The Residents

Meet the Animals

Every animal here has a past. Some of them are hard to hear. But they're all safe now.

Their Stories

Where they came from. What happened to them. Who they are now. Learn about our mission.

Zee the zebra at Odessa Animal Sanctuary, rescued from a roadside zoo 15 years ago

You don't forget where they came from. But you can make sure they never go back.

Zee The Zebra

Before Zee came to us 15 years ago, he was cooped up in a small cage travelling around Florida in a small roadside Zoo. When we got Zee, he would not come within 30 ft of any humans for at least 8 months. He did slowly start to gain trust and started getting closer to us. He now will eat out of your hands, absolutely loves to give kisses and if you're lucky, he will let you rub his head. One of his favorite visitors is Kelly Chapman. She brings him his favorite treats; "oatmeal frosted cookies".

Prince the rescued Paso Fino horse at Odessa Animal Sanctuary

You don't forget where they came from. But you can make sure they never go back.

Prince The Paso Fino

We rescued Prince 13 years ago. Unfortunately, after he was born, he was left in a stall that he never left, uncared for, until the age of 1 yrs old, and that's when we rescued him. Prince was "skin and bones"!! With not a good prognosis from the vet of living much longer or having a healthy life, Andy went to work!! After many meals, exercise, and devoted love, Prince was "coming to life". Andy trained with him EVERYDAY and he was able to ride him too!!!

Buddy the mini paint horse, the first farm animal rescued by Odessa Animal Sanctuary

You don't forget where they came from. But you can make sure they never go back.

Buddy The Mini

Buddy came to us almost 20 years ago. He was tied to a fence, nowhere to roam and the owner wanted to find him a home. What made him special is that Buddy was the first farm animal that created our rescue beyond our dog and cat rescues. Unfortunately Buddy passed away last year and it's a huge loss to all of us. Buddy lived a wonderful long life at OAS.

Scotty the 2000-pound bull relaxing in the sun at Odessa Animal Sanctuary

You don't forget where they came from. But you can make sure they never go back.

Scotty The Bull

Scotty came to us almost 11 years ago. He is that and more weighing in at a huge 2000lbs. Scotty came to us from a breeder that wanted him gone or he was going to end his life!! (breeders will do this when they think an animal isn't perfect for their breeding program) Unfortunately, we have seen this many times!! In fact, we have many different species of farm animals here at OAS from breeders that "wanted them gone". This is one of the many downsides of any animal breeding!! Scotty loves human interactions, being petted, eating and laying out in the sun!! Unfortunately Scotty passed away in May 2025 and it's a huge loss to all of us. Scotty lived a wonderful life at OAS.

Sulcata tortoises in their outdoor habitat at Odessa Animal Sanctuary

You don't forget where they came from. But you can make sure they never go back.

Sulcata Tortoises

We have many of these very large tortoises coming to us for various reasons. The main reason is that people no longer can care for them because they got to big. Some have been mistreated too. We even rescued one that has a hole in its shell so it could be chained to a tree. These creatures can live up to 180 years old. Known as generational pets, they get passed down from generation to generation. Many think that they are "slow moving", but NOT TRUE. They "MOVE"!! They LOVE their salads, no dressing, of course!!

Photo Gallery

What a normal day looks like around here

They Need You To Keep Going

These animals depend on us, and we depend on people like you. Anything helps.

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