Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Hoffman.
Michele, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started rescuing cats almost 20 years ago. I was fostering for a few groups in Los Angeles but I saw the special needs cats (they weren’t even called special needs back then), the seniors, the abused, ill and injured slipping through the cracks and being dumped on the streets or killed in the shelters. I decided to do something about it so in 2004 Milo’s Sanctuary & Special Needs Cat Rescue was born. I went back to vet tech school because I knew if I was going to be working with cats that had special needs I’d better know what I was doing. Since then we have rescued over 500 cats with special needs from all over the world.
We now have a sanctuary in Palmdale, CA called “Persephone’s Place” where the public can come and meet the cats and other animal residents. We are working on opening up an educational program early in 2018 for at risk youth and special needs children.
I created Milo’s to give a safe and loving home to the unwanted, the broken, the abused and the misfits and that is what I have done with the help of some amazing volunteers.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Rescue is never easy dealing with so many that have special needs can be daunting on some days but in the end to know that you’ve made a difference in their lives is the reason rescuers do what we do. It’s hard to hold a broken kitten in your hands that you know you can’t save and to say goodbye to them to end their suffering, but it’s also important to know when it’s time to let go. Sometimes when we rescue a cat we may only have them for a few weeks or months but that time is the best time of their lives and when it’s time to say goodbye someone from our team is with them letting them know they are loved and cared for.
We found the property we are now on in February of 2017 when I saw it was a mess, it had over 6,000lbs of trash on it. The house was a mess and I looked at it and saw it for what I wanted it to be. A place of love and healing. It was a struggle to get it cleaned, get the trash removed, fix it up and get it ready to open to the public but again thanks to an army of dedicated volunteers we did it and in September of 2017 Persephone’s Place was born.
Please tell us about Milo’s Sanctuary & Special Needs Cat Rescue.
Milo’s Sanctuary is the only special needs cat rescue in the entire Los Angeles area and we are the oldest special needs cat rescue in the entire Southwest United States. Many rescues will take in special needs cats but no one does what we do at the level we do it. We take in special needs cats from Mexico, Egypt and recently Turkey and get them healthy and all the medical care they need. Some we place up for adoption and some are in our Lifetime Care Program due to ongoing medical or behavioral issues that makes them not suitable for rehoming. For them we offer a sanctuary of love and care for their lives.
We are known for our special needs cats and what we do. We get pleas from all over the world every day for help. Sometimes we can help if we have space and funding and if we cannot we give references and share our wisdom to help others with special needs animals so they can find a place for them if we cannot take them.
I cannot express how proud I am of the volunteers and staff at Milo’s and how far we’ve come in only 5 years and how much more we will grow and teach others that special needs cats deserve a chance at a great life!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is teaching my cat Sinbad how to walk on a leash and ride in the basket of my bicycle. We had so many great adventures together. He was my first cat and my best friend for many years and he was always there when I was sad, lonely or had a big secret to tell someone.
Contact Info:
- Address: 827 Hollywood Way #520
Burbank, CA 91505 - Website: www.milossanctuary.org
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milos_sanctuary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milosssanctuary/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/miloscats
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