photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Kris Taylor, founder of Shy 38 Inc., feeds Thelma Lou, who was Barney's best friend, at the sanctuary on Friday, March 13, 2026.

At a local animal sanctuary, Barney – a young steer known for his big knees – quickly became a favorite among visitors.

Barney had arrived as a calf with an infection permanently affecting his joints and making it difficult for him to move, and his future was uncertain. Over time, though, he formed close bonds with both people and other animals at the sanctuary.

“Barney lived here as our first cow resident,” Kris Taylor, founder of Shy 38 Inc., said, adding that he was a gentle, old soul. “Each time we brought in a cow, he was always their first friend. Barney was really special.”

photo by: Contributed

Barney, the first cow resident at Shy 38 Inc.

Shy 38 Inc., a 10-acre nonprofit sanctuary in Lawrence founded in 2015, provides lifelong care for more than 200 rescued animals, including cows, horses, goats, roosters and chickens.

Barney died in December 2025 beneath a cluster of trees he loved, known around the sanctuary as “Barney trees.” Taylor said the space reminded her of his previous home, where he often rested under a low, sheltering tree that became a gathering spot for her children.

To honor his life, Taylor said she plans to create a children’s picture book, “Barney Finds a Friend,” inspired by Barney’s story, and it’s already in the works. Taylor said the book has been written and Devon McCunn, who is a longtime volunteer of Shy 38, is the illustrator.

“It’s always something that I wanted to do, create a children’s picture book about him, a special-needs steer that taught everyone that your differences don’t make you less, they make you special,” Taylor said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

There are 37 pigs that live at the animal sanctuary Shy 38 Inc., and some are pictured on Friday, March 20, 2026.

Shy 38 Inc. has launched a campaign to raise money both for the book and to help purchase a larger property for all of the current animal residents. The 30-are property at 1369 North 550th Road in Baldwin City is triple the size of the animals’ current home at 2100 Wild Horse Road.

Taylor said the animal sanctuary has been operating at full capacity for quite some time, and the new land will give the animals more space to roam and thrive.

“We will still remain closed intake,” Taylor said. “It will be for the sole purpose of our large animals to have more grazing space.”

The fully fenced property features two gated entrances, offering safety and security from the start. It includes a mix of open pasture, wooded areas, a pond and a stream — natural features that will enhance the lives of the animals who live there. A water meter is already in place, making the transition more feasible, along with a large 60-by-40 foot barn.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A turkey, Lincoln, is pictured at Shy 38 Inc. on Friday, March 13, 2026.

For several years, Taylor said the sanctuary had attempted to buy an additional 10-acres some for a couple of years directly next to the property, but then, someone else bought it and built a house there.

“So we don’t have the opportunity to expand now that we thought we had before,” Taylor said.

Taylor added that the current sanctuary can be difficult for some people to access – sitting nearly 20 minutes from town and lots of gravel roads. But the property Shy 38 is looking to buy is just 10 minutes away from Lawrence and has only about half a mile of gravel road.

“When you’re driving out here, it’s six miles of gravel, so it’s hard on everybody’s cars and tires,” Taylor said. “It’s hard for a lot of people to get to … We do have some Topeka and Kansas City volunteers and when we have public events, people come from all over Kansas City. So that’s going to be a game changer as well as getting more people out here.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A goat, Billy, is pictured at Shy 38 Inc. on Friday, March 13, 2026.

Taylor also said the money raised from the campaign will go towards Shy 38’s Hatching Kindness Project, which is a free curriculum for elementary school students focusing on teaching kindness, science and empathy towards animals. The program is an alternative to classroom chick-hatching projects, which often result in chicks being abandoned or dying after the lesson ends.

Taylor said her favorite part about working on the sanctuary is telling people the animals’ stories when they first visit. Many of the animals come from neglect, illness or situations where they likely wouldn’t have survived.

“Everybody has their own story and how they got here,” Taylor said. “And they all have their own individual personalities and likes and dislikes … They’re not just standing in a field and nothing going on.”

The campaign – which is looking to raise $360,000 – can be found on Kickstarter, and it will be active for about two more weeks. People can donate to https://shorturl.at/MUJf8.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Thelma Lou, left, Barney’s best friend from their previous home, and Bella, right, are pictured on Friday, March 13, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Most of the animals at Shy 38 Inc. are birds, and the sanctuary has almost 90 roosters.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Some goats are pictured at Shy 38 Inc. on Friday, March 13, 2026.