OUR TEAM

Surrey Hills Sanctuary is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2013 and located on a six-acre farm in upstate New York. Our mission is to save human and animal lives by responding to crisis with compassionate care, refuge, and connection. Recognizing that human and animal welfare are inextricably linked, we bring together animal sanctuary care and veterinary social work to provide lifelong safety for vulnerable animals while helping people facing crisis, grief, and the emotional demands of caregiving access support and lifesaving resources. We care for animals and people together, honoring the bond between them and the importance of every life.

 

For animals, our sanctuary offers a permanent home when age, illness, special medical needs, or other circumstances leave them with nowhere else to turn. We care for farm, companion, and select wild animals, providing a safe, loving, and enriching environment where their individual needs guide their care. Working through referrals from veterinarians, shelters, and wildlife rehabilitators, we prioritize animals most at risk. Although adoption is occasionally considered, our primary commitment is to those who need lifelong refuge.

 

For people, our veterinary social work services offer compassionate support during some of the most difficult moments in their relationships with animals. We support veterinary professionals, animal rescuers, sanctuary and shelter staff, volunteers, and caregivers facing loss, compassion fatigue, burnout, and the emotional strain of caring for animals in distress. For those experiencing isolation, emotional crisis, or thoughts of suicide, we help connect them with appropriate mental health care, suicide prevention services, and other essential resources. Supporting these individuals is central to our mission—not simply because animals depend on them, but because their lives and well-being matter. We strive to create a community where people can speak openly about their struggles, seek help without judgment, and receive care rather than carry these burdens alone.

 

Education extends this commitment beyond the sanctuary. Through in-person and virtual programs, interactive tours, workshops, and outreach presentations, we foster empathy for animals and greater understanding of the people who care for them. Our programs explore the connections between human and animal welfare, the human–animal bond, the challenges of caregiving, and the ways individuals and communities can respond with compassion when people or animals are in need. We also share accessible educational resources through our website, and our staff travel internationally to lecture on animal care, welfare, and human–animal relationships.

 

By bringing together lifelong animal care, support for people in crisis, and community education, Surrey Hills Sanctuary puts our belief in the interconnected welfare of people and animals into practice. We work toward a future in which seeking help is met with compassion, vulnerability is met with care, and neither people nor animals have to face crisis alone.

 

Visits are available by appointment only. Please contact us to learn more about our work, arrange a visit or educational program, or book a staff member to speak at your event. Educational resources are also available on our website.