Our Story
In March of this year, the question came to me, “What’s next?”. How could I help animals and make the most impact? I wanted to connect animals and people and help make a difference in both of their lives.
That’s when I decided to start my own animal rescue. I named it Joy’s Place Animal Rescue. It is named after my late mother, Joy, who shared my love of animals. She always enjoyed my animal rescue stories in the past and I know she is with me in spirit. She always said she thought we would run out of cats to get fixed through the Trap-Neuter-Return program. Maybe someday.
The first cat I took in after officially starting my rescue is named Joy and she will live out her life with me. She had kittens the day after she came to me. They have all been weaned and have moved on. She was a scared outside cat when she came to me, and she still is. But she trusted me to help her give birth and take care of her and her kittens. I can see the trust in her eyes, and I will never betray that trust or forget it.
That individual connection to animals is the most important thing to me when it comes to our rescue. If you know the animals, you can find the people they will connect with. Making the connection between an animal and a person and finding the right fit for both of them is the ultimate goal of Joy’s Place Animal Rescue.
Meet the Team!
Sarah Magee
My name is Sarah Magee and animals are my life - and they always have been. I was exposed to a variety of animal species growing up on a dairy farm in rural Shawano County. My top 3 favorites are cats, dogs and horses-not necessarily always in that order. For those who do not know me, I am in my 50’s making a later in life career change. I have lived and worked in the Shawano area my entire adult life. But my work life did not include working with animals for the most part.
Over the past 30 years or so I have volunteered in a variety of ways in the Shawano Community helping animals directly and indirectly. Along with my family, I fostered kittens for the local humane society for over 10 years providing critical care to more than 100 kittens. Several years ago, I was educated on Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs. I began transporting cats from the Shawano area to Appleton to get spayed or neutered at a reduced rate. I now schedule and coordinate all the spay/neuter appointments for people in the area and transport them once a month for surgery. In the past, I volunteered at the local humane society in a number of ways including serving on the board of directors, taking animals to special events and assisting with fundraisers.
My involvement with TNR led me to people who needed to rehome their outside cats for a variety of reasons. I helped make the connections so the cats could be relocated. Those connections planted the seed that would lead me to start my own rescue. I was rehoming cats in my spare time, and it was a rewarding experience. Now my job is rehoming cats (inside and outside) and I am hoping to add dogs soon.
I can now put my passion for animals to work in my own rescue, Joy’s Place Animal Rescue. I started it in April of 2024 and named it in honor of my late mother, Joy, who always supported my love of animals and loved them as much as I did. Our goal is to give animals a second chance at a better life through individualized socialization, training and care. We will keep our rescue small to achieve that goal.
Jordan Thomson
Welcome to my story, Jordan! As a passionate animal lover and a dedicated advocate for canine welfare, I am thrilled to share my journey. From Axel who was one of the first malnourished under cared for dogs that I rescued, to becoming a board member at our local shelter. Then finding myself in Alabama with yet another dog named Sandy who was a sweet 7-year-old red heeler who I could not come back to Wisconsin without. Being able to bring her home and rescue her from her environment was something I needed to do.
It has been a roller coaster but what called me to ride this ride?
Prior to about 3 years ago I really haven't had a calling or a feeling as intense as I do today to care for not just dogs but animals across the board. I had some animal interactions, but in reality, I had little to no experience with animals. I had a really good job at a young age doing concrete construction. I moved up too quickly, but a good work ethic centered around bad habits wasn't a life worth living, and I was saved.
I had an accident. I lost the ability to walk and talk along with many other struggles, with my back against a wall about a year and a half after the fall. I asked God why? I began to be sent dog after dog, animal after animal. Connecting in a way that only left others asking questions as to how?
I couldn't answer. The animals began healing more of myself, far beyond any doctor or specialist
ever thought possible, I thank God. It became apparent quickly what my calling was and where the healing laid. Rescue. The voiceless became the voice for the voiceless and I have found my voice along the way. One thing that I've been taught along the way is that continuing to answer the call will heal even the biggest of falls. The relationships you build in life whether it be with humans or animals will be the foundation for any success you achieve.