Vivor's Santuary
I call my home with my animals “Vivor’s Sanctuary.” Vivor is my dog’s name. It’s short for survivor. I’ve created a safe and peaceful space away from any chance of ending up lost in a lost world. A sanctuary. For my brave, unique, sweet survivors. Free from exploitation and oppression. Helping them live fully as themselves, to the highest of my ability. Holding a vibration of love and harmony for the world we can choose to walk into at any point in time. A place to be free.
To See is to Love and to Love is to See
I've come to believe that the two greatest gifts we can give an animal that is kept as a companion, beyond meeting their basic needs, are allowing them to be fully alive and bearing witness to it. They, just like us, are unique emanations of this planet and Universe that exist in this now moment at the same moment as you, the person seeing them. They will never exist again in this exact way nor will you. It's a one of a kind never to be experienced again communion of life. In the moment of seeing an animal fully, it gives them the gift of being known and fully seen by consciousness itself. That animal will leave its physical form having been known, which quite literally expands its actual tangible ripple of existence. All their little idiosyncrasies, who they are, what makes them them, it opens us up. Our capacity to pick up those traits. As we open up to them, we open up to Source. It's a mutually beneficial phenomenon.
Within this practice, there comes a threshold to cross. To go from a place of seeing to a place of sensing, or “third eye” Seeing. Seeing with your whole being. This requires a certain level of mental quietness and physical surrender. It requires a connection to your intuition and to your free-flowing feelings. Your ability to sense will start to ripple from a horse or a cat, to a spider, to a tree, to another human, to the world, to society, to the Universe.
Now you see and feel simultaneously, on a sensory level, in a state of loving awareness. Now you are tapped into a state where all Goodness unfolds.
My hope is that sharing a glimpse of each of my animals not only deepens the energetically, immortally etched picture of each of them, but also provides a jumping-off point into the world of Seeing.
I invite you to see my beautiful and perfect animals.
May we all be fully seen, and in turn, may we all be fully loved.
And so it is.
VIVOR
Short for “survivor.” My starry-eyed dragon. She's been my companion since 2014, when I found her skin and bones at the South LA Shelter, terrified of human touch. She's been with me through the majority of my adult journey, guiding me, comforting me, teaching me, healing me. She's crystal clear with her thoughts and needs. She's stubborn, opinionated, bossy, and melts into a goofball when she knows she has my full attention. She sometimes wishes she was an only child, but she understands that I have a purpose to fulfill. She's happiest when she's outside going on adventures with me. She likes nature walks as much as she likes town outings. She hates being on a leash, and she lights up when I take it off. She can be sneaky, and she demands princess treatment. She's patient and understanding with other animals if they respect her presence. She's an alpha dog and will sternly let that be known without causing harm. She's patient with children and can sometimes fixate on specific things, like the sound of a bouncing basketball or a stick. She's competitive and only likes to play if it's a one-to-one game with me. We interchange dynamics and roles. Fluid like water and wind. Sometimes, she is my daughter, my baby. Sometimes, she is my caretaker, my guide, my healer. Sometimes, we are playmates, and sometimes, we are sisters. At times, she is my mother and I, her child. She's the reason I ventured out into nature year after year on solo camping trips with just her and I under the great starry nights, the reason I found all the hidden nature gems around LA and our favorite spots, the reason I felt brave enough to sleep in cheap motels on road trips with her with me, and the reason stepped into my ever growing role of being an earthly caretaker for my many animals. Now nearly 15 years old, with still as much personality as ever before, we look back on our journey and feel that is truly has been a shared grand adventure.
MISS KITTY
When I adopted Mister Kitty and Miss Kitty from the East LA Valley Shelter, there had been an outbreak of panleukopenia. I adopted them knowing that they may have been exposed to it. When they started showing symptoms, Vivor stepped up and took it upon herself to lie next to them, keeping them warm and licking them for comfort. Vivor is not usually an affectionate dog with her animal siblings, but this was a special circumstance. When Mister and Miss survived, Vivor went back to her normal amount of affection, but Miss Kitty never forgot. To this day, ten years later, Miss Kitty naps with Vivor, massages her, rubs up against her, and wants to be around her as much as possible. Miss Kitty is undyingly loyal to those she loves. To anyone else, she has an impenetrable boundary. She holds her space. She keeps her distance. She is the greatest gauge of energy in the house. If someone visits who she feels the slightest bit unsafe around, she hides. If the house is ajar, she does not lie out in her usual basking spots. She loves her third eye massaged and lets out massive meows of enjoyment. She purrs and twirls around me. And when she lies on me, her purrs and weighted curves dissipate any lingering anxiety. She's beautiful and queenly. She knows her worth and expects you to honor that if you are to be in her space. She's sensitive and sweet. She's direct and clear. She's feminine and motherly. She doesn't ask for much accept for all of the above. She never makes messes or tears up the house. She appreciates when I lie down on the couch and rest, promptly stepping into her position as my cleansing healing crystal. She oozes love out of her once she love you. Nothing feels better than love from Miss Kitty.
MISTER KITTY
A bundle of fierce joy. I often feel my joy guides bringing light to my day through Mister Kitty. He prances by me with his asking and sweet, short meows. He wants me to follow him around to different places around the house and pet him. He wants to frolic and roll around in the dirt. He's a playmate. A brother. A light ball. He is hyper-present and doesn't have scheming plans or long-lasting agendas. There are moments when he gets so stimulated with being alive that he grips onto the arms of a chair, and it looks like his mind takes off into space. Just because he's cute as a button, he wants you to know that he also gets mad, wants to be heard, and has reasonable boundaries. He has what I've come to know as his scratch pads of anger. Whenever he feels wronged in any way by one of his siblings or upset with me, I see the anger engulf him, and then I see him make the choice to march over to a scratch pad and take that rage fully out. He softens and walks off of it cute as a button once again. He is the most social cat of the three. He doesn't have to screen any guests. He trusts that if they are allowed in our home, they are playmates. He moves their energy around with his joyful powers just as he does mine. When he sleeps, he lays himself in the most irresistible positions that give me no choice but to go over and pet him. And when I'm really lucky, he'll wrap his front arms around my hand and pull it into his chest for an actual hug. A hug that could end wars from its undeniable surge of goodness and the connection he sends through them. He is my Mister Kitty.
LITTLE KITTY
Rescued from the Burbank Animal Shelter as a kitten, I could tell Little Kitty was special from day one. He would climb up your leg like a squirrel, jump from countertops onto your shoulder, and catch flies out of thin air. He fearlessly walked the edge of the patio railing and would jump effortlessly across the stairway to the neighboring patio. I found out the family in that unit had come to love him, and that he actually took naps over in their apartment regularly. I used to take the kitties out into the courtyard of the apartment complex we lived in for eight years so they could have some fresh air and adventure time. One day, the landlord told me I wasn't allowed to do that anymore. Mister Kitty and Miss Kitty adjusted more or less, but Little Kitty turned into a menace. He ripped things off walls, attacked his siblings, attacked me, and worked himself up so much that he had to go on medication for stress-induced constipation. I knew it was time for us to move. You see, Little Kitty doesn't just enjoy being in nature. He needs it. Without it, he feels trapped, unfulfilled, anxious, depressed. And he doesn't just need to be in it—he needs to experience it. Hunt. Run around. Climb trees. He's become so insistent on coming out to do horse chores with me that it's part of our routine now. I always have shelves set up high for him, the tops of tall storage cabinets, the top of the fridge, and cat towers set at various vantage points. There is a piece of him that is not domesticated. And while he still cries like a baby to be cuddled under the covers with me in the evening, come midnight, the spirit of mystery calls him out to wander. He's ancient. His meows penetrate your outer layer and plunge straight into an old forgotten piece of you. He has full trains of thought. He's smart, detailed, and intentional. Even though he's nine years old at this point, he still has kitten energy in him. He looks into you, not just at you. He pulls you in for an intimate exchange sweeter than sugar itself, and then swats you when you're walking away like he's practicing his swipes for his secret ulterior endeavors. He seems to have a sense of whenever I'm losing focus, on my phone too much, or stuck in my day. He walks back and forth and back and forth in front of me and around me, meowing until I'm forced to acknowledge him. Then he softens and purrs, putting his forehead on me, re-grounding me and reminding me of my roots. My guides speak to me through him directly in those moments. He is a wild guide in physical form, pulling me into the unknown. Walking alongside me, keeping me safe on this earthly adventure and keeping me curious. He is magic and mystery all in one. He's my Little Kitty.
BRIDGET
Branded on her left hip, revealing a moment of brutal constraint that burned into every realm of her existence. Her soft heart remembers that moment. A moment where her dignity, pride, and wildness were stripped from her. I'm convinced she was a wild mustang. Her body type and behavior support this, and the more I know her, the more deeply I feel it to be true. Her tongue looks like a tight band was wrapped around it in the middle, almost cutting it in half. She watches the perimeters diligently like a lead mare of a wild herd, while the others rest and eat. She's a forceful leader. She knows what's out there, and she holds her head high, only lowering it when all is clear. Untrained and rebellious, I was surprised at how she surrendered into me once I had her trust. She did more than just surrender—she intertwined. She leaned in. She sought connection. She comes to me in dreams, telepathically during my runs and meditations, and she sends words to me through her third eye when we stand facing each other. She requires specific rituals each time we connect, as if we created a secret password that opens the gates to her soul. She shuts down when she gets overwhelmed, and her brave front retreats inside her belly. It took me two months of working around her before I was able to touch her, put a halter on her, and gently cut her matted mane. I learned that in the middle of a horses face between their eyes is a blind spot. They can not see you there. That's why some horses flinch when you put your hand out on their face, though it seems our most naturally pulled place within us to reach for. By the time Bridget and I fully found our relationship, this is how I always greeted her. My hand right between her eyes. She'd nod her head up and down to move my hand over her face. That's how we said hello to each other. Her most blind spot is the space were she greets me. To me its a symbol of her trust to me. Something I will never take for granted that she allowed me to earn. She wants me to know she's a sensitive soul with the ability to lead a herd of hundreds, and that she loves me deeply. Rest in peace, my sweet angel girl. June 18th, 2026.
FAITH
Faith was the first horse to come up to me when I entered their pen. She was starving to death and desperate for someone to see that. Her hunger pounded in her stomach day in and day out as people drove by her, overlooking her again and again and again. She wandered in the desert of hunger with only faith to keep her going. Her name is the very force that got her through. She would visit me in my sleep, and I tossed and turned until her hunger was satisfied and she let me rest again. She ate and she ate and she ate. When she surfaced after regaining all she had lost, she beamed with Light straight from heaven. Food is still her comfort, and I allow it to be for her. She deserves to have direct access to the abundance she was wrongfully denied for much too long. She's the second alpha in line after Bridget, but she's a gentle alpha. She only does what she needs to move the others around, and nothing more. She's highly sensitive. Some would label her as jumpy, but I see that she lives at a slower pace. When you come in too quickly, its abrupt disruption sends a jolt through her relaxed and unsuspecting demeanor. She likes to inspect every new thing with big, full breaths through her widened nostrils. Her baby face penetrates the hearts of anyone who meets her. Once relaxed next to you, she licks and nibbles. She has a heart of gold. She is clear in her thoughts and needs. Sometimes she can be surprising demanding, lifting up her front hoof and nudging you for pets or carrots, smiling knowing she has you right where she wants you. She's completely co-dependent on Star, a bonded pair. I used to think it was just Star, but then I saw that anytime any new horse who she spends enough time with was taken away, she cries out for them in distress until they are back. She's so tender with so much love to give. She is my Faith.
BB
I was once on a boat whale watching. It was a turbulent ride out, to say the least, until we reached stillness in the water. Just a few feet away from the boat, the immaculate eye of a whale emerged at the surface. It gauged each of us looking on in awe and wonder, then retreated back into the depths of its home. That moment when I saw its eye is the same potent and all-knowing energy BB holds in her eyes. They are older than the earth and deeper than the ocean itself. That is BB. She was a school riding horse before she was retired and given to a shelter. It's clear that she was overworked and still carries physical trauma from that period of her life. Because of that, she has extremely specific boundaries. She gets angry when you don't respect them. She switches on a dime to make sure you are still there with her while you touch her. She softens when she knows you respect her. She loves being sung a song I made up called “I Love You and I Respect You.” She melts into your arms like a baby when you've given her that level of acknowledgement. She always tells me that I must first rub her belly before I get the privilege of giving her treats. She appreciates the trust I've helped her feel, but she will never unsee the darkness she lived through. That may be why her gaze is so penetrating. You can feel her seeing all of the human in you. The Shadows and the Light. Nothing goes unseen. That is her power. That is BB. Rest in peace my sweet Angel. July 19th 2025
MANDU
It was a particularly hot summer day out in their shadeless pen, mucking. I had been hired to take care of them, and for the first few months, Bridget didn't let me anywhere near her. She kept Mandu close by her side as her right-hand man. I saw Mandu eyeing me from across the pen and would say hello from afar wondering when we'd get to meet up close. One day I turned around and saw Mandu ten feet away from me, sniffing the air with curiosity. I set down my rake and kneeled on the ground, looking away. Down came his nose, right into the crook of my neck, as he took me in with long, thorough breaths. He held his head there for what felt like an eternity. I felt in my heart I was exactly where I was meant to be. I've come to know these moments as Magical Mandu Moments. He does this every so often. Comes up and takes you in like you're the only two beings in the Universe. It always takes me by surprise. And it always shifts my whole state of being. Mandu has a childlike energy. He is the energetic younger brother of all of the girls in the herd. He throws fits and tantrums, and he prances around like a prince in a palace. He's quick to be upset when he's misunderstood, and he's stubborn beyond all measure. He's a fighter, and he loves being alive so much. He powers through pain bravely and boldly. He used to bite me right on the forehead all the time. Seemingly out of nowhere. He says: Yes, I am cute. Yes, I am beautiful. But I am NOT yours, and I will not surrender to you. You were not worthy of my MMMs in this moment. Therefore, I had to bite you. I am upset that you are not present with me. Respect me. Don't smother me. And if you show me you can uphold this approach to me, I will kick for joy when I see you and melt like honey in your heart. That's my Mandu. Now prancing in the heavens. Taken too soon. Rest in peace by sweet buddy. September 7th, 2025
STAR
She's been a star her whole life. Unquestionably loyal, level-headed, and trusting. She follows alongside you and pivots on a dime, right with you, without a lead. One day, I took her out for a steep and rocky hike. We had never gone out this long before, but I was determined to get to the top of the trail. She was confused, but she trusted my leadership. It became one of our most cherished memories together were we both felt totally free with space to run, but halfway through the hike back, I noticed her limping. By the time we returned, she could barely put weight on her back leg. She had pulled a muscle, and it took her months to recover. This sat in my heart like a rock. I realized she had been made to do more than what she was comfortable with her whole life. Because she's so good, she lets people. I saw all the ways she had been overlooked. I saw her clear as day, and I promised to never mistake loyalty for eagerness. She too has boundaries, but she does not shout them. She whispers them. She stands in silence, waiting for you to see. And she lights up when you do. She gets the sassy zoomies every once in a while when she's really happy, and can be bossy to others but never to me. She's social and loves to meet new people. She lets you lean on her and love on her with no limits. Her limitless love is as bright as the stars themselves. Now living a full retired life, she gets more and more confident demanding cuddles and scratches, rather than quietly asking, and I love that our relationship has given her space to grow in that way. She's the type of horse a little girl would be able to hop on and be taken care of with her level headed care. I'm so happy that the little girl is me, and all we do is frolic together in grassy fields. Running around, kicking for joy, and playing. She's been my Star and my rock through many moments. That's who she is.
ARI
In hindsight, I should have known he was a rooster. The way he was perched on top of the waterer, overlooking all the other chicks. But I sure am glad I didn't. I would have denied myself one of the greatest animal relationships of my lifetime. He fell into a deep sleep almost immediately after I picked him up. I knew he was my son. As he grew, so did his rooster traits. He's always on duty for his girls. He's a protector and provider. He would fight to the death for any of them. He feels distraught when any of his girls express distress, and he looks for any solution he can find to remedy it for them. He doesn't approve of most visitors, and he keeps as close of an eye on me as he does on his hens to make sure I'm safe too. He's noble and giving. He's bright like the sun. He is life force energy in and of itself. He ignites my third chakra most. There is a bright yellow in his coat and fire in his eyes. I telepathically feel him when I am away from the house, specifically when I'm standing in sunshine. He still falls asleep in my arms like he did when he was a chick. I still see the little chick in him, and for me, he still melts into that. He's vocal and confident. He doesn't just like to be held, he likes to cuddle. It feels like he physically hugs me and smiles at me. Our heart chakras dance together too. He is my son in chicken form, and I am his mother. That, we both know deep in our hearts, no matter how busy he gets with his girls, or how busy I get with my art, we always make time for that together.
KODA
The moment we locked eyes for the first time is etched in my memory. I bent down to get face-to-face with all the chicks that could possibly come home with me. I knew I was looking for a strong presence, but not a mean one. A leader who is grounded and fair. All the other chicks ran away, but Koda took a few steps and then stood still, looking right at me. I fell into her eyes, and I saw fierce, fiery walls with loyal love if earned. She's vocal and opinionated. She has an insatiable need for adventure. She wants to roam every inch of earth and dig up every crevice. She's brave. She's sensitive. She can feel when the energy is off in an area. She will pace around and even stop laying eggs when she feels unsafe or unsettled. She knows the power of the predators she sees. Their hunger penetrates her on a cellular level. She herself has that in her. I've seen her ruthlessly catch and devour lizards without hesitation. She's also softer than a cloud. Once she feels her adventures are complete, she needs to be cuddled. She feels safest tucked under my arm or in the crook of my neck, under a blanket of my hair. She's a peace maker in the flock, the alpha hen, and a big sister. She watched out for the other hens, breaks up tiffs, and lays clear boundaries without aggression. She's a graceful leader. She's always the last the go into the coop at night, because she's busy walking around getting every moment of the day until she can't. She is exactly the chick I knew she was from our very first moment, and so much more.
SEBASTIAN
She penetrates your soul with her green galaxy gaze. At a week old, her right eye became infected and she lost the ability to see in it. Her left eye seems to hold twice the potent power. She leans in close to see you while simultaneously doing a deep sensory dive into your infinite. She still sees with her unseeing eye, on an energetic level, and that is what sets her apart. She seems to have an extra-direct connection to the Divine. To Source energy. She softens you and then pulls you into the depths with her. I chose her because of the calm and slow way she walked amongst the rest of the restless chicks. Somewhat of an enlightened master making their way through a crowd of people. She was tinier than the rest. I would worry about her at first. She was often lying alone and is still the last to follow the flock around. But she'd have moments of complete rebellion and surprise. She'd grab a strand of my hair and pull it with every ounce of her strength. She'd burst into flight higher than all the rest. She'd demand respect if she was pushed around too much. Humorous at times, she will go from standing still to pouncing out of nowhere like a jolly spring in a box. She took her unexpected throne as alpha of her sisters—except to Queen Koda, of course. She is not to be underestimated, worried about, or coddled. She's got this. She does like to be next to me and to be held by me often. But it's more so she can get a closer look and deeper understanding of who her sacred caretaker is. Only once she's tapped into that, she leans in for cuddles and emotional comfort. She exists in both heaven and earth simultaneously. She's vocal when she wants to be held, or whens she wants her sisters to move. Something so funny is that she loves being mated by my rooster Ari. Contrary to Koda who gives Ari a stern reprimand if he ever tries on her. Sebastian assumes her mating position before he's even danced for her, and then she does happy circles and chirps afterwards. She's still a bit of a mystery to me. I love watching her with wonder, piecing it together more and more as our days unfold.
HANNAH
Sweeter than a sugar cream pie on a fall afternoon. Softer than silk. When you pick her up, she has the lightness of a single feather, both physically and energetically. Her eyes are a color that blends perfectly with my second chakra. She lets me be a mother to her. She likes to be a daughter. She's a gentle peacemaker, not a fighter. She's curious and inquisitive. She practices discernment and doesn't leap into the unknown. She's content where she is and enjoys a relaxed rest, while still always aware and communicative. She likes being a younger sister in her flock. Standing by a few of her favorite older sister hens, tapping them with a 'hey look at me' peck until they shift their attention towards her and preen a feather on her face. When they stop, she taps them again. And again. And again, until they leave once they've done enough for her. She stands happy to have gotten her sister's love for those moments then finds another hen to stand by. She's not weak, but her sensitive heart needs emotional support from me if she's wrongly treated by her sisters or startled. When I look at her while I hold her, I feel calmness and gratitude. I soften into her. Her coat is somewhat of a mandala. Woven with the intricacies of beauty and time unfolding in this instant. Her unsuspecting beauty becomes hypnotic when taken in for too long. You realize you have been in Hannah's powerful trance, and by the time you set her down, you you've shifted.
RIVER
Beauty with a boundary. A coat that transcends reason and melts your ability to comprehend. She demands a surrender in order to experience the unspeakable magnitude of her essence. She teaches me to watch without taking. Sweet and doe-eyed, with a soft and peaceful demeanor. Cute as a clementine that will retreat into her shy protection if you try to squeeze her. She's okay not being a leader. She has nothing to prove. Nor is she a follower. Stern when she needs to remind her sisters of her authority, but only then. The more she sees that I will not force her into my motherly grip, the more she grazes past me with a knowing and easeful acknowledgement. Apprehensive and observant. Grounded. Always flowing in powerful stillness. You're never able to stand in the same space twice with her, just like a river. She requires constant growth in order to experience her innate nowness, otherwise she retreats. She doesn't like to be handled, though she knows she's not in danger in my arms for the occasional times I pick her up just to give her one little loving squeeze. She likes her independence. She doesn't buy into the human realm. She's happy being a chicken, and prefers a safe distance from us. Who can blame her. We catch each others glance from time to time. She's fine with that exchange. She knows I'm here for her if she needs anything. And that is how I show her I love her. I like giving her space to be who she is.
SAGE
A stunning storm of mystery. Quick and cunning. Cautious, sensitive, stimulated, and assertive. She dashes around like she's on a mission. A force that doesn't have time to be stopped or held for too long. She feels trapped when her momentum is halted. Her sage-colored head feathers and irresistibly cute face are only to be admired by glances at a time. She comes up to me when I'm not seeking her. I look over to see her piercing, prehistoric gaze filled with light and fire. She lets me see her. The moment I try to take too much or hold her beauty captive for too long, she dashes off. She's not scared of me. She respects me and appreciates me. But she has bigger things to tend to. She has her own agenda, and being a part of my cuddle fest is not one of them. She's an untamable spirit. An essence. A force. Only standing in her own stillness. She scurries around, cleansing the air she stirs up. She Is Sage. She needs water in her roots to sustain herself, which is why her best friend is River. They sit together, knowing something the rest of us don't. Like they have a secret world together. You are missed dearly my beautiful girl. Never forgotten amongst your flock. October 19,2025
Bios and portraits coming soon for our newest family members; Omi, Sesame, Senbei, Pumpkin, Pepper, Juniper, Mochi, Stormy, and Midnight.
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