Animal Sanctuary

Abandoned Bird Sanctuary

The illegal abandonment of farmed birds is a common problem happening everywhere. People buy ducklings, goslings and chickens/roosters on impulse for a few dollars as cute hatchling novelties only to find out that they require a significant amount of work. And they’re often surprised at just how loud and disruptive they can be.

These birds, especially ducks and geese, end up abandoned at city parks, lakes or roadside wetlands left to fend for themselves. But just because they have feathers doesn’t mean that they can survive! These are domesticated farm animals, bred flightless, or with minimal flight ability and few survival instincts. It’s also illegal to dump them.

A.S.K. conducts rescues of abandoned domestic fowl all over Michigan, predominantly in the city and suburbs of Detroit and rural and city communities of South Central Michigan. Our specialty is in rehabilitating special-needs birds; many of our rescues come to us with serious nutritional deficiencies, disabilities that impair walking or life-threatening infections requiring of extensive time and costs.

Lifelong rescue, including preventative and emergency vet care, is provided by an avian certified vet to give birds the best qualities of life for the duration of their lives. At A.S.K. birds are valued for who they are, not what they can provide us. We acknowledge that there are too many domestic birds and too few safe refuges for them, therefore no reproduction is allowed.

Special-Needs Dog Sanctuary

A.S.K. provides lifelong refuge, health care, rehabilitation, enrichment and love to previously neglected chained dogs on 100 rural acres. Our focus is on dogs that would be deemed “unadoptable” by traditional rescue programs. These are dogs that have been largely ignored their entire lives, left alone outside in all temperatures and whom have suffered immense neglect at the hands of humans. They may growl, bite or be lacking in emotional responses, but we open our hearts and home to them because they can have a new beginning with A.S.K., no matter how bad their past was. Our Sanctuary dogs serve as ambassadors to the hundreds that have not yet been rescued. Rehabilitated dogs may make special appearances at events and in schools to help break stereotypes about “bully” breeds especially. The Sanctuary is located on private property, and has a resident living on-site. It is not open to the public due to the special-needs and unpredictable behaviors of our residents with strangers. We are not a petting zoo.

Dogs live in a heated barn with constant access to outside yards and in special-needs foster home settings where A.S.K. provides 100% of their daily needs for life. Enrichment and love is an important component to Sanctuary dog life. Our dogs are an extension of our family and we intentionally keep our numbers low (20 residents or less) so that each dog receives one-on-one care for life. Toys, car rides, play dates on the property or occasionally off-site (depending on the dog) are frequent. Dogs that tolerate other dogs live with another dog.