Welcome to our website! Here you can learn all the latest news, view photos and keep in touch. Our main purpose is providing shelter for all animals in need, with a strong focus on the Thoroughbred horses that have been so numerously abandoned in this difficult economy. However.. where there are horses there are dogs... so lately we have been taking in more & more abandoned dogs as well.
We work closely with a number of High Kill shelters and try to rescue as many dogs as possible that are on death row to no fault of their own. We also offer free spay & neuter to owners that want to surrender a "oops" litter of pups to ensure that there will be no more unwanted litters by these dogs.
As always, our main goal is the wellbeing of all the critters in our care which takes up most part of the day.
We are located in Marion County, Florida outside of Ocala. Marion County is home to thousands of horses and with the latest economy crunch that the whole nation has endured, our four legged friends have suffered tremendously as food got scarce not only for their humans... but also for them! A lot of horses & dogs have been abandoned all over the country with owners not realizing that these animals cannot fend for themselves and they cannot survive on just a few blades of grass or trash can dinners.
Here at the St Francis Sanctuary we are trying to help as many animals as possible and we want to help owners that can no longer provide for their pets. We hope we can get to these animals before they have become sick and emaciated so that we can have a head start on trying to find new loving homes for them. Sometimes we can give you the whole life story on our pets for adoption... and sometimes we don't have any information at all, just what we have learned about them during their stay here. But we are constantly in contact with all the animals here and make sure they are ready for a new home before we put them up for adoption.
After years and years of dedicating every spare dime to all the animals, we have finally realized that the only way to financially survive & to help more animals in need, was by going the extra step and creating a 501(c)3 non-for-profit organization to be able to accept donations. Hopefully this will help us to make a difference by fostering more animals in need!
All our adoption fees are carefully calculated. Keep in mind that most of these animals have been with us for several months and are requiring medical care, rehabilitation and re-training and the shelter's running expenses have to be paid in order to keep our gates open. Some of our animals are "free (a.i. your donation is discretionary) to aopproved home" simply because they might not be as "popular" because of breed or age or medical issues and they have already been at the shelter for months on end. This is why our adoption fees vary and the more "popular" pets help us carry the cost for the other guys. They all receive the same care, young or old, purebred or Heinz 57..... Summer months are brutal.. with just a handfull of adoptions and so many drop offs.. this drains a small shelter's fund in a heartbeat as will any minor medical emergency, not to mention the bigger ones.
So please, before you consider buying a horse from a fancy barn or a pet from a breeder or a puppy mill, come and take a look around the St Francis Sanctuary. Chances are, you will find exactly what you are looking for right here: A loving soul looking for his/her new forever home, willing to give you his/her very best!
All our visits are by appointment only 7 days a week. Before you come to adopt one of our pets, please fill out our adoption application that you can download from our site, or call us and we will fax or email you the application. Our adoptable dogs are featured on http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=FL948 (use link)
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SAINT FRANCISIS KNOWN AS THE PATRON SAINT OF ALL ANIMALS
The Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."
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PLEASE DO NOT SIMPLY DROP OFF ANY ANIMALS AT OUR GATE AS THERE IS NOT ALWAYS SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THE ANIMAL IN.THANK YOU. If you have a horse or other pet you can no longer afford to take care of, please contact us.Together we will find a solution that will work best for both you and your horse/pet!WE ARE LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTH OF GAINESVILLE & 15 MILES NORTH OF OCALA, FLORIDA & ABOUT 1&1/2 HRS FROM ORLANDO & TAMPA AREA.VISITS ARE SCHEDULED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY9:00AM T0 7:00PM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK WE TRY TO ACCOMODATE OUT OF TOWN PEOPLE BY KEEPING A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE.JUST CALL US THE SAME DAY YOU WISH TO ADOPT AND WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WORK FOR YOU.
~~~ FOR ADOPTIONS PLEASE CALL 407-450-6716
AS THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO FIND OUT IF "YOUR" PET IS STILL AVAILABLE.
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ONLY IF YOU ARE INQUIRING ABOUT SURRENDERING AN ANIMAL!
