The next six weeks are going to change the shape of Lily’s Place. We’re preparing for six new rescues, all arriving in a short window, each carrying their own story, their own history, and their own need for a gentle beginning. And this year, we’re setting our sights high — very high — because these newcomers deserve a start strong enough to carry them into the rest of their lives.

If you’ve been with us a while, you know how seriously we take the “first 90 days.” It’s the stabilization window — the time when frightened animals learn the rhythm of sanctuary life. It echoes the 3–

3–3 rule used in dog rescue:

• 3 days to decompress.
• 3 weeks to settle.
• 3 months to begin believing they’re safe.

At Lily’s Place, those first 90 days are where the transformation begins.

It’s when worried goats start eating without looking over their shoulders.
It’s when sheep with roaming eyes begin to relax into the flock.
It’s when the sounds of the barn (doors sliding, human footsteps, gates opening and closing) stop feeling like threats.

It’s the beginning of peace.

And over the next six weeks, we’ll be making this transition not once, but six times.

Some of the animals coming in are leaving situations that turned unexpectedly dangerous.
Some are arriving from a rare situation where animals are seldom given a chance at a future.

No matter how their stories began, the moment they step off the trailer, everything changes. You’ve seen it before: the relief, the softening, the tiny shift in their posture when they start to understand they’ve landed someplace steady.

That’s what Giving Tuesday will create this year.

Our goal is ambitious and straightforward:

To fully fund the first 90 days of care for all six new residents.

Last year, we shared the math behind those first 90 days — a cost of $8.34/day, or $750.60 per animal for their stabilization period.

This year, multiplying that by six gives us:
$750.60 × 6 = $4,504.

This amount covers the whole stabilization period for each newcomer:
 Initial and follow-up vet care, vaccinations, parasite screening and treatment, medical supplies, specialized feed, bedding, and the everyday essentials that help them settle into a safe routine.

Nothing beyond that — just the actual cost of giving six animals a strong beginning.

Once the goal is met on Giving Tuesday, you can expect to watch these stories unfold in real time:

• their first moments stepping into sanctuary life,
• calming and hopeful updates from their early weeks,
• reflections from the barn on how trust grows,
• the small, joyful milestones that show what “the first 90 days” really look like.

It’s a high target, but this community has always shown up for new beginnings — and these six animals are about to start the biggest one of their lives.

Thank you for being here and for helping make Lily’s Place a landing spot for those who need it most.

—Jamie Sabot

Executive Director
hello@lilysplace.ca