POLICIES

1. WAIVER

• All guests, not just the contact person for the rental, must sign a liability waiver before entering the property. If a guest is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must sign on their behalf.  

• No property codes will be shared until all guests have a signed waiver. 

• You can find our Online waiver HERE.

• There are no exceptions to this policy.

  2. MAX OCCUPANCY, CHILDREN, AND COMPANION ANIMALS

• The Yurt features a bunk bed with queen-size (top) and full-size (bottom) mattresses. A Twin XL air mattress or Pack and Play are available on request.

• We love kids at the Refuge, and children are welcome, but children under 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult while on sanctuary grounds. 

• For the safety of our residents and your companion animals, no dogs or other companion animals are allowed at the Refuge, including service animals.

  3. CHECK-IN AND PROPERTY ENTRANCE

• Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.  An earlier check-in may be possible with prior communication but is not guaranteed. 

• Use this address for your GPS: 7236 NC-87 N, Pittsboro, NC 27312.  You’ll be looking for a small gray house with a yellow front door behind a gate with a mailbox. Use caution turning into the drive.

• You will encounter a locked gate; codes and instructions for opening will be sent via email once all parties have signed our waiver (see #1 above). 

• Park in the designated “Overnight parking” spot in the grass and follow the signs to the yurt, which sits behind the house beside a small open field. 

• Enter the code for the yurt.

• The kitchenette and bathroom are in the back of the house; you can enter this area of the house through the back porch with no codes required.

4. SAFETY PROCEDURES

• Guests are welcome and encouraged to walk the sanctuary grounds between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Before and after this time, the gate separating the rental from the sanctuary will be locked and closed, and no guests are allowed inside the sanctuary. 

• Unless you are volunteering or on a scheduled tour, guests are not allowed to enter animal enclosures. See below for information about animal interactions over fences. 

• Please follow all sign instructions found in the Refuge. 

• In the yurt, you will find lanyards. Everyone in your party must wear these at all times while in the sanctuary to identify themselves to staff and volunteers as Yurt visitors. 

• Remember, you are in the animals’ home. When interacting with animals over the fence, guests should:

  • Refrain from feeding the animals any foods or beverages not given you to by sanctuary staff. Feeding an animal something they should not have can cause severe illness, injury, or even death.

  • Be careful and aware near the cow fences, in particular being smart about the cows’ horns and size, including not turning your back too close to the fence and not putting your arms or head over the fence. 

• Avoid making loud noises, e.g. yelling, screaming, shouting. Yelling at animals is strictly forbidden.

5. VOLUNTEERING

• We encourage guests to volunteer during a sanctuary stay, though it is not required.

• If you would like to volunteer during your stay, you can read about and sign up for volunteer opportunities here. For yurt stays, we recommend Sunday housecleaning, General volunteering, or Office volunteering. 

• If you plan to spend time with the animals, make sure to pack clothes for being outside. We recommend closed-toed shoes.

6. TOURS

• There are two ways you can experience a Refuge tour while staying at the yurt: booking a paid private tour for up to ten people or staying on a tour weekend. 

• Private tours are $200 for up to ten people. During a tour, you will have the opportunity to enter enclosures to meet and feed cows, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, and goats. To book a private tour, or for any questions, reach out to Kate at kate@piedmontrefuge.org. 

• You can stay overnight on a Friday before a Tour & Explore, which are public Refuge tours in which you can enter the enclosures to meet all the animals with a trained Guide at each habitat. The upcoming Tour & Explores are May 23, June 27, and July 11. The cost of the Tour is reflected in a raised price on these Friday nights, and more information about the Tour will be provided to you upon booking.

7. ONSITE PRIVACY AND COURTESY

• Please remember you are a guest in the animals’ home. We ask that you keep loud noises to a minimum in the yurt, especially during nighttime hours (9:00 PM - 8:00 AM in the summer). 

• Please do not leave trash and recycling outside where wild animals can get to it. Please use the designated trash cans in the house office, and please appropriately rinse recyclable containers before disposing of them in the bins. 

• The Refuge is a nonsmoking facility. All buildings and animal habitats are strictly smoke-free.

• You will be staying at a working animal sanctuary, so please be courteous of staff time. Animal Care staff are not involved in yurt stays and are unable to answer your questions about yurt policies and rules. 

• If you open the front hatch of the wood stove, please close it securely to prevent wild animals from entering or becoming trapped.

8. VEGAN FOOD POLICY

• Out of respect for our animal residents, the Refuge maintains an on-site vegan food policy. 

• This means that any food brought to or consumed at the Refuge must contain no animal products, including meat, dairy, egg, gelatin, or honey.

• If you would like support to follow this policy, please reach out to Kate at kate@piedmontrefuge.org. 

• There are many vegan restaurants in Chapel Hill and Raleigh-Durham, as well as multiple restaurants with vegan options in nearby Pittsboro–see our vegan dining guide for more information!

9. KITCHENETTE, BATHROOM, AND LAUNDRY

• These three facilities are shared with Refuge staff as needed.

• Please avoid leaving laundry in the washer and dryer for longer than necessary, as we may otherwise need to remove your items to use the machines. 

• Please keep food items in the fridge or shelves when not in use. 

• Spare towels and linens are stored in the cabinets by the kitchenette; please only use them as needed.

10. DAMAGES

We understand that accidents happen and that our guests would not do anything to intentionally damage our property. Here is what you should know about accidental damage:

• Please report all damage in a timely fashion to the Education Director (kate@piedmontrefuge.org) before check-out.

• Through VRBO, guests will pay a fully refundable damage deposit of $200.00. 

• Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge reserves the right to charge a fee taken from the security deposit to cover any damages. This includes, but is not limited to, cleaning necessary to remove excessive dirtiness or odor resulting from smoking, which is not allowed on Refuge property.