1. Organization: Wagner Farm Rescue Fund / Have a Heart Farm
Description: W.F.R.F. is a non-profit corporation founded in 2002 from a need to establish a
humane alternative to slaughter for the farm animals of the Glenview, IL Park District’s Wagner
Farm. In order to provide humane alternatives, W.F.R.F. strives to purchase the animals that
Wagner Farm sells for slaughter, arrange transport for them, and contribute to their life-long care
at animal rescue sanctuaries. Currently, W.F.R.F. is raising funds to maintain our ongoing efforts
to promote humane treatment, good living conditions, finest available medical care,
transportation, sanctuary placement, and lifetime care for both current and former Wagner Farm
animals. Animals purchased by W.F.R.F. are housed at its sister organization, Have A Heart
Farm.
Target Audience: For this article, the target audience will be animal activists who are invested in
the humane treatment of animals. The reason that this audience is targeted is because of WFRF’s
purpose – to save farm animals from slaughter and provide humane treatment for them. This
article aims to connect with those who consider themselves animal activists, but most readers of
Best Friends Magazine would connect with WFRF’s story and message.
News Outlet: Best Friends Magazine

2. 1
NON-PROFIT SANCTUARY FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM
Headline: Non-profit Sanctuary Fights for Freedom
Since August, 2012, the animals of Wagner Farm of Glenview, IL have been forced into one
fate: being sold to the highest bidder for slaughter. The farm claims that selling the animals for
slaughter is part of the “educational program” that the children and parents of the local 4H club
are a part of, and that they have no issues with the animals’ futures. Debbie Rubenstein,
however, begs to differ.
Debbie Rubenstein is the founder of Wagner Farm Rescue Fund, a non-profit organization
founded in 2002 specifically to provide a humane alternative to slaughter for the animals of
Wagner Farm.
You might be asking yourself – if Wagner Farm Rescue Fund was founded in 2002, then why is
there an issue now? According to Rubenstein, the problem started at a meeting between her,
Anne Hoffman (WFRF Board Member), Glenview Park District Superintendent of Leisure
Services Robert Quill, Wagner Farm Director Todd Price and Wagner Farm Manager Jeff
Wienski.
Rubenstein was told that Wagner Farm no longer wanted to negotiate rescues or discuss animal
welfare measures with Wagner Farm Rescue Fund, and if she wanted to continue her efforts,
Quill threatened to instruct his staff to ignore her. The meeting signaled the end of a fruitful
relationship between Wagner Farm and WFRF, the latter of which had rescued 82 animals from
slaughter by purchasing them from Wagner Farm.
We reached out to Rubenstein regarding the development of WFRF’s relationship with Wagner
Farm since the 2012 meeting. “As this issue was, and continues to be, too important to dismiss
due to the welfare of the animal lives involved, we have again made outreach attempts to them
since 2012,” Debby states. After repeated failures to re-open negotiations, Rubenstein and
WFRF attempted to find common ground elsewhere, such as with their community garden
program. Unfortunately, even those attempts were dismissed.
Wagner Farm and the Glenview Park District have been quiet as to why the relationship between
them and Wagner Farm Rescue Fund has been severed, but some Wagner Farm Staff allegedly
told Rubenstein that relationships have been developed with “certain people” in regards to the
purchase of the farms animals.
Rubenstein continues to visit the animals of Wagner Farm, and would like your help in re-
opening lines of communication with Wagner Farm and the Glenview Park District. Visit www.
.wagnerfarmrescuefund.org for more information on how you can help, or to donate to WFRF’s
cause.