Dawn Olivieri spends plenty of time in front of cameras. At Moon Mountain Sanctuary and Rescue, she is just as likely to be fly-spraying a bison, training a horse or checking on an injured animal.
In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Local, host Sarah Zubiate Bennett travels to Arkansas for a tour of the 160-acre sanctuary Olivieri has built around rescue, rehabilitation and second chances.
Known for roles in Yellowstone, 1883 and Lioness, Olivieri says the mission began when she went to save two horses from a kill auction and came home with 29 instead.
Inside Moon Mountain
Olivieri now tells Zubiate Bennett that roughly 200 horses live at Moon Mountain, alongside bison, zebras, camels, donkeys and other rescued animals. Some horses enter the sanctuary’s adoption program, while many of the exotic animals remain permanent residents.
“I just rescue them, and then they come live here,” Olivieri said.
The tour moves from adoption pens and barn construction to the larger questions driving Olivieri’s work. She also discusses what she says rescue groups have learned about animal trafficking routes, including allegations that criminals have used livestock to conceal narcotics.
Viewers also meet some of Moon Mountain’s most memorable residents and hear how Olivieri hopes to expand the property into a place where visitors can volunteer and connect directly with the animals.
Olivieri ultimately wants Moon Mountain to become more than a traditional sanctuary. “My dream here is to have an interactive place where it’s not like you don’t just go look at the animals,” she said. Visitors, she explained, will eventually be able to connect with the animals under supervision.
Watch the full episode to step inside Moon Mountain with Sarah Zubiate Bennett and Dawn Olivieri.
Provided by Dallas Express
