How did I get into Rescue. Well I guess was always in me. It started
when I saw a stray cat at our house when I was a little girl. My Mom
said, “Don’t feed that cat, it won’t leave if you do. “ Well, no one else
was obviously feeding the poor skinny beaten up animal. Why should I
ignore it if it came looking for help. And so it began….The life of helping
animals.
I found Cheryl Flanagan’s Save the Horses Rescue when I was a young
mom. It was exactly what I needed. So, my daughter’s life of rescue
began then too. I was always bringing her wherever I went and included
her with helping the animals and fundraising. I learned hands on at
STH’s. I was one of 5 volunteers. I figured out how to do fundraising to
help out. Soon, I got really good at it. Then, adopted one of the horses I
fell in love with. Eventually I knew I would want to work hard enough to
get my own farm to have room to take in more that couldn’t get
adopted out. A sister farm to STH’s. Eventually, I did get a 6 acre farm
in Hall County and moved away from Cumming. I ended up with 3
horses and 25 goats.
Knowing how I love cows, I started looking for another larger farm.
Daydream the 52 acre farm came after a few years of hard looking. I
started buying second hand items and saving them off Facebook
marketplace in order to save money. Then my Aunt and Uncle passed
away. Rodney and Wanda Day. They had no children but my sister and I
were the only nieces they had like having kids. I was the executor. I
knew it would give me a head start into my ‘calling’. Some of what they
left me helped to start the Rescue and I dedicated it to them. As they
loved animals. Their sailboat was named Daydream after their name.
And so it was created, Daydream Rescue Sanctuary.
I eventually found an abandoned farm land that wasn’t selling in 2018.
It had lots of potential and near that city. Unpolished ready to be turned
into what I like to call a Sanctuary with a parkesque feel (a park like feel).
After purchasing, the only thing there, was a gate and 10 feet of gravel
driveway. That was it! There was an abandoned yellow old chicken

house with good bones to work with and another building with not so
good bones that would eventually be torn down.
ALL open fields and NOTHING ELSE!! The rest was left up to my
imagination and lots of planning for the next 8 months until I was able to
get my friend involved for most of the labor.
During the next several months was just lots of mowing and bush
hogging and taking down some trees around the barn. Lots of
daydreaming, so to speak, of what I would need to do and many of,
“Where do I start this thing of building up a farm”.
I learned a lot about permits and laws. Then, it became clear….I needed
water and electric first. Then, planning to do the perimeter fencing and
pasture fencing. Then, came the barn. Finally, I could bring in some
animals.
My approach to rescue still wasn’t clear to me. It would evolve though.
Cheryl asked me to take in 3 that couldn’t be adopted out but need to
live out their days in a peaceful sanctuary. That was the Golden Girls:
Ruby, Juliet and Elsie. Then it became clear…a sanctuary where the ones
would come that are too difficult to adopt. But I still wanted to teach in
some capacity. Eventually, someone reached out to help with
occupational skills for Autistic young adults.
I agreed but didn’t know what I was in for until the first day. I guess I
channeled my Dad ( he was a excellent teacher all his life, that’s a whole
different story) because I realized the first day this would be a different
challenge. By the end of the first year, I couldn’t believe how it would
change me for the better. More importantly, how it changed my
students. 2 of 5 got jobs with insurance. Combining senior/needy
animals with humans in need is essential for positive change.
So, Daydream Rescue Sanctuary has evolved. And it may keeping
evolving. It is so important to keep evolving and learning for the better
of animals and humanity. And I decided to get into livestock sanctuary
work because it is not common. Livestock animals, horses included, are
very underrated and misunderstood. Just as special needs people are.
I was asked once, why do I need to teach kindness? Well, just take a look
around. Someone needs to and I wanted to start with the little kiddos.
They are our future. Senior animals have a lot to offer just like our
human elders. Spend time with them and you will know what I mean.

This is Daydream’s Journey,Story and Mission. Come along and be a Daydreamer too.