Noah’s Ark Sanctuary was built on the therapy that animals have brought to Stacey ,”Star,” Ferguson since she was a small child. Stacey,”Star,” Ferguson suffered early childhood abuse and found comfort in surrounding herself with lots of stuffed animals in her childhood. She was always drawn to her pets, including turtles, dogs, a mouse, and fish and really connected with them as her friends during her youth as she suffered mentally from post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. During her teen years Stacey was placed in counseling and would often cry to her dog that was removed from her home following a family divorce. The dog was a real comfort to Stacey and helped her emotionally as she continued to deal with mental anguish. In her 20’s Stacey started taking in dogs and a cat that needed a home. Stacey was dedicated to their upmost care as she still battled mentally with her childhood trauma. Stacey worked hard to not give up on the animals even if she found herself moving around a lot as she battled mental and physical instability. Stacey traveled around California picking up small dogs that needed homes and found herself delighted in taking care of them and wanted more than anything to make taking care of animals her full time job. It was when Stacey brought 9 small dogs and a cat with her to Kern County is when Noah’s Ark Sanctuary was closer to becoming her reality. In Kern County Stacey was placed in a situation where 100’s of pot belly pigs needed to be fed from a lady that was on drugs and hoarding them as well as feeding up to 30 cats a day along with her own cat, her dog, and some chickens she took in. Stacey worked tirelessly to feed all the animals and take care of them as best she could until a rescue came to pick up the pigs. Stacey took 13 cats, 1 peacock, several chickens, a rooster and 10 dogs with her and moved to start Noah’s Ark Sanctuary in the Kern River Valley. Stacey has taken in over 35 cats for her community and currently takes care of 20 dogs, 16 chickens, 3 roosters, 2 peacocks, 10 rabbits, 6 guinea pigs, and two Vietnamese mini pigs. Stacey is in counseling weekly and has achieved post traumatic growth and taking care of unwanted animals and animals that need homes is her main form of therapy. Stacey would love for everyone to take the time to care for animals and watch it change their lives! Proverbs 12:10 inspires Stacey to do the best job possible for the animals in her care. And she is thankful everyday to be living the life she is living with the animals all around her.