The Dog Who Started It All
Every great rescue story begins with a single animal who changes everything. For my wife Melissa and me, the seed for Stray Acres Animal Sanctuary was planted by our very first beagle, Katie. She showed us the profound, unconditional love that rescue animals offer, but her presence in our lives also opened our eyes to a heartbreaking reality: the animals who need that love the most are often the ones left behind.
As we opened our doors to more animals over the years, we noticed a stark gap in the rescue world. While younger animals frequently found homes, the seniors, the complex medical cases, and the animals needing gentle hospice care were routinely overlooked. We found ourselves consistently drawn to these fragile souls. We didn’t just want to give them a temporary place to stay; we wanted to provide a space where they could truly live out their golden years with dignity, comfort, and a family. That quiet realization, fueled by Katie’s memory and the enduring spirit of loved ones like Patricia Birmingham who inspired our compassion, organically transformed our household into a dedicated refuge.
A Partnership Built on Rescue
At the heart of this refuge is a partnership that started long before the sanctuary did. Melissa and I actually went to high school together—we knew of each other back then, though she was definitely the more popular one! We reconnected through Facebook in 2014, and since that day, we have spent every day loving animals and building a life around them. We were married on the beach in Cape May in May of 2026, cementing a life built entirely on shared passions. Today, we pay our personal bills and the sanctuary’s expenses through our full-time jobs at the library. We truly do everything side-by-side: we commute together, work together, live together, run a pet-sitting business together, and care for all of these animals together. It is our own pack mentality that keeps us strong and loving through it all.
Today, Stray Acres is officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating out of Pemberton, New Jersey, and our sanctuary has blossomed into a beautifully busy menagerie. Our days are shaped by the joyful energy of our resident pack of dogs—always heavily represented by our beloved beagles—currently alongside a bustling crew of cats, rescued chickens, and turtles. We step in for crisis fostering, coordinate rescue transports, and manage intensive daily medical routines. It is demanding, deeply emotional work, but every late-night feeding and veterinary visit is an absolute privilege.
Not Just Pets, But Family
It is important to us that people understand the animals here are not just personal “pets” that we are asking the public to help us take care of. To us, they are our adopted children. We step up because it physically hurts our hearts to know that somewhere, a senior dog is spending their final days passing away on the cold concrete floor of a kennel simply because no one wanted an older animal. No living creature deserves to leave this world feeling unwanted or forgotten. We take them in so that their last chapter is written in a soft, warm bed, surrounded by a family who cherishes them exactly as they are.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, our vision for Stray Acres is both simple and ambitious. We want to dramatically expand our capacity to say “yes” to the animals who have run out of options. Over the next few years, we plan to extend our rescue network, allowing us to offer lifelong sanctuary to even more seniors and hospice cases across broader geographic regions. We are actively building a community of supporters who share our core belief: that every animal, no matter their age or diagnosis, deserves to know they are safe, comfortable, and fiercely loved right up to the very end.
This sanctuary is our life’s work, and the incredible journey is just getting started. If you want to help support our mission, [click here to view our wishlist or make a donation].