The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch is a world-renowned animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas. The ranch was founded in 1979 by author and animal advocate Cleveland Amory. And in 2005 the board of directors of The Fund for Animals voted unanimously to memorialize its late, great founder by renaming its flagship animal sanctuary in his honor.
With over 1,400 acres, it is home to almost 1,000 domestic and exotic animals, many of whom have been rescued from near-death situations such as slaughterhouses, biomedical research laboratories and trophy hunting ranches. Others have been rescued from roadside zoos or were former victims of the exotic pet trade. Still others came from public lands where they were threatened with extermination by the federal government. Bison and cattle, horses and burros, antelope and apes, camels and tigers: all have permanent, safe homes at the ranch.
The Sanctuary is also home to the Doris Day Equine Center, which focuses on developing optimum programs to elevate the public perception of horses rescued from cruelty and neglect. In addition to our hands-on rescue, rehabilitation, training and placement of equines, we serve as a resource and support system to rescue centers around the country.
The sanctuary is not a zoo but is now open to the public 1-2 times per month for small, pre-scheduled, guided tours to respect the peace and privacy of the animals. Check out our events page for upcoming tour dates, and schedule your Ranch of Dreams tour today!