Kathy Cullen wasn’t quite ready for her first rescue. The fencing wasn’t finished, fundraising was still underway, and she had planned to have everything in place before Jolene’s Retreat began accepting animals. Then an animal activist friend tagged her in a post about five pigs who needed somewhere to go. Kathy was told that if no one took them, they would be sent to slaughter. She realized there might never be a perfect time to begin, so she said yes.
That decision became an unforgettable introduction to sanctuary life. Kathy initially thought she was taking in large farmed pigs and began preparing accordingly, only to discover shortly before their arrival that they were much smaller potbellied pigs. Then came an even bigger surprise. One of the pigs was pregnant, and soon Kathy discovered that another was pregnant as well. Within approximately two months, her original five pigs had become twelve.
In Episode 084 of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss talks with Kathy, founder of Jolene’s Retreat, about what it really takes to create a sanctuary, the lessons animals have taught her, and why recognizing farmed animals as individuals is central to her work.
From the Classroom to Animal Advocacy
Before founding Jolene’s Retreat, Kathy spent 25 years as a teacher. Her journey into animal rights began in 2017 and exposed her to realities about farmed animals that she had never fully understood. One of her earliest experiences as an activist involved going to the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Los Angeles, where activists would meet trucks carrying pigs into the facility. They had only a brief amount of time to offer the animals water, gentle contact and some degree of comfort before the trucks continued inside.
Seeing the pigs up close had a profound impact on Kathy. Looking into their eyes and seeing their pain and sadness impacted her like nothing else could. Those experiences strengthened her commitment to education and advocacy, but they also made sanctuary work particularly meaningful. After witnessing animals experiencing tremendous suffering, she could also experience the other side: animals who had been rescued and were finally safe.
Seeing Animals for Who They Are
Kathy remembers visiting The Gentle Barn and realizing that sanctuary work was something she needed to do. After spending so much time witnessing the suffering of farmed animals, seeing rescued animals being loved and cared for was an emotional experience. She recalls hugging a cow and realizing how powerful it was to see these animals in an environment where they were valued as individuals.
That philosophy now shapes Jolene’s Retreat. Kathy wants visitors to understand that the sanctuary is not a petting zoo. An animal doesn’t have to interact with someone simply because that person wants to touch or pet them. If an animal doesn’t want to be touched, held or approached, Kathy expects that boundary to be respected. She draws a connection to her years as a teacher: just as every child she taught had a different personality, every animal does too. Today, she has 14 pigs and, as she puts it, 14 different personalities.
The Truth About “Teacup” and “Mini” Pigs
The conversation also addresses misconceptions surrounding pigs sold as “teacup” or “mini” pigs. Kathy explains some of the problems that arise when people acquire pigs believing they will remain extremely small, only to discover that caring for them is very different from what they expected.
Pigs are also intelligent, complex and territorial animals. Even Kathy’s original family of pigs eventually needed to be separated into different areas. These realities can create enormous challenges for sanctuaries, which are often contacted when people can no longer care for the pigs they acquired. Jolene’s Retreat has already had to turn animals away because there simply isn’t enough space.
Why It’s Called Jolene’s Retreat
The sanctuary’s name comes from an animal who held an extraordinary place in Kathy’s life. Jolene was her beloved Chihuahua of almost 15 years. When Kathy moved to Occidental, California, she hadn’t yet settled on a name for the sanctuary. Jolene lived for about four months after the move, and after losing her, Kathy knew exactly what the sanctuary should be called.
Kathy describes Jolene as her baby girl and says she wants the rescued animals at the sanctuary to experience the same kind of love Jolene experienced throughout her life. That idea is at the heart of Jolene’s Retreat: these animals are not commodities or numbers. They are individuals deserving care, respect and the opportunity to live their lives.
The Reality of Running a Sanctuary
Visiting an established sanctuary and building one from the ground up are two very different experiences. Kathy describes the learning curve as incredibly steep. There is fencing, food, veterinary care, property management and the constant logistical work required to provide lifelong care for rescued animals. There is also the financial reality of sustaining a nonprofit sanctuary.
Consistent funding is one of the greatest challenges. Kathy is deeply appreciative of the people who have made individual donations, but she explains why monthly donors and animal sponsorships are especially important. Rescuing an animal is not a one-time expense. Sanctuary means making a commitment to that animal for the rest of their life, which requires reliable, ongoing financial support.
When Ten Acres Isn’t as Big as It Sounds
When Kathy moved from a small suburban neighborhood in Southern California to a 10-acre property in Occidental, the amount of land seemed enormous. Running a sanctuary quickly changed her perspective. Not every acre can be fenced or used for animals, and Jolene’s Retreat has now reached the point where Kathy says they are full.
Rather than giving up on the possibility of helping more animals, Kathy is thinking much bigger. She and her partner have been looking at a property with approximately 80 acres, and her vision extends well beyond simply having more room for rescued animals.
A Bigger Vision for Jolene’s Retreat
Kathy wants Jolene’s Retreat to eventually become a retreat for people as well as animals. She envisions an education center where people could attend lectures, watch documentaries and participate in activities such as meditation, yoga and drum circles. She would also like companies to be able to bring employees to the sanctuary for retreats where they can slow down, reconnect and spend time around rescued animals.
At the center of that vision is education. Kathy wants people to have the opportunity to meet pigs, cows, chickens, goats, sheep and other farmed animals in an environment where those animals are not being used for food, entertainment or profit. Instead, visitors can experience their personalities, relationships and preferences and begin seeing them not simply for what they are, but for who they are.
Caring for Yourself While Fighting for Animals
Cheryl and Kathy also talk about something that doesn’t always receive enough attention in animal advocacy: the emotional toll of witnessing suffering. Kathy has experienced both extremes, from seeing frightened pigs arriving at a slaughterhouse to walking outside her own home and seeing rescued animals living safely at the sanctuary.
Meditation has become an important way for Kathy to reset. She also finds peace in the natural environment surrounding Jolene’s Retreat, including the redwoods, Douglas firs and bay laurels. Spending time along the Russian River, listening to live music and running are other ways she steps away from the intensity of the work. Her experience is an important reminder that advocates need ways to decompress and restore themselves if they want to continue doing this work over the long term.
You Don’t Have to Start a Sanctuary to Help
For people who love animals but feel intimidated by the idea of activism, Kathy recommends starting with something very accessible: visit a sanctuary. Spend time around rescued animals and learn their stories. Volunteer, donate when possible, follow animal advocacy organizations and connect with people in your community who care about the same issues.
Kathy says it took time to “find her peeps,” but finding a community of like-minded advocates gave her an important support system. Her own journey demonstrates that making a difference doesn’t have to begin with opening a sanctuary. It can begin with learning, asking questions, meeting the animals and deciding to take one meaningful action.
For Kathy, those actions eventually led from 25 years in the classroom to animal rights activism and ultimately to creating Jolene’s Retreat. Today, she is using both her experience as an educator and her passion for animals to help others see farmed animals differently and understand that each one is an individual worthy of dignity, respect and care.
About Kathy Cullen
When Kathy Cullen was 19 she and a friend decided to go vegetarian for health reasons, but morality quickly took a front seat after realizing that she no longer wanted to be a part of animal suffering for her own pleasure. She knew the animals deserved better.
Believing that everyone had a right to choose what was on their plate she never challenged the status quo.
Thirty years later, after much deliberation about giving up dairy, she chose to go vegan January 1, 2013 and never looked back. Consuming animal products was no longer an option. Several years later she began reading about the horrors of animal agriculture and the unbelievable suffering animals go through for food, entertainment, clothing, science, etc. and she decided to get involved. She read everything she could, joined animal rights organizations, attended animal rights conferences, networked with animal rights activists, visited animal sanctuaries, went to as many protests and actions as she could, received an “Outstanding Activist Award in 2021, and finally decided that opening her own sanctuary was what she needed to do and made that her goal.
She retired in June of 2021 after teaching for 25 years, bought 10 acres of land in Occidental, California in April of 2022 and in May 2023…Jolene’s Retreat became a reality with the first rescue of a family of five pigs!
Social media handles:
https://www.instagram.com/jolenesretreat/
https://www.facebook.com/jolenesretreat/
Web Address:
www.jolenesretreat.org
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. She is also the founder of the Funding Blueprint for Sanctuaries summit, designed to empower those involved with sanctuaries to create sustainable funding streams.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, Cheryl is dedicated to ending factory farming and supporting underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she recently added Vystopia Transformation to her resume. The Vystopia work, created by psychologist Clare Mann, focuses on the emotional impact many people experience after becoming aware of animal suffering and exploitation. The training offers tools for resilience, communication, and emotional well-being while continuing to advocate for positive change.
Through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, Cheryl inspires young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
