Our Founder Susan Bandy was honored to participate in a panel discussion on pet loss and grief support hosted by Friends of Rhinebeck Cemetery at the Starr Library. The event was well attended and received positive feedback on the conversation covering pet hospice care, the decision to euthanize, options for …
The autumn equinox has arrived, leaves are turning color and summer has officially come to a close. We, for one, are thankful for the cooler temperatures. It’s been a buggy steamy sauna of a summer and we’re just grateful to report that no one melted. We watched all the baby …
It’s funny how a picture can change your life. It was a warm spring day in May when a picture of a beautiful Thoroughbred mare flashed across The Lily Pond’s FaceBook feed… and she was in a kill pen tagged to ship to slaughter in Mexico. Upon further investigation, there …
2024 may be the year of the dragon, but the sanctuary has gone to the dogs as we welcomed three new tail-wagging friends over the past nine months. Katonah KATONAH is a gorgeous peach-and-cream, blue-eyed bombshell of a husky. What we know of his story begins with his abandonment in …
We recently had to say goodbye to three beloved members of The Lily Pond family. These transitions are never easy… in fact they are devastating. One of the most difficult aspects of animal rescue is grieving the loss of their passing – a challenge we face regularly given our focus …
HAPPY stepped across our threshold in 2019, an explosion of joy in a tiny, special-needs body. Rescued from an abusive home, Happy had a neurological condition that made it difficult for him to keep his balance. Initially dubious about his name, we changed our minds after five minutes in the …
PATCHES was a shy kitty with a rough start in life, but many people who loved and cared for him. He was living in a feral colony at the Orange County fairgrounds, having a difficult time of it with the combination of health issues and being bullied by other cats. …
In the summer of 2023 we completed a large rescue of feral cats at a neighboring farm when the property sold. Several were only tiny, sick, starving kittens fighting for their lives at the time… one kitten was even born here following the rescue of his pregnant mother! We are …
Saturday October 26, 2024 | 2:00-4:00pm | $65 Per Person Join us for an afternoon of fun and creativity painting a portrait of your very own pet! Artist Michelle Becker will host the workshop and proceeds benefit the animals at The Lily Pond Sanctuary. Wine and light refreshments will be …
The publication of this newsletter was delayed when our Treeing Walker Coonhound, Dolly, unexpectedly became ill. She was fine all week, then refused to eat Saturday morning. Her breathing was labored and she was weak on her feet. Susan immediately rushed her to the emergency clinic, where they diagnosed anemia …
Happy New Year! We look back over the last six months of 2023 with a sense of wonder, excited to share all the work we’ve accomplished with your support for the many animals who arrived at the sanctuary. Summer arrived crashing and booming as thunder storms struck on a daily …
Click below to read the transcript or listen to Ralph Gardner Jr.’s touching broadcast “A Different Kind of Sanctuary” about his dog Wallie and the family’s experience at Sienna Sky and The Lily Pond Sanctuary.
Once upon a time there was a working cattle farm with a barn full of cats. There for the purpose of hunting mice, they did their best to survive, foraging for food from the dumpster and burrowing in hay bales to keep warm in the winter. Then one day in …
We are always grateful for our donors, sponsors and volunteers at the sanctuary. Their support is critical to our work in helping rescued animals in need. In 2023, we witnessed a new trend of support coming from… children! Following are some examples of the incredible compassion shown to our animals by people under the age of ten. When we worry about the state of the world during these troubled times, we find comfort knowing that the future of the planet is in good hands.
Meet Joey Neet (4 years old), Malea Alberts (10 years old), and Elianna Campese-Korman (9 years old).
If you’ve been following the work of The Lily Pond in recent years, you know that we’ve focused on providing a safe landing for ex-racehorses rescued from the kill pen. Once again, we were given the opportunity to help a horse who escaped the slaughter pipeline. But this horse had …
by Susan Bandy We recently had to say goodbye to three beloved members of The Lily Pond family. These transitions are never easy… in fact they are devastating. One of the most difficult aspects of animal rescue is grieving the loss of their passing – a challenge we face regularly …
WHISKEY was a tiny little Pomeranian with an outsized dynamo personality. Arriving in 2021 as a blind, diabetic senior, he quickly appointed himself King of the Castle and stole our hearts… especially mine. Whiskey followed me everywhere and had the most endearing habit of jumping into my arms and snuggling …
OTIS was a stately gentleman. A gray and white cat of quiet demeanor, he was diagnosed with diabetes at the same time his owner began a battle with cancer and could not longer care for him. Thus he arrived at The Lily Pond in 2019 after we were contacted by …
ELSA was a unique mix with the coloring and protective instinct of a Shepherd but the diminutive size and short legs of a Corgi. And she had the most adorable ears! They stuck out sideways like a canine Yoda. Elsa was saved by a rescue organization from a kill shelter …
What happens when you’re a harness racing Standardbred trotter who is afraid of pulling a jockey in a sulky? Roll To Thunder had 25 starts but never won a race. He was quickly retired from the track, sold into farm labor and pulling a buggy. Fast forward many years, Thunder …