Our Story
Here, everyone is free to choose who they are.
At Capra Libera Tutti, every being has the freedom to make their own choices – to decide who to be, what to do, who to stay with, and even where to go.
All the animals are free to leave… and sometimes, they do.
They wander up the mountain – but the wonderful thing is, they always come back.
By their own choice.
I’m Massimo, the caretaker of this place, and in the next few lines, I’d like to tell you our story.
A distorted kind of love
Since I was a child, I wanted nothing more than to spend my time with animals. At 14, right after middle school, I started working in a pet shop.
When the circus came to town, I would sneak away and spend the whole day there, taking care of the animals who were the stars of what – only now – I can call terrible shows.
In my mind, I could already see a house full of animals looking out the window.
At 30, I decided to take a big step: I bought a piece of land to become a breeder.
I had dwarf rabbits, Persian cats, chicks, and sheep. I sold them to shop owners.
Even though I could feel a bond growing between us, I pretended not to notice.
At that time, I believed I was doing something good. And it stayed that way – until six years later, when something happened that changed everything.
“For many years, I used animals – like almost everyone does.”
The revolution began with a mother’s cry
I had just sold some lambs and had no idea what was about to happen: their mothers began crying desperately, without stopping, for an entire week.
I spent the nights with my hands over my ears, asking myself, “What have I done?”
I had taken their children away. I felt like a monster.
Somehow, I managed to find the livestock dealer and buy them back – at double the price.
Today I know that paying to free them is not the right way, but back then, it felt like the only way to make up for what I had done.
That day, I decided I would never again contribute to so much suffering.
I started looking for a place to take the animals – to save them from myself. But destiny had other plans.
The birth of Capra Libera Tutti
One day, I went with a friend to a nearby barn. I didn’t want to interact with the animals – I knew what would happen if I did, so I kept my eyes on the ground.
Then I felt a tug on my trousers: it was a tiny baby goat.
He started nibbling at me, playing, jumping around. I felt an instant connection – which, for me, was dangerous.
They told me he would soon be sent to the slaughterhouse – it was almost Easter.
I couldn’t let that happen. I said I’d take him, and Thomas called his brother, Sebastian.
How did it end? I left that place with eleven baby goats.
I started looking for a sanctuary to bring them to, but in reality, I didn’t need to look further – I could create one myself.
It was a huge responsibility, but I wanted to try.
That day, I looked Thomas in the eyes, and we made our choice: Capra Libera Tutti was born – a dream was beginning.
The window became real
More than ten years later, I now live with about 500 animals who have been freed from the suffering I once contributed to.
They live their lives, discover who they are, and take their place in the world.
For years, that image I had as a child – animals looking out the window of my house – became reality.
They would line up every day, always in the same order, always at the same time.
As long as they were healthy, they never missed their turn at the window. Then, things changed…
A major turning point
I used to enjoy watching that TV show, but I never imagined I would one day be part of it.
They were supposed to dedicate only half an episode to us, but the more they filmed, the more they were moved.
So the host and his crew decided to dedicate the entire episode to our story.
The last shoot took place the day before the first COVID lockdown.
The episode aired on Sunday, May 24th, at 8:30 p.m. in an Italy that was no longer the same.
From that moment on, Capra Libera Tutti would never be the same either.
The media exposure was incredible. Our social channels exploded with hundreds of messages from people deeply touched by our story.
Many wrote to tell us they had stopped eating meat right after watching the program.
Even today, years later, people still stop us to say they became vegan because of that documentary.
It was a beautiful turning point, a springboard that allowed us to be seen and to become what we are today.
Another dream, piece by piece
With greater visibility came more requests to rescue animals.
We wanted to welcome them all – but we had a problem: there wasn’t enough space.
So we came up with an idea that many people called crazy: buy the land next door.
The owner was a hunter who wanted to sell, and I was afraid of who might come next.
So I told him: “Give me one year. I’ll bring you €160,000 and I’ll take it all.”
That’s how we launched our legendary “Dona una zolla” (Donate a Clod) campaign, where people could help us buy the new land by donating just 20€.
After about eleven months, we reached our goal: we made it.
A new home, more land, a new event area… and one less hunter on the mountain.
We had come a long way in just a few years. The stories of the animals living here had inspired thousands of people and it was time to tell them in a new way.
From TVs to bookstores
In 2023, my book was published.
Its main characters are some of the animals who live – or once lived – here. I shared their stories, their personalities, their quirks, but most of all, their deep attachment to life and the beauty of a free existence.
I’ve had the chance to present the book in many different places, showing that the world we dream of already exists. Right here.
Now, we want to keep expanding the borders of that world.
That’s what every member of the Capra Libera Tutti team works for every day with heart, creativity, and commitment.
Much more than a sanctuary
We believe sanctuaries can be what truly changes society’s rules.
A sanctuary doesn’t stop at the problem – it already embodies a solution.
It’s a positive message, an invitation to dream, a real space of freedom.
It carries a message that inspires change and speaks directly to the heart, not through words, because words often build walls.
Here, we prefer windows.
We invite people to look through them and see with their own eyes that a different way of living with animals already exists.
But our vision goes beyond that – not only with animals.
Our sanctuary is vast – not just in land, but in ideas.
We imagine it as a cultural gathering place, a space for dialogue, a place that opens up new possibilities.
We are not only against speciesism, but against every form of oppression and for us, liberation is real only when it is complete.
We have big dreams for the future and many of them, no matter how impossible they once seemed, we’ve already made real thanks to every single person who chose to dream with us.
What you’ve just read is only the beginning of the story and we truly hope you’ll be part of the beautiful chapters to come.
Continue the journey with us
If this story touched you, you can find many more on our blog.
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