Valley Of The Kings Sanctuary And Retreat

Have visited several times recently. Very clean, the animals are well cared for and loved by staff and volunteers.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS, (VOTK) is a fantastic place. The animals are well treated and the volunteers are great. There has been a lot of changes over the years....many animals have died due to old age or health problems. Many buildings have been raised to help with the care of the animals. Many rules have had to change. Members used to be able to feed the big cats with a stick, but due to safety concerns members are no longer allowed to feed the big cats.
But somethings will never change....once the animals arrive at VOTK they never leave, this is their forever home. The workers and volunteers have always and always will go above and beyond for these animals.

I have volunteered here for many years because I love animals and the great care they get here. It is not fancy since any money they get goes for the care of the animals, and many live much longer than normal expectancies. Mainly because they are given needed cares, including meds and diets, through illness and senior years. When they are at end of life, they are humanly euthanized. (NOT left to die in misery as a previous review indicated). The federal and Wi inspectors come regularly; any dings are minor or related to changes of regulations. This is a wonderful place for variety of animals rescued from miserable conditions.

Although the volunteers love the animals and take as good of care of them as possible, the conditions are far from sanitary and healthy for the animals. The owners are never around, they don’t interact with the volunteers and are rarely ever seen. The sanctuary is run down, dirty, and unorganized. The portable toilets are absolutely disgusting and had human waste all the way to the rim of the toilet seat for MONTHS. It’s a shame that this place has gone downhill so quickly as I loved this place. The corrupt ownership of this sanctuary has allowed for a perfectly healthy horse, that was rescued, to be shot and fed to the big cats. As a sanctuary, animals should not be shot and fed to the other animals, especially when there is plenty of other food available. To my knowledge many of the volunteers loved the horse and took care of her. Don’t waste your money donating or becoming a member, the sanctuary should be shut down for the sake of the animals.

The animals are deeply loved and well cared for. Every bit of money that comes in goes for the care of the animals. The animals are always happy to see the volunteers and employees. These animals make me smile, make me laugh and calm my stress.

Don’t waste your time or money. This place is run down, old. The owners should be embarrassed to charge membership. It may have been cool to visit years ago, not now. I researched this place, it’s not accredited. They apparently have been black balled from ever receiving any more lions or tigers. The owners are in poor health and the whole place is haphazardly managed.
When I visited, there was a poor lion that was skin and bones and couldn’t move, how is that humane?
The USDA should shut this place down.

I have had the honor of volunteering here for the past 3 years. It is truly a "Little piece of Heaven". You get hands on experience with the animals. Where can you go that the goats can't wait to see you and as you walk down the path you pass a tiger, turn the corner and there's another. It is all run by volunteers and we do work hard to take care of the animals, we work together as a team with the owner. You have the opportunity to help an organization make a difference for animals that have no voice. I truly cherish my time there you get to develop a relationship with the animals. As you work you hear the lions roar, the cows moo and hear all the other animals. It is truly a special place.

They are not accredited, having failed year after year to meet the requirements. The founder has allowed several big cats to die a slow death rather than euthanizing. Is it legal for the owner to euthanize the animals, isn’t a license required, not to mention diagnosing and administering controlled drugs?
They have butchered and fed horses that were rescued to the big cats. There is so much wrong behind the scenes. Take a closer look.

Valley of the Kings is my favorite place on Earth. I had the privilege of volunteering here for years before I moved to California. It is a sacred place where animals live out their lives being loved and cared for. It was incredible to be so close to the magnificent cats and other animals. I’ll be forever grateful for the time spent here. Thanks to Jim and Jill for their dedication and hard work.

I started my membership in 1997. When I first visited, I was amazed by the way the residents behaved. They were relaxed, fed daily, loved, pens are cleaned regularly. Never in my life had I seen what appeared to be happy captive animals. I heard chuffing, moaning, and roaring communication between both the animals and the humans. Although the facility runs on a small budget it is obvious that the residents in the care of Jill, Jim, and the volunteers come first. After 20-years, and an even smaller budget the residents still come first and are well cared for.

I have volunteered at Valley of the Kings. The owners give everything they have to help these animals. They desperately need all the help they can get. Everything they do is to try and save these animals. It is not an easy job. They need help, please consider volunteering on weekends or donating.

I am a certified veterinary technician in the state of Illinois. One of our class volunteer trips was to visit VOTK and that's where i first got involved. As a CVT, it is my job to assist in the health and well-being of the animal kingdom. I firmly believe because of the unconditional love and non judgemental character our animal companions offer us, it is my duty to provide the up most health service i can in repayment for how our friends can benefit our lives. Once i became a regular volunteer at VOTK, i learned that any animal, pocket sized or 900 pounds, is capable of providing people with health benefits we all are familiar with. Being a volunteer here has changed my world in ways indescribable and is of course a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

My name is Andy Carlson and I have been a volunteer at Valley of the Kings for 16 1/2 years. VOTK is in my opinion, a model for how a big cat sanctuary should be managed and operated. Jill and Jim are completely devoted to the animals in their care and they have truly worked some miracles for their animals. Most of the big cats have come from abandoned, abused or neglected backgrounds. Jill and Jim, along with the help of their dedicated volunteers have helped heal the animals not only physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. To see these animals being “reborn” through love, kindness and respect is simply amazing. The other magical thing is, the animals share this message with new arrivals. Last year a new tiger arrived as it was just turning dark. As the back of the special transport trailer was opened we could see the tiger in his rolling crate and he was not real happy. He didn’t know where he was and he had been on the road for a number of hours. As he started to growl, suddenly in the darkness behind us we heard the lions and tigers who live at VOTK let out a thunderous chorus roar, as if to say “it’s okay, you are safe here, welcome home, we are glad you are here to join us”. Within seconds of the new arrival hearing that message you could see him almost as though he was taking a deep breath, exhaling and starting to relax. This is only one story that illustrates how dedicated and committed VOTK is to the animals in her care.

Thank you,
Andy Carlson .

I first stepped onto Valley of the Kings' property in April 2003. They had me with the first roar! I knew I had found what my heart had been searching for all my life. The energy from the big cats envelopes you and sustains you all day. I have never worked so hard and enjoyed it so much in my life. The animals are so grateful for our being there. You can see the love in their eyes. After a day of hard work it is often even harder to get in the car and drive off.

I have been volunteering at Valley of the Kings (VOTK) for just over a year. In addition to the big cats, VOTK has a variety of other animals that were in need of refuge. Whatever circumstances brought these animals to VOTK's doorstep, the result was the same, they were finally home. Regardless of the chore a volunteer does, not only do the animals benefit but so does the volunteer. Its a win-win situation for all involved. The animals now have a forever home and volunteers get the privilege of seeing them flourish and grow. It is this type of environment that makes VOTK truly define the word sanctuary.

Valley of the Kings does an absolutely amazing job caring for animals with extremely limited resources. Many of these animals come to them from abusive situations, requiring extensive care, which is provided with a huge dose of love. I never cease to be amazed by what a small group of committed, volunteers accomplish at this wonderful sanctuary.

Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat is an amazing place. The animals who come to live there get the best care financially possible and all of the love we have. The people that I work with are dedicated to the animals and inspire me to come back week after week. The animals themselves are incredibly sociable and grateful, I can tell. VOTK does so much good work and has saved so many animals, but we have the capability to do more if only we had more money.

I have been a volunteer at The Valley of the Kings, (VOTK) for over 5 years. I started out cleaning up the compound after the horses and sheep were out all week long. What a lot of work that was. Then I got to fill the big cat's water buckets. That was very rewarding. The lions and tigers always love fresh water....and when you fill the tigers bath tubs....what joy. Most tigers love to soak in their tubs for hours on hot summer days, and can not wait for you to fill the tubs with fresh cold water. I have done many jobs there since my first year. I have been on many many tours of VOTK and every one is very educational and interesting, still. There is so much to learn about these animals, from the bunny rabbits to the lions. VOTK is about big cats, and their hardships before they arrive at the farm. But the owners do not keep the sanctuary just for the big cats. There are many other different kinds of animals there, that needed a forever home. One of my most memorable tid bits of a tour was that there are now more tigers in captivity than there are out in the wild. And most of the captive tigers are not treated as they should be. That is why sanctuaries are around, to take the animals that need love and excellent care. Valley of the Kings can use every penny possible for feeding and caring for the animals and upgrades on the enclosures and buildings. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

I have been a volunteer at VOTK for over 10 years and it is a place of love and devotion to those animals that live there. Most of the rescues are the big cats, but they take any animal in need from horses to sheep to lions to wolves and more. It is a farm-not fancy- and any money received goes into the care of the animals. They are all fed on a daily basis and all have a shelter area and toys. (Watching the big cats playing with large balls just like a house cat is so fun).The pens are large enough to run in; much unlike the places many have come from. It is painful to see these animals come when they are thin and fearful of humans and even open spaces. But after a bit they gain weight and aren't so scared, and you know that you have helped give them a much better life. When they actually recognize you and come to the fence to greet you; well, there is no better feeling in the world.