Aimee Kootnikoff

Aimee is the founder of Kootenay Acres Farm Sanctuary and the driving force behind the care and well-being of every animal who calls the sanctuary home. While working full-time outside of the sanctuary, she spends every other waking moment caring for the residents. During the warmer months, it's not uncommon to find her sleeping outdoors alongside the sheep, simply because she enjoys being close to them and ensuring they feel safe and loved.

Aimee has spent much of her life helping injured, orphaned, and vulnerable animals—from family pets to local wildlife in need of care. It was only natural that her compassion eventually extended to farmed animals, whose intelligence, affection, and unique personalities quickly captured her heart.

Through sanctuary work she has found a love for sheep, and now focuses her rescue efforts on providing homes for special needs and rehomed sheep in addition to educating people how intelligent and sentient these beings are.

Aimee is vegan for the animals and is passionate about creating a more compassionate world through education, advocacy, and the everyday stories of the sanctuary's residents. By sharing their lives and personalities, she hopes to encourage others to see farmed animals through a different lens—one rooted in empathy, respect, and understanding.

The Heart of Our Sanctuary

Behind every happy resident at Kootenay Acres Farm Sanctuary is a community of incredible humans who make this work possible. 

Since 2024, we’ve welcomed over 75 volunteers from all around the world, alongside our amazing local volunteers who come by approximately once a week to lend a hand.

Whether they stay for a few days or become part of our regular volunteer family, each person contributes their time, energy, compassion, and love to our sanctuary. 

From daily feeding and cleaning to helping with all the little tasks that keep everything running, their support makes an enormous difference.

The truth is, we couldn’t do this without them. 

Our volunteers are the heart of our sanctuary and the reason we’re able to care for our 80+ animal residents every single day. They are a beautiful reminder that compassion knows no borders, and that it takes a community to make a difference.

To every volunteer who has been part of our journey: thank you for showing up, getting your hands dirty, opening your hearts, and helping us give our residents the safe, happy lives they deserve. You are part of the Kootenay Acres family, and we’re so grateful for you! 

Director of Online Volunteer Operations

Maddie initially joined us as a live-in volunteer at our sanctuary alongside her partner through Workaway. She has always had a deep love for animals, having grown up with dogs, cats and other smaller animals, and has managed to bond with various types of animals along the way too. When Maddie came to our sanctuary, her childhood dream of farm life came true, even if only for a couple of months.

A family was formed, with Maddie establishing close relationships with both the animal and human residents. 

She loved and cared for all the animals, learning all their individual personalities, discovering which sheep enjoyed being brushed for hours and which goats wanted to head butt you (a playful “hello” from Arret or a “back off” from Mama).

Now, Maddie and her partner Dominique are back home in the UK and the very proud sponsors of our sister goats Ruby and Inga. 

Maddie works as a Paralegal, but her love for the residents of our sanctuary led her to volunteer from across the pond. 

She is helping with our online presence, with an aim to connect with our ever-growing community and promote the many faces of the magical Kootenay Acres Farm Sanctuary.