Spirit Animal Sanctuary

09/05/2026

I think it's safe to say that Bash is VERY excited about going for a ride with Linda.

Whenever she has errands to run she always tries to pick a dog to enjoy some time away from the sanctuary. Today was Bash's turn!!

09/04/2026

The Chinese auction is Sunday Sep 6! Tickets can be purchased all weekend and one hour before the auction. Viewing is 12 to 2 and we start drawing at 2 till done! There is a ton of great stuff, including the signed Taylor Swift guitar! 

09/04/2026

We are honored to be this year's "Paws for a Cause" of the West Canada Creeks Campground fundraiser.

🐶 DETAILS 🐶
Labor Day Weekend at West Canada Creek Campground is happening September 4–7, and we have a full weekend planned! 🏕️

Come out for campground activities, our big Chinese Auction, a few local vendors, and plenty of great prizes, including a chance to win a signed Taylor Swift guitar! 🎸✨

It’s all part of our annual fundraiser for Spirit Animal Sanctuary, (no-kill). 🐾❤️

Come spend the weekend with us, have some fun, and help us raise money for the animals!

📅 September 4–7, 2026�📍 West Canada Creek campground

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1KiRusPJtb/

Send a message to learn more

09/03/2026

Progression of petting aggression and the need for more 😅.

Apparently Chris wasn't petting Owen to the best of his abilities so Owen took matters into his own hands... Or shall I say, paws.

Owen is one of the very demanding dogs and with his size as you can see it's his way or no way.

Better luck next time Chris Helmes hope you learned a lesson in proper petting technique.

09/03/2026

What is Mohawk Valley Gives?

Mohawk Valley Gives is an annual, multi-day online giving event that brings the community together to raise money and awareness for local nonprofit organizations.

Participating nonprofits can promote their mission, raise unrestricted dollars to support their organization's needs, and be placed in the running for several prizes and incentives that will be awarded throughout the giving day.

Donors will have the opportunity to engage with local causes they care about by sponsoring prizes, starting a fundraiser to share with friends, family, and colleagues, or simply making a donation to one or more participating organizations on the big day!

Key Details

Dates:
The main giving window for 2026 runs from midnight on Monday, September 14 (early giving) through 9:00 PM on Friday, September 18, 2026.

Hosts:
It is powered and hosted by the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties alongside the UpMobility Foundation (and in collaboration with the Community Foundation of Otsego County).

How It Works:
Donors can browse a centralized online catalog of hundreds of local charities at Mohawk Valley Gives and donate to multiple causes in a single transaction.

Matching Gifts:
Many participating organizations feature matching funds from sponsors and foundations that can double or triple individual donations.

Join me and give back!

09/02/2026

Valentine...

As lovely as the day with what names she shares.

Generally Valentine's face is stoic and serious. Always watching the people around her (probably waiting for a treat).

She doesn't give up a lot of emotion,

Until....

The leash comes out and she gets her walk. The smile doesn't fade from her face and she is strutting around knowingly taunting the other dogs in her moment of glory as if to say "I am the chosen one."

Valentine ended up at the sanctuary back when her leash demeanour was a little too cocky and she would ward off those who entered her path. Living in a high traffic area, the environment was not ideal for her leash*tude and here she is.

Valentine lives with Jameson, Archie, Alvin and Barney in the big building.

That face though 🥰😍

09/02/2026

Kobe 🥹

Dogs are generally our "security blanket."
Their presence calms anxiety.

They are your safety.
They are your daily dose of joy.
They are a never judging hug of love and support.
They have the ability to calm the chaos (even if they are half the cause).

but what happens when it's your dog who needs all those things?

Kobe is one of the dogs at the sanctuary whose anxiety is really hard to watch. He barks constantly causing him to basically foam at the mouth. He is also dropping weight (we have increased his calorie intake). He wants people with him all the time and unfortunately we cannot give that to him here 😞. Kobe loves to go on walks and after about 2 mins into it he calms himself and is able to relax. He also enjoys fetch, so much that he would play for hours if you let him.

At this time Kobe is not a dog we are able to pull for adoption but with any luck he will be able to be fostered out through our facility.

Our main priority is the dogs in our care, giving them every tool we are capable of so they can thrive in an environment stacked against them. 🥺.

If love could get him through this ❤️.

(Yes he has been on anxiety meds)

09/01/2026

UPDATE: We did find a foster to take both kittens in for now thank you so much everyone!

WE DO NOT HAVE THESE KITTENS. WE DO NOT HAVE A SPACE FOR KITTENS. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO HELP THE INDIVIDUALS WHO MESSAGED US THESE PHOTOS!!!

We do understand that feeding from a can is not safe. We also understand that stray kittens living by dumpsters is probably more of an emergency. Thank you for your input though 🥰.

Although we are a dog sanctuary, we get several calls for cats/kittens. Generally they are found as strays and sadly with the state of rescues at the moment, no one has any space and people are left with no options.

This issue isn't something shelters can fix alone. They need the community more than ever. People willing to foster until they are able to take them into the facility for adoption.

That being said we would like to help where we can. We recently got calls about a stray mom with 4 kittens and another for 3 kittens found by the dumpster at McDonald's in lowville. The woman who found the 3 kittens is here on vacation and heading home in two days. She is taking one back with her but we still need a place for the other two.

We will vaccinate what we can with vaccines from tractor supply, deworm and provide flea medications for the time being.

If anyone is willing to be a foster for some of the calls we get regarding cats/kittens PLEASE reach out to us. Comment here or PM us.

08/31/2026

If anyone has any information regarding this dog please message us.

We had a woman come to the sanctuary this evening stating that 3 days ago this dog was left in a crate by her mailbox, located on North Lake Road in Forestport. On the crate was left a note "Bit someone." That was all, no explanation, no information.. nothing. After failed attempts getting help from dog control or law enforcement she came to us.

We as an organization are not in a position to take on a dog. We as individuals are suckers and the dog will be with one of our volunteers until we are able to figure something out.

We will not fail this poor soul...
We will help him heal...