05/24/2026
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and while it’s not something we’ve talked about much on our page, we are no strangers to the crushing weight of anxiety, stress, burnout, and grief that comes with founding and running an organization such as .
To the untrained eye, many assume that running a sanctuary is all animal snuggles and success stories. While we can’t speak for all sanctuary founders or leaders (and every situation is different), we can confidently say that’s not the case for most.
There aren’t any statistics on the mental health effects of people who dedicate their lives to saving animals (that we could find at least), but many of us are familiar with the toll that veterinarian work takes - the burnout and depression rates skyrocket in this crucial profession. Similarly, sanctuary and rescue work takes a toll like few others, because it’s not just a job when it becomes every moment of your life.
Between the extreme financial stress, never knowing when an animal is going to suddenly become ill, the physical pain, the isolation and never-ending grief and anticipatory grief of caring for dozens or hundreds of animals with relatively short lifespans, not to mention the endless online trolls and naysayers and horrible situations we witness, it’s a wholly unique way of life.
You’ll hear from many founders that the work - despite all of these struggles - is worth it. That we can’t imagine doing anything else. And that may be true. But it doesn’t discount the daily sacrifices or struggles.
We could go on… and we don’t have a neat way to wrap this up to say it’ll all be okay. We live in a messed up world, after all. But if you’re in a similarly all-consuming, unique life choice (whatever that may be), please know we’re in it with you. You are not alone. And your dedication and commitment to others is beyond valued. 💓
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