Our Mission

To provide a safe haven for senior, palliative and special needs animals.

SAINTS is a place for senior and special needs animals who have no place else to go. In our care they receive appropriate medical attention, live in a safe and open environment, and get to enjoy their remaining years being celebrated for who they are as individuals.

If, in time, we can find them a special home of their own then we do. If that very special home never comes, they will be safe and cherished right here with us until the end of their days.

Our Vision

To build a community which values the lives of elderly, palliative, and special needs animals and meets their needs through kindness and empathy.

How does SAINTS operate?

SAINTS is a non-profit organization funded by donations and supported by an incredible network of people in our community and virtually through online channels. Our operations include three functional teams working together for our common cause.

Management Team

Along with our talented staff, SAINTS' management team works to establish sound animal welfare, and successful facility operations, ensuring that our animals have a safe and loving home.

Volunteer Team

Our volunteers help to keep the wheels moving at SAINTS, and selflessly handle various tasks and jobs to assist the staff team in ensuring smooth operations for our animals.

Board of Directors

With varying experience in fields such as accounting, fundraising, human resources, and IT, our board of directors provides fiduciary oversight and support for SAINTS.

Our Story

SAINTS was formed in December 2004 after our founder, Carol Hine, and fellow volunteers from local animal shelters saw many senior animals spending their last days in a shelter or pound, often considered “unadoptable” because of their age and/or infirmities.

Wee Hopeful Bug, a small but mighty tabby cat, was one of those animals. Bug had chronic IBS, and there was no way that traditional shelter environments could meet her needs. Bug needed a special environment, without added stresses, where she could be herself and live as normal a cat life as possible.

From that very special need, and with the desire to help many animals like Bug, SAINTS was born.

When we moved into our first location, we started with 16 cats (including Bug), 12 dogs, and two rabbits. Since the doors were opened, the number of animals in need has been astounding and ever-growing.

In 2006, we moved into our permanent home on three beautiful acres in Mission, BC, to accommodate the need for our unique kind of care. Here, animals of many species have exactly what they need to flourish as exactly who they are. They have a warm and cozy home, a sturdy and well-constructed barn, several specialized outbuildings, fields to roam in, and a pond to swim in.

Our sanctuary provides a cage-free lifestyle for the animals. Kennels are used for safety only and are temporary. Once our animals are settled in, they can roam freely in an area with other animals with whom they can safely cohabit.

No matter their age, injuries, or ailments, the animals at SAINTS are honoured and respected for who they are. Issues such as bathroom accidents and insecurities are all part of the expected day-to-day around here. We simply roll with whatever events unfold in a given day, while ensuring all of the animals have their necessities met and feel loved and safe.

Carol Hine, SAINTS Founder
Wee Hopeful Bug
Sweet SAINTS co-founder, Wee Hopeful Bug