Conversations with Michelle Lukasiewicz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Lukasiewicz.

Hi Michelle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have been involved in animal activism for over 30 years. First becoming vegetarian and then vegan, I have always felt a kinship with animals. My family and I spent our vacations visiting sanctuaries even as far as England, but our favorite tradition was ThanksLiving at Farm Sanctuary in Orland California. Ten years ago, I was looking to return to my hometown in CA when I passed some land in AZ and thought “wonder if I could afford land to open a sanctuary?” Well, after being stuck in traffic on a Saturday afternoon in CA visiting family, I decided I was staying in AZ and buying property.

Surprisingly, I could afford the prices (mind you this was over 10 years ago when the market was at the bottom). I immediately contacted my realtor friend and the search was on. We viewed many properties in Gilbert and Chandler, but most were stand-alone where I was concerned for the safety of the animals I planned to rescue or there was no appropriate fencing and I was not in a position to drop a lot of money to build fences, enclosures and shade structures. After many months, my realtor found a place in Gilbert in an older farming community where all the lots were one acre. I made an offer just by driving into the area knowing the neighborhood would be perfect and safe. I was concerned about qualifying for the loan as I co-owned another house that was way underwater at the time and my debt-to-income ratio was extremely poor I had recently been denied refining on my car due to this. It seemed like it was meant to be when my loan agent was able to qualify me for the loan and we made an offer! We moved in and I was looking to rescue right away. Our first two residents were La Mancha goats that were being given away for free on Craig’s list as excess dairy goats. We named them Gibby and Gabby. Then, Zeus, our pot-belly pig needed rehoming as his parents lived in an HOA that does not allow pigs. Most housing does not allow pigs and pot-bellied pigs can weigh 100s of pounds.

We agreed to take him if they would donate towards his care monthly. Less than a year later, we were honored to rescue Rose, a black Angus, who thought she was a big dog. Her owner had to foreclose on her property and was desperately looking for a place for sweet Rose. We currently care for over 60 animals, including cows, goats, sheep, pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, tortoises, feral cats, a dog, nine indoor cats, and three foster kittens.

Alright, 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?
It has been an experience, to say the least! The first challenge we faced was a lack of understanding of farm animal behaviors with goats escaping through fences to eat things they should not and pot-bellied pigs and their incredibly smart minds figuring out how to dig under fencing. We immediately had to get our fence reinforced. Caring for farm animals is a lot of work and with the heat in AZ, it can be life threatening. We learned chickens and turkeys do not do well in the heat due to their small lung capacity and we had to install misters in addition to changing ice packs out every 3 hours in the extreme heat.

For the first six years, my son and I alone cared for the animals and my income almost exclusively paid for all expenses. Over the last four years, we have been fortunate to be supported by our animal activist community and many others. We now are fully supported by them and have a core group of dedicated volunteers. The outpouring of support from the community is humbling.

We have had our share of struggles including many losses of our dear residents, but we are now a wonderful community that welcomes people to learn about animals and create bonds with these and other beautiful sentient beings. GWH (Goats with Horns) has many fundraising and fun events that support the animals and our community. Check out our Facebook, Instagram, and website!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a payroll manager for a company that provides human resource and payroll software to thousands of businesses worldwide. I am proud of the office I work with and their dedication to each other and our clients. I am most proud of my amazing team who support each other, me, our customers, and their families with kindness and grace.

What do you think about happiness?
Would it surprise you if I said animals? I am most happy surrounded by animals and nature.

Also, exploring this great state of ours and spending time with so many dedicated animal rescues, and activist people and volunteers who give their heart and soul to help innocent creatures in our world. I can not say enough about the supporters of GWH. We could never do this without them and that makes me the happiest – belonging to this awe-inspiring community.

Pricing:

• Tours select Saturdays by appt $10
• Patreon support for GWH is $3 to $50 a month or one time
• Shirts, jewelry, bumper stickers, magnets, and art are priced as marked and available at the sanctuary
• https://smile.amazon.com/ch/82-3305191
• https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/GoatswithHorns

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gwhsanctuary.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goatswithhornsanimalsanctuary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoatswithHorns
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/goatswithhorns, https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/GoatswithHorns, smile.amazon.com/ch/82-3305191

Image Credits
Snowy, Gibby, Chico, Chicolette Daisy, Mr. McFluffers, Nala, Suerte and Esperanza, Willow and Suerte