Visitors to Leilani Farm Sanctuary rave about all the fun they have on farm tours with Danielle as their guide! With her warm and welcoming manner, affection for the animals, and bubbly personality, Danielle makes the tours unforgettable for participants.

One visitor from San Jose recently commented on his five-star Yelp rating, “Our guide was very friendly and personable. You can tell she really loves the farm and believes in their mission. We would highly recommend this tour!”

Danielle has more than twelve years of experience opening, managing, and marketing veterinary clinics. She continues to show her love for animals in this work at Leilani Farm Sanctuary, where she combines her knowledge of animals with guiding guests through magical experiences of interacting with the rescued animals.

We interviewed Danielle recently.

What do you think are the highlights of the farm tours for the visitors?

Highlights for visitors are many ... I think guests experience a lot of “firsts,” like hugging and petting a turkey who has a huge personality—and wants you to know it! Also, holding a rooster who will just fall asleep in their arms. Or feeding apples to dozens of uncaged guinea pigs living freely in the tropical gardens. I always ask at the end of the tour what each person’s favorite animal was, and the most amazing thing about that question is, there is never a standout favorite. There is an animal that touches each person’s heart in a different way, and that’s such a wonderful thing to witness.

What do you enjoy about being a tour guide for Leilani Farm Sanctuary?

I thoroughly enjoy meeting the guests and volunteers who come through, and I also really enjoy watching their animal/human connection while they’re here. Laurelee has created an animal sanctuary utopia that is a privilege to experience, and I’m lucky to get to share it with others. I love when people say, “I had no idea turkeys have so much personality!” That really could be said about all the animals. They all have such different and unique personalities, and I’ve been granted the joy of sharing those personalities (and their rescue stories) with our guests. Many people leave with a completely different perspective on the animals they once only read about in stories or saw on their plates, and I do believe it changes a lot of lives and outlooks. I’m also obsessed with plants, and with so many great plants on the farm, I can’t help but to share some cool and interesting facts, especially about some of our natives.

Why do you love Kevin the goat so much?

Kevin is my favorite goat because he is SO CHILL. He reminds me of an old soul surfer who says “Dude” a lot, (like the turtle in Finding Nemo). And his blonde goatee is totally Far Out. I’m also obsessed with Matthew the turkey. As soon as he hears me talking, he comes down to the picnic area and “helps me set up” (he really just comes for hugs and kisses) and continues to follow me on the tour for as far as he can. He’s the cutest and coolest stalker I’ve ever met. The tortoises are another favorite. They are like dinosaur puppies and will run up to you, (at a surprisingly fast tortoise speed), to get brushed on their shells. It's a highlight for guests. Picking an overall favorite animal would be impossible for me, though. They’re all so special!