This is Part II of my journey through Best Friends Animal Society‘s Running A Lifesaving Sanctuary Certification program.
Enrolling in the “Running A Lifesaving Sanctuary” certification (RLSC) marked the beginning of my three-month commitment toward planning my own sanctuary. This structured program, featuring sixteen comprehensive modules, weekly lectures, and group discussions, serves dual purposes: deepening my understanding of shelter operations and testing my readiness for this path. The discussions with peers — ranging from experienced operators to fellow dreamers — provide invaluable real-world perspectives that inform my sanctuary planning process.
The Many Paths Forward
No two sanctuaries begin the same way. Different organizations offer varying approaches to getting started. Donor Box emphasizes beginning with in-depth research before strategic planning, while leaving naming and mission development for later stages. Best Friends Animal Society, in their How to Start A Sanctuary guide, begins with shelter considerations, yet advises starting with research, mission statements, and clear goals when building a rescue operation. Across online communities, three elements consistently emerge as crucial first steps: research, funding, and nonprofit status.
These diverse perspectives reflect an important truth: everyone’s starting point differs. Some of my classmates began after rescuing a single stray, while others started with property already in hand. Several built upon decades of existing industry connections and experience. Each journey is uniquely shaped by individual circumstances.
RLSC guides students first through the legal and strategic foundations — from selecting a name to assembling a board, navigating IRS requirements, and developing strategic plans. In fact, my initial assignments included researching available organizational names and crafting vision and mission statements.
Beginning with Zero
My first RLSC session hit me with a stark reality: I had no idea where to begin. Unlike many of my peers, I started with nothing but a passion to help dogs. Basic questions paralyzed me: Should we be a “rescue” or a “society”? Focus on street dogs or surrenders? Start with fosters or build a facility? Each option spawned endless possibilities.
Seeking direction, I turned to a concept popularized by Simon Sinek in the business world: Start with Why. Sinek argues that great companies spring from core beliefs — their “why” — before determining how they’ll operate or what they’ll produce. “People don’t buy what you do,” he insists, “they buy why you do it.”
Apple exemplifies this principle. From computers to iPhones, Apple began with one belief: challenging the status quo through different thinking. Looking at a market filled with complex, button-laden devices designed primarily for technical users, this “why” led them to prioritize elegant design and intuitive usability (their “how”) in creating products people love. Customers bought into the vision of thinking differently as much as the devices themselves.
This framework offered my first real direction. Instead of drowning in operational details, I could start with my core purpose.
The Journey to Purpose
Step 1: Starting with Why
Why help dogs at all?
My volunteer experiences held the answer. Whether watching a fearful dog learn trust or seeing a volunteer’s face light up after a breakthrough walking session, one truth emerged: the human-dog bond transforms both species. This wasn’t just about saving dogs — it was about creating opportunities for humans and dogs to elevate each other.
Step 2: Articulating the Gap
Yet these perfect moments of connection remain rare glimpses.
Reality often tells a different story: middle-aged dogs languishing in kennels, street animals surviving without care, burned-out dog welfare advocates, and facilities that dampen rather than nurture potential. These aren’t isolated problems but symptoms of a deeper issue: insufficient awareness and engagement in understanding how the human-canine bond can transform lives.
Step 3: Defining the How
Only people, empowered by awareness and knowledge, could consistently deliver the ideal relationship.
Just as Apple used design to humanize technology, my organization would use community engagement and knowledge sharing to transform dog welfare. We wouldn’t build just another shelter — we’d create a model for uniting people to forge better human-dog bonds.
Step 4: Researching the What
This goal, though, could still take many forms: a sanctuary, a home-based rescue, or a spay-neuter clinic. Understanding local needs through careful research and a root cause analysis would normally reveal the most effective path.
Given RLSC’s sanctuary focus, in the upcoming weeks of the course, I will focus on how a facility could strengthen human-dog relationships through two channels: deep community integration to boost awareness and adoption, and pioneering care practices that enhance life quality for both dogs and their human caregivers.
Step 5: Vision, Mission, and Strategic Planning
My pages of scattered notes can finally be evolved into clear vision and mission statements. After studying sanctuaries worldwide, the vision of my sanctuary crystallized: “A world where no dogs are left behind.” Our mission followed: “To bring people together to tackle dog homelessness.”
These statements will now guide every decision. Location, programs, and operations flow naturally from this foundation. While the solutions may, and will, evolve as we move onto the next stage of planning and building, fundamental vision should always remain constant. Decisions about housing, branding, and funding naturally flow from a well-defined mission addressing root causes.
Moving Forward with Clarity
While establishing the foundation remains crucial, certain parallel processes demand immediate attention due to their time-intensive nature. Once purpose and activities are determined, nonprofit legal formation becomes essential for donation management and tax exemption. Property acquisition and zoning requirements often involve lengthy bureaucratic processes. Legal protections must precede operational commitments.
These administrative processes significantly impact timeline and operations, making early initiation vital for success. But these aren’t mere checkboxes anymore — they’re stepping stones toward our defined goal. Though still starting from zero in resources, I now have rich reserves of direction and purpose.
Understanding my “why” transformed an overwhelming array of possibilities into a focused mission. Every decision serves one purpose: uniting people to build extraordinary human-dog relationships. This journey taught me that the best first step isn’t action but understanding — not what you’ll do, but why you’ll do it.
What began as a paralyzing question of “where do I start?” has evolved into an energizing vision of where I’m going. The next lessons and challenges await, but now each step carries purpose and direction.
This is Part II of my journey through Best Friends Animal Society‘s Running A Lifesaving Sanctuary Certification program.