Greetings! Welcome to the February edition of Dr. Pet Mom’s Delightful Pet Menagerie (DPM) Newsletter. We are well into the new year. Now is a good time to revisit and update my 2026 plans. This edition is a follow up on my plan to create an animal sanctuary. Enjoy!
Restart/Revisit
The idea for an animal sanctuary began in 2024. I started this long-term project with a few questions:
- Why do I want to create an animal sanctuary?
- What If my idea is crazy and I’m just spinning my wheels?
- How can my animal sanctuary best serve the needs of different animals?
The Why is because I want to help as many homeless animals as possible.
Of course, the key word is help, which I define as providing 1) a permanent, loving and safe home and 2) a good quality of life for homeless and abandoned animals.
The What If question can be tough to answer.
But I can start with a strategic plan. This plan will detail how to grow a sanctuary and will also be a roadmap of my business goals for the next five years.
Growth includes:
- Types of services for different animals
- Training and skills needed for care staff
- Financial capacity (long- and short-term)
- Temporary and permanent animal care
- Property and facility space
Understanding my strategic plan will highlight when and if, I’m spinning my wheels.
The How question describes the mechanics or reality of helping different animals.
I’ve worked with smaller animals (cats, dogs, birds) and understand their care needs. Large animals (horses, farm animals) present their own care needs. I’ll need a good understanding to help both groups of animals.
Vision Board 2026
We all have dreams, big and small. And when life gets in the way, dreams can be delayed.
For example, part of my life plan was to get my PhD. I kept waiting for the ‘right time’ (enough money, time, motivation) to start. But one day, I made a choice to make my dream a reality.
Eleven years after graduation (and very much to my surprise), people are still downloading my research!
My dissertation on food policy and urban farming continues to be a resource for researchers, scholars, students, businesses and universities around the world. February stats showed 154 people downloaded my paper.
So you never know how your dream will effect people.
I’ve been a caregiver for a family member for several years now, creating another fork in the road to my plan to start my animal sanctuary.
The path down this road includes unexpected events in caregiving. I’m still planning to meet folks who manage a sanctuary and have real-world experience helping different animals. And of course, make time for me!
Let’s start with my vision board only for this project. Here we go:
A vision board will help me refocus on my sanctuary project as I learn more and do more to make it happen.
Sure, a vision board is a great tool. But I make separate boards for each project to avoid confusion. The idea is to keep my projects in prospective, not to be overwhelmed by TMI, or getting lost in the details and losing focus.
Quick Update
Part of my plan was to work with large animals. So about two years, I started volunteering at a horse farm.
Being around large animals is a whole different experience. They’re smart, trust their feelings and size you up very quickly. If you approach and the horse pulls back his ears or steps away from you, the horse feels that you’re disingenuous. Not a good sign.
But like any other animal, a kind voice, a pocket of treats, and a gentle touch will win them over. Just being around these horses is wonderful and calming. I feel lucky that we enjoy each others company. Any fears I had simply disappeared.
Recently, I’ve learned about working animals in need of a home. There are a variety of working animals such as donkeys, camels, farm animals, horses, and cattle.
But many working animals are large horses, like those lovely Clydesdales and Percherons in need of a home.
These horses worked and lived on one farm their entire lives. They only know one family, and then one day, they’re just suddenly thrown away.
Yes, all horse are welcome, but working horses are overlooked. I want to give Clydesdales and Percherons a good life after their tireless work for farmers and ranchers. End of.
Closing Thoughts…
Whatever you believe, believe in your possibilities. We all have dreams and I hope that you keep dreaming.
This project helps me step away from the troubles of the planet. If my dream can change one life, then I’m a happy camper.
Keep dreaming, keep trying, and be happy!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
~~ Pablo Picasso
Best of luck, Dr. Pet Mom…I hope your dream of an animal sanctuary becomes a reality! If there’s anyone that can make this happen, it’s you! Also, thank you for the information regarding animal behavior, such as horses. Another awesome newsletter!
Thanks for your kind words, Lou. I’m excited about a long-term project to help more animals!