find homes for them. The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch agreed to take Chester, Preacher, Senator and Studly – ages 12 to 18 – and have them join the more than 800 animals living on the 1,400 Black Beauty property, including 250 other horses.
According to Noelle Almrud, director of the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, “These four horses are adjusting well to their new life and surroundings at the Ranch. With proper nutrition and plenty of food to eat, they are getting healthier and have put on weight already. We are starting to see their personalities come out as they settle in. Now that they feel safe, they are becoming more confident and curious. These beautiful animals will never suffer again and we will care for them for the rest of their lives.
