PO Box 723 - Ocklawaha, Florida 32183
352-288-6754
We are a not for profit 501C3 organization. Our mission is to provide advice, direction and education to the general public regarding the rehabilation of wildlife and creatures in crisis.

Donations can be
made using your credit card -
call us at 352-288-6754

Fundraisers & Events-check with us monthly and join us at our fundraising events. Do you have a fundraising idea?
     Call or email us.

Become Involved     Join our team - become involved help us with feeding animals, cleaning, walk a pet etc.  

Send us your story -
We will publish as many as we can.

   Hello, my name is Gloria Chosewood. I drive a school bus for Marion County Florida. One morning while taking the kids to school I saw a possum on the side of the road that had been ran over. It was not moving so I figured it was dead. As I drove by I looked closer at it. I could have sworn that I saw some little eyes peering back at me from behind the dead possum. I thought to myself could this be a baby possum? I could not stop while driving the school bus so I continued on to school and I had one more route before lunch. I kept thinking about those little eyes and wondering if those were babies that I had seen. I was wondering if so, would it be ok or not so to go and check on them on my way home for lunch. On my way home I wrestled with my conscious, should I go or not. I drove past my road to where I saw the possum and there sitting was a buzzard close by. I drove by and turned around and pulled up close to it. There lying next to it was a baby and it had been hit to and died. As I looked closer I saw two more close by so I went to the car and got a towel. I picked up the two and there was another trying to nurse on the mother. So I took all three home. My boyfriend laughed and said we could not keep them that we already had to many animals. Ok so he is right. We have Suzie who is a flying squirrel and Tuti and Joey who are grey squirrels. Tuti has three babies also. Last but not least a potbelly pig named Bacon. My boyfriend found this web sight and I called it. I had taken three baby squirrels there two years prior. The women said they would take them so the next day I took the possums to the sanctuary. While talking to one of the women that ran the Sanctuary about my flying squirrel, she said they had one that could not be released into the wild and that it needed a home and a larger place to run. We have a larger place so I took him home and named him Rufus, but that will be another story later.

      (The people at the Sanctuary do a wonderful job trying to help God’s Creatures.)

                           Please help them all you can.

INTERACTIVE  PAGE
RESCUE STORIES
Givens Story
Click here to add text.
ALL CREATURES SANCTUARY
GREAT & SMALL, INC.
PO Box 723 -
Ocklawaha, Fl.  32183
Phone: 352-288-6754
I believe in Thanksgiving angels, and they are the volunteers of All Creatures Sanctuary, Great & Small, Inc. as well as one caring individual who stopped to help a weak and defenseless animal.
      On my way to pick up wheelchair bound Dunnellon Florida resident Eugene Thomas to take him to another friend's home for Thanksgiving dinner, I was forced to stop due to a car parked in the road with the door open blocking my path. 
    I wish now I had gotten the driver's name because she was the first angel.  She cared enough to stop when she spotted the blind, 3 legged ant covered Chihuahua lying in the grass on the side of the road.  In fact, if she hadn't stopped, this poor creature would have frozen Thanksgiving night since the temperature was to dip into the low 30's.  However the driver couldn't stay, and there was no way I was going to leave that little dog.
    I frantically used my cell phone to call Eugene to see if he could find any one who could help us.  It was Thanksgiving so I was afraid our chances were slim to none.
    By an amazing stroke of luck, Eugene had Tish Hennessey's contact phone number for All Creatures Sanctuary, Great & Small, Inc. based in Ocklawaha, FL.  In fact, his personal telephone book opened on it's own to the very page we needed.   Another miracle!
    After bundling her in a towel I keep in my car, I removed my sweet potato casserole from a rather large cooler and gently placing her in the lidless cooler to keep her protected and drove to Eugene's home.  Within half an hour, Eugene, his wheelchair stashed in the back seat, our precious little bundle, and I were on our way to meet one of the Sanctuary's volunteers who blessedly took her and promised us she would get the best of care.
   Given, as she was now being called, did not have an identifying microchip.  However, using other resources, the Sanctuary was able to locate her family within a few days. 
    We now know one of her brothers dug a hole under the fence, and Given followed him out only to get disoriented.  After spending a cold night several blocks away from home, she was spotted Thanksgiving morning on the side of the road setting events in motion. 
    Many people helped to save this little dog who we now know was given her beautiful real name of Angel at birth.  We gave thanks that day for giving us the opportunity to help save her and have her home with her real family, Loretta and Alfred Andaloro, for the holidays. 

   
    I have owned many dogs. One of the most beloved was a small terrier mix that I rescued on a rainy night in South Miami. I saw him crouched on a safety zone in the Zayre’s parking lot. It was pouring rain and chilly. I drove the short distance home with the skinny  little wet dog in my lap. We already had two standard poodles. My daughter and I tried to feed him little crumbs of cheese. He couldn’t eat.
     I took him to my vet first thing in the morning. The vet said he was about 18 months old. He weighed 7 pounds His normal weight, after he started eating, was 16 pounds. That’s how near starved he was.
    My other two dogs and my children loved him right away. We named him Reggie because Reggie Jackson was the big name in baseball that year.
    We had Reggie for 16 years and we all thought he was the best dog we ever had.

The shelter needs your help. Please help.
Jeanne

Remember the original Rainbow Bridge story?
Here's the other side. Guaranteed you won't be able to finish reading without tears in your eyes.
WELCOME AT RAINBOW BRIDGE
On the morning of September 11, 2001, there was an unprecedented amount of activity at the Rainbow Bridge. Decisions had to be made. They had to be made quickly. And they were.

An issue, not often addressed here, is the fact that many residents really have no loved one for whom to wait.  Think of the pups who lived and died in hideous puppy mills.  No one on earth loved or protected them.  What about the many who spend unhappy lives tied in backyards?  And, the ones who were abused. Who are they to wait for?

We don't talk about that much up here.  We share our loved ones as they arrive, happy to do so. But we all know there is nothing like having your very own person who thinks you are the most special pup in the Heavens.

On Tuesday morning, Sept 11, a request rang out for pups not waiting for specific persons to volunteer for special assignment.  An eager, curious crowd surged excitedly forward, each pup wondering what the assignment would be.

They were told be a solemn voice that unexpectedly, all at once, over 4,000 loving people had left Earth long before they were  ready.  All the pups, as all pups do, felt the humans' pain deep in their own hearts.  Without hearing more, there was a clamoring among then- "May I have one to comfort?" "I'll
take two, I have a big heart." "I have been saving kisses forever."

One after another they came forward begging for assignment. One cozy-
looking fluffy pup hesitantly asked, "Are there any children coming? I would be very comforting for a child' cause I'm soft and squishy and I always wanted to be hugged." A group of Dalmatians came forward asking to meet the Fireman and be their friends.  The larger working breeds offered to greet the Police Officers and make them feel at home. Little dogs volunteered to do what the do best, Cuddle and Kiss.

Dogs who on Earth had never had a kind word or a pat on the head stepped forward and said, "I will love any human that needs love."

Then all  the dogs, wherever on Earth they originally came from, rushed to the Rainbow Bridge and stood waiting, overflowing with love to share.

each tail wagging an American Flag
IN MEMORY
YOKO

In Loving Memory - YOKO (Shiba Inu)
September 1989, Camp Zama, Japan, to June 12, 2003, Snellville, Georgia

Beloved friend and family member of Wray & Diamond Hall.
She came as a gift from God, already a perfect angel, never ever a bit of trouble.  Perfect  manners, always polite.  Lovable.  More than a pet!
She adopted her family unconditionally, never complaining or wanting.
Yoko always eager to please and anxious to be a part of family activity.
A long and happy life, she gave more joy than she received.
For a period of her life Yoko had occasion to visit a human’s nursing home on a regular basis.  She willingly offered up love and solace to the residents.  Of those souls who precede her to heaven, they will recognize Yoko upon her arrival and return the loving favors.
Fishing partner, walking companion, garden helper, sentinel of the home front.  Faithful friend to the end. 
Even though in pain and suffering, Yoko licked her best friends fingers for the last time in farewell just before she slipped into sleep for eternity.
Although Yoko will be sorely missed and never replaced in our hearts, we know she is in peace, waiting at the Rainbow Bridge…

We love you Yoko.  Your Family.

P.O. Box 723 Ocklawaht, Florida 32183
352-288-6754
I am the gardener at a yoga school in Salt Springs.

We are located on Lake Kerr and a few months ago a beautiful brown goose appeared on our beach.  Pacing up and down the beach, he honked at every passing bird. We assumed that he had lost a mate or was himself lost.  Late in April on of our students noticed that the goose – now named George and pampered by everyone here had a bad cut on one leg and could no use it at all.  We called All Creatures Sanctuary and asked Tish how we could help George.  Once we described his behavior, Tish felt we could care for him here if we added food and antibiotics to his daily routine. For almost three weeks George’s leg continued to be useless despite food, medicine, good wishes and frequent blessings from our Guru. Then about a week ago, I took George his breakfast. He swam right past me and walked up the beach !! It was the first time he had been able to get out of the water since the injury.  What a wonder sight to all of us!  He has continued to improve every day and is now able to feed himself.  We are all so grateful for your advice and encouragement to us and to injured animals everywhere.

Susan Corson
Amrit Yoga Institute
Salt Springs, Florida

P.S. George says “Thanks”, too.

Send us your stories and pictures by clicking on the Email Us button
Thank you Tish for taking time to listen to my call about the little
hummingbird that died. My mother is 88 years old. She bought the
feeder and we placed it right outside our breakfast nook window. Her name is
Helen and the three of us resided together as of last year. My husband Lynn
put a shepherds hook near the window and it is a wonderful setting to
observe the little humming bird when it comes up to eat. I went online out
of curiosity to find out about the birds and saw that some people have
actually been able to feed them right out of their hand. I decided to try
this so I put on a red blouse and put a red scrunchy in my hair (they like
red), I wanted them not to be afraid. I took a red lid and put some food
inside of it and then stood against the shepherds hook with my hand up very
close to the feeder. Oh my goodness I could not believe it but that little
bird flew right down to the feeder and was so close to my face that I could
feel the wind from its wings like a little fan hitting my skin. I could hear
a high pitch chirp that it made as it was going from each feeding flower on
the feeder. I have never felt so in touch with nature as I did in that
moment. My mom had a stress test this morning and we were gone a good part of
the day we both took a nap when we got home. Mom called me to look out the
window to figure out what she was seeing on the pool screen enclosure. It
looked like a large tree frog but upon investigating more closely it was
that little bird. The bird apparently flew so fast that it hit the screen and
could not escape. I gently removed him and did not see any signs of life but
tried to put the sweet food into his mouth hoping he could be revived. I
finally decided that there was not anything else that could be done. My mom
used my cell phone to snap this photo about a month ago. This is the little
bird that brought us a lot of breathless moments. I am thankful for that.
Sincerely, JoDee Snyder
I am not sure who said this quote but now I understand it.
(Life is not about the number of breaths we take but about the moments that
leave us breathless. ~Healing Thoughts~.