OUR STORY
WARF focuses on saving the animals that fall through the cracks in shelters and other facilities and find themselves truly out of time. We don't discriminate due to age, disability, breed, behavior, size, color, etc. We take in those that others will not, and we never give up on our animals. We are completely volunteer-run, so every penny donated goes directly to the animals. Our sanctuary has been a true lifesaver, as it offers a safe place for animals to decompress and recover at their own speed and with their own space, contrary to a traditional shelter environment.
OUR MISSION
To provide safe and loving homes for animals who would otherwise be destined for euthanasia.
To provide education regarding responsible pet care guidelines including the importance of training, veterinary care, exercise and socialization.
To alleviate suffering and promote kindness whenever and wherever possible.
We are a volunteer-led organization with no paid administrators, so every penny donated goes toward helping animals. If you can donate time or money to help, we'd love to hear from you!
OUR BOARD
Tracy Horton
Tracy lives in Incline Village with her 4 year old rescue pup Luna. A part time resident for nearly 30 years, she moved to Incline Village full time 4 years ago. By day she is a software engineer but by night and weekend she is a "day laborer" at the WARF Sanctuary, fundraiser & event specialist and Professional Lemon Drop Cocktail maker!
Mark Dillon
Mark retired after 34+ years from a major oil and gas company working primarily in various accounting departments and as a senior business analyst for accounting systems development. Mark is providing consulting services on WARF finances and assisting, as needed, with day-to-day questions on processing transactions in QuickBooks. He also is volunteering on several work projects underway at the Sanctuary.
Donna Coombs
Donna has lived in the Lake Tahoe area for over 20 years. She began volunteering with WARF 7 years ago putting her passion for animals into her work. She has been instrumental in getting the sanctuary going through helping with fundraising to doing the dirt work! She currently has 6 animals living in the household with Donna and her husband Thomas. In her free time, she is out and about on the local trails with her dogs and friends.
Samantha Wood
Samantha Wood was raised by parents who loved animals. In 1996, Samantha moved to Lake Tahoe and began working for the local veterinarian, where she worked as a vet tech until that doctor retired in 2003. During her time at the clinic, Samantha met Wylie, an elderly dog who had been left at the shelter and who became a treasured member of her family until his death, at which point she got together a group of like-minded friends and began rescuing dogs and cats from the euthanasia lists of local shelters. This went on for many years on a grass-roots basis, and thousands of animals were saved. In 2015, the group began the search for property to build a sanctuary and be able to help many more animals, and today that dream has nearly become a reality.
Samantha shares her life with her husband and teenaged son, as well as countless rescued animals and sometimes even a wild creature or two in need of care. In addition to her animal rescue activities, She enjoys giving back and helping others, although her true passion will always be animals. Samantha will stop everything to help an animal in need, including holding traffic for an injured rabbit, chasing a lost dog for hours, and constantly speaking up for those who can't.
