Our story

While working in pet stores, vet clinics, and shelters our founders recognized issues not addressed in the community.  Through reverse engineering, they started with the best outcome and found the most plausible solutions as well as ways to pay for them once annual donations reach $75,000.  Before COVID shut down everything, ANS donations had organically grown to nearly $50,000.

By staffing only volunteers, ANS ensures our budget stretches as far as possible.  With over 40 years of personal experience, credentials in traditional and holistic veterinary care, and professional training all ANS members are qualified to retrieve and rehabilitate non-human beings. The founders started rescuing animals as children, grew up volunteering and working in shelters. Once dedicated to creating a new organization the founders listed the unaddressed areas of human-animal conflict and analyzed solutions for validity and effectiveness.  

Our mission

To Save as Many as Possible by focusing on Education, Advocacy, Direct Action, and Support to individuals, communities, and other organizations in Spokane County. Animal Nature Sanctuary is an animal rescue that is made to be flexible and adapt to our community’s needs. The influence of the combined labors of Animal Nature Sanctuary will be enjoyed by this and future generations!

Our goals

• 1,000+ acre property
• Largest rescue facility in Washington State
• Largest cage-free rescue in Washington State
• Interagency rescue, rehab, and adoption services
• State-of-the-art wildlife rehab center
• 24/7 free/low-cost veterinary clinic
• Animal reference library and education center
• Pawsitive Furwheelers pet mobility device build-off for STEM
• Critter Con: Life unleashed (ComicCon for animal lovers)
• Pawsitive Purrvention Podcast
• Hero Alliance - no-kill, no breeding 4H alternative
• Cahoots Club for adult animal lovers
• Scholarships, internships, & sponsorships for veterinary education

Our vision

• A safe place for every animal
• Health & behavior issues resolved for easy adoption
• No re-homing due to circumstances
• Abusers in cages (jail) & animals in homes
• All species protected & cared for
• Non-human residents' needs addressed/solved
• Shelters never at or over cage capacity

Our programs

 ANS volunteers often work with sick and injured animals who have experienced significant cruelty or neglect. We help them recover physically, emotionally, and socially. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, ANS is the only group that captures sick and injured wildlife in our area. 

• All-species. We don't exclude any species!
• No-kill
• One of 2 rescues who take in exotic pets "Don't Let it Loose" program invasivespecies.wa.gov/campaigns/dont-let-it-loose/
• Classes, seminars, and workshops
• Grief and loss support services
• Deployment foster/PTSD training to become service animals
• Homeless, domestic violence, disadvantaged youth, aid
• Pet hospice
• Pet food & supply banks