Lemon's Hope Sanctuary

08/15/2025

We are so happy to have an intern who returns year after year and has become like family. Welcome back for your sixth year, Moxie! Stephanie welcomes you by chewing on your finger.

08/15/2025

You have to work at getting a bad picture of the evening skies here.

08/15/2025

You have to work at getting a bad picture of the evening skies here.

08/07/2025

Featuring trainers, researchers, and behavior analysts using real-world strategies grounded in ABA.

07/22/2025

Greetings!

07/21/2025

Chance runs right up to aunt Debbie, who was puppy and horse sitting today, for lunch.

07/17/2025

We’ve been a little distracted with puppies around here, but Diablo remains a cute chewer. (Pardon the sound of the haying going on in the background.) And he’s far from acting like a devil.

07/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C61YbfkEE/

We have a fascinating lineup of topics for dog and animal trainers, and animal care professionals, at our upcoming Animal Trainers' Retreat: Training With Love + Science in September. Not a professional animal care provider but a lover of all things behavior and training related as a dedicated pet guardian? You, too, are welcome to attend.

* Panel discussion on ABA as a holistic framework for teaching and training practice, including Debbie Jacobs, Fearful Dogs and Fearfuldogs.com; Laura Monaco Torelli - Animal Behavior Training Concepts; and Eileen Anderson, Eileenanddogs.
* Building reinforcement systems to improve communication with learners by Mary Hunter - StaleCheerios and Behavior Explorer.
* Loose leash walking: the dance dissected by Kiki Yablon, Kiki Yablon Dog Training.
* Anxiety: a science-based approach for animal trainers by Dr. Keira Moore.
* Development and validation of owner-implemented protocols for companion dogs by Dr. Mindy Waite
* Understanding assent through an analysis of alternative contingencies by Hannah McGee, MSPCA-Angell.
* Social reinforcers and sheepherding, by Dr. Maia Nahele Owen.

In addition to listening to these presentations, in-person attendees can enjoy experiential learning and fun experiences playing PORTL (Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab) and training animals of Lemon's Hope Sanctuary.

Don't miss your early bird discount, ending on July 21! Other discounts for shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, as well as students available. Ceus available through CPDT, IAABC, KPA and PPG.

Link for more information and to register in the comments.

07/04/2025

The 4th of July holiday is a celebration of our country’s origin story, but on this 4th of July, we can’t help thinking about our own origin story:

Almost 30 years ago, when the National Park Service proposed to reduce the size of, and possibly eliminate, the herd of horses on Shackleford Banks, that proposal was met with concern and resistance by locals. Because you are talking about something that people identify with this place as much as the lighthouse or fishing or the beaches. They are an intrinsic part of this place, and this place is an intrinsic part of each one of us who love it and call it home.

And so those local folks sought and secured the passage of federal legislation to protect the wild horses. That they were able to do that represents the very best of the democracy conceived by the call for freedom in our Declaration of Independence: a small group of concerned citizens, from disparate backgrounds and experiences, banding together out of a shared passion for a common concern, forming a nonprofit entity, compiling research and data and facts from the foremost experts in the field, prevailing upon their elected representatives to take up their cause, standing up to the government’s ill-conceived policy proposal and blatant disregard for local interests, cultivating public, and eventually, bipartisan political support for their issue, ultimately resulting in the enactment of federal legislation to ensure preservation and protection of a treasured resource, ideal, and value.

Folks, that’s a case study in basic civics.

In these sometimes difficult and divisive times, don’t ever lose sight of the power of seemingly powerless people, who are willing to step up and exercise their basic rights, and who believe in the justness of their cause. We are grateful for those who did just that, and committed themselves to ensuring the survival of our wild horses for the benefit of future generations.

Happy Independence Day!

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Copyrighted photo of newest foal on Shackleford Banks, courtesy of Linda Kuhn, NPS VIP, shot with a zoom lens. All rights reserved.

07/04/2025

There’s been a lot of grazing happening in the big field. New locations = enriching!

07/02/2025

They won't be sanctuary residents, but we have new arrivals here. Eight beautiful puppies born 6/30/25. Four girls and four boys, all doing well. Mama is fantastic.

05/12/2025

Thank you to everyone for the condolences, well wishes and general care surrounding the loss of our horse Henri. Pictured here is Chance with me, back in the day when I rode him a fair amount and was just so proud and happy to be his person. He's 31 years old now and has bad knees, like so many of us, and so I haven't ridden him for awhile.

For those who are wondering about how he's doing since his buddy Henri's passing, he is o.k. He does vocalize quite a lot at people, apparently seeking attention or food. He has always been vocal in these contexts but is moreso now--more frequent and louder. He is eating well and does not appear depressed.

Chance has 24/7 companionship of Lemon the goat and the sheep. He can also have periods of interaction with our miniature horses, who can't be on the grass with him 24/7 and whom he might aggress towards, as he was always aggressive with other horses except for Henri. We'll see how it goes.