We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Lukasiewicz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have been involved in animal activism for over 30 years. First becoming vegetarian and then vegan, I have always felt a kinship with animals. My family and I spent our vacations visiting sanctuaries even as far as England, but our favorite tradition was ThanksLiving at Farm Sanctuary in Orland California. Ten years ago, I was looking to return to my hometown in CA when I passed some land in AZ and thought “wonder if I could afford land to open a sanctuary?” Well, after being stuck in traffic on a Saturday afternoon in CA visiting family, I decided I was staying in AZ and buying property.

Surprisingly, I could afford the prices (mind you this was over 10 years ago when the market was at the bottom). I immediately contacted my realtor friend and the search was on. We viewed many properties in Gilbert and Chandler, but most were stand-alone where I was concerned for the safety of the animals I planned to rescue or there was no appropriate fencing and I was not in a position to drop a lot of money to build fences, enclosures and shade structures. After many months, my realtor found a place in Gilbert in an older farming community where all the lots were one acre. I made an offer just by driving into the area knowing the neighborhood would be perfect and safe. I was concerned about qualifying for the loan as I co-owned another house that was way underwater at the time and my debt-to-income ratio was extremely poor I had recently been denied refinancing on my car due to this. It seemed like it was meant to be when my loan agent was able to qualify me for the loan and we made an offer! We moved in and I was looking to rescue right away.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a payroll manager for a company that provides human resource and payroll software to thousands of businesses worldwide. I am proud of the office I work with and their dedication to each other and our clients. I am most proud of my amazing team who support each other, me, our customers, and their families with kindness and grace.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The hiking in the area is amazing and this time of year wildflowers are everywhere, We have many mountain preserves with thousand sof trails. McDowell, Estrella, Picacho Peak, South mountain,. We also have several animals sanctuaries well worth checking out. Lamuella, Freed Spirits, Better Piggies, Tranquility Trail. The food is also great here, Green All American Vegetarian, Seed Shack, Kind Bean, Ruchi, Sojos. So hike, support local sanctuaries and eat!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to the many dedicated animal rescues, and activist people and volunteers who give their heart and soul to help innocent creatures in our world. I can not say enough about the supporters of GWH. We could never do this without them and that makes me the happiest – belonging to this awe-inspiring community.

Website: https://www.gwhsanctuary.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/goatswithhornsanimalsanctuary/3066235267643792950/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoatswithHorns

Other: https://www.patreon.com/goatswithhorns https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/2727394

Image Credits
Sarah Zoom for Hope

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.