07/17/2025
Camp Haven Sanctuary: A Refuge for Humans and Sometimes Animals Too
By Josiah James Ingalls
At Camp Haven Sanctuary, our mission has always been clear: to provide shelter, stability, and hope to people experiencing homelessness. Weâre here to serve our fellow human beings who have been pushed to the margins offering a place to rest, eat, heal, and rebuild. But somewhere along the way, it seems like the animals got the memo too.
The word âsanctuaryâ in our name has occasionally led to some confusion. People looking to rehome a farm or exotic animal will sometimes reach out thinking weâre an animal sanctuary. And over the years, when the need has been genuine and urgent, weâve answered the call. Weâve unexpectedly taken in goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, rabbits, tortoises, and even pigs. We didnât plan for it, but sometimes the right thing to do is just that do the right thing, even when itâs not in the handbook.
Our place has become a magnet not just for people in need, but for animals in need, too. Itâs as if every stray dog and cat within a three-mile radius has developed some sixth sense, a kind of streetwise radar that tells them, âIf youâre lost, if youâre hungry, if youâve got nowhere else to go head to Camp Haven.â And sure enough, they show up. Sometimes shy. Sometimes hurt. Always hoping for a bit of food, a gentle hand, and a safe place to land.
When it comes to stray dogs and cats, we do our best to rehabilitate them providing food, medical care, and time to heal before finding them loving forever homes. We work with local rescues and community partners to make sure theyâre given a second chance. Each one of them arrives broken in some way, but just like the people we serve, they leave better than they came restored, cared for, and seen.
As for the farm and exotic animals, those tend to be longer stories. Unlike household pets, itâs much harder to rehome a full-grown goat or a sulcata tortoise. And over time, weâve discovered something beautiful: these animals often become a source of comfort and therapy for the very people weâre serving. Our participants have formed bonds with the animals. Feeding the chickens, petting the rabbits, watching the pigs wallow in the mud it brings a calming routine and a connection that many of our residents havenât felt in a long time. These animals arenât just guests theyâve become part of the healing process. In many ways, theyâre therapists with feathers, hooves, or shells.
So yes, Camp Haven Sanctuary is a homeless shelter for people first and foremost. But when life sends us animals in need whether four-legged, furry, feathered, or shelled we open our gates. Because sanctuary isnât just a word in our name. Itâs a way of being. And sometimes, healing happens in unexpected ways between man and goat, woman and tortoise, child and chicken. This is a place for the lost, the forgotten, and the overlooked. Whether they walk on two legs or four, Camp Haven is where they come to be found again.
