The Isle of Misfits

11/02/2024

We had the BEST time supporting in downtown St. Pete today! Supporting survivors of domestic violence is a cause very close to my heart. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the work that CASA does for our community and how much it meant that my friends showed up with me today. 🥹💜

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out to one of the resources below:

24 hour DV Hotline
800-500-1119

CASA Pinellas
727-895-4912

10/29/2024

For National Cat Day, I thought I’d make a post featuring ALL the cats here at the farm. In case you’ve lost track of how many we have here at The Isle:

🖤 Walter Croncat: showed up at my house in St Pete with a broken leg that had to be amputated. Walt was my very first rescue cat!

🖤 The Barn Cats: Joan Jett, Pawla Abdul, Mariah Hairy, and Tina Purrner. This previously feral litter was born on my property two years ago.

🖤 Bill & Kitty Purry: siblings with radial hypoplasia that I adopted from CATS of Safety Harbor.

🖤 Celine Dion: My tiniest girl, taken in as a stray and later found to have dwarfism!

🖤 Squirrelly: adopted from on my birthday!

🖤 Lazarus: Formerly a community feral with neurological blindness. Came to live at the farm within the last year.

🖤 The Chad: Chad is perfectly healthy, but her “complex need” is her attitude.

10/28/2024

Life has been extra sweet lately, and I couldn’t be more grateful. 💜

10/22/2024

Happy 3 year anniversary Hanks Bark Box! Thank you for serving our community since 2021! 💜

On this day in 2021, we opened Hank’s Bark Box, in memory of our dog Hank.

In the past three years, through this tiny wood roadside box, we have supplied an astonishing 48 tons of dog and cat food to those in need.

Thank you to all of you who have made this possible.

10/21/2024

Kitty Purry (first two slides) and Bill Purry (last slide) came to me a few years ago as a bonded pair of siblings. They were taken in as strays by the marvelous Shelly with Cats of Safety Harbor, and I adopted them not long after.

Bill and Kitty were likely the result of inbreeding, as they have a congenital anomaly known as radial hypoplasia. This causes the radial bone to be partially formed or entirely absent. Both of Kitty’s front legs are affected, and Bill has one affected front leg; however, this doesn’t slow them down one bit!

They climb cat trees, use scratching posts, and wrestle with their siblings just like all the other cats here. I adore their tiny little “leggies” and think they are both purrrrfection! 😻 Kitty loves to sleep next to my pillow at night, and Bill loves to make biscuits in my hair when I’m sitting on the couch.

If you ever have the chance to foster or adopt an RH kitty, please consider it! They typically don’t require any extra medications or costly therapies, and make wonderful companions! Thank you to CATS of Safety Harbor for saving these two! 🖤

10/12/2024

God bless Peace River Electric Cooperative, Inc.. I’ve lived in Manatee County since 2020 and have been so impressed by their response times after a crisis.

Thank you to all the amazing people that are working so hard to restore our power. 💜

10/09/2024

We’re going to take a direct hit from Hurricane Milton tonight. They’re calling it the “storm of the century” and people in my community are rightfully very scared.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the prayers and well wishes from all of you. I can literally feel us being lifted up in prayer. Even if the worst happens, I promise it will be ok. I will choose to remember our farm just as it is in this picture: a safe haven full of love and joy for ALL creatures.

I’ll keep everyone updated as much as I can. We are already getting rain bands and expect to lose power, internet, and cell service tonight. Our IG stories will likely have the most updates.

Anyone that knows me personally knows that I have an unshakeable faith in our God. He is good all the time, no matter the circumstances. This material world will pass away one day but His love knows no end.

For those asking: no, I’m not afraid. I’m nervous and sad for my community, but I have a peace and acceptance that surpasses all understanding. The animals will be safely inside our little Misfit Ark and we will ride this thing out together. I’ll update as much as possible and please know that all our love, prayers and gratitude go out to you. 💜

10/08/2024

HURRICANE UPDATE:

Thanks to everyone who has checked in on us. We are super busy prepping the farm right now so I can’t reply to everyone’s messages. But here’s the latest:

We are still looking to take a direct hit from Hurricane Milton. All the animals in the tiny house village are being moved into my house. The pigs, chickens and outdoor cats into the barn. We have friends coming to stay with us with a few furry friends as well.

We expect this to be a very serious storm, possibly catastrophic. Having said that…. I’ve been through way worse in my life and am surprisingly calm about this whole thing. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a person of faith, and I believe my God can get me through anything. Praying for everyone in the line of this big beast. Be calm, we’ve got this. 💜

10/07/2024

Well friends, it seems we are in the direct path of Hurricane Milton. We are praying for and sending love to all our neighbors who are preparing for this hurricane with us. This storm is predicted to be very strong, so I will be bringing all the animals into the main house with me. Even the chickens will be locked up in the barn for safety.

Don’t worry, we have everything we need to get through many days without electricity if power goes out, and I have plenty of supplies stored up for the animals. We also have a few friends coming with their pets to shelter at the farm. I’ll keep you guys updated as the storm approaches and we will get through this together. Love you and sending prayers up for us all. 💜

08/28/2024

I can’t wait to get home to this sweet pup! I’ve been doing a little traveling lately, and it’s the first time in years I’ve gone anywhere without my sidekick on wheels, Charlie.

Swipe to see some of the adventures we’ve been on together: Joshua Tree CA, White Sands, Roswell, Austin, and so much more! I plan to have a LOT more trips with this little dude in the future, because traveling without him just doesn’t hit the same. 😉💜

Thank you to my wonderful friend and my absolute saint of a mother for making it possible for me to get away from time to time.

08/26/2024

Nearly 20 years ago I started my rescue “career.” I was a new college grad working as a waitress and totally broke. One of my regular customers came in lamenting that his dog had given birth and he was planning to drop the puppies overnight outside a shelter. I begged him not to do that and bring them to me instead. “I’m broke, but I’ll figure it out,” I remember telling him.

The next day two tiny puppies were brought to me in a crockpot box. I was too poor to keep both, so I kept one and adopted the other to a coworker. My first act of rescue, but certainly not my last.

That tiny puppy became my best friend for nearly 11 years. I named him Peter Jennings after my favorite TV journalist, and we became inseparable. Eventually we moved to Florida together, and PJ was my constant companion.

My sweet boy crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago during the darkest, most painful time of my life. I was already in so much pain and suddenly I had to face life without my biggest source of comfort. I was so numb I couldn’t event cry.

Life has changed so much since then. I left an abusive and dangerous relationship, recovered from a rear end collision by a semi truck, and started therapy. I moved to a farm and created a home where so many more animals have since experienced the same love and security that PJ did.

Happy to PJ and all the other rescue angels that have done so much more for me than I ever could for them. It’s truly better to have rescued, loved and lost than to have never loved at all. 💜

08/25/2024

Supporting survivors of domestic violence is a cause that’s deeply personal to me. I’ll be supporting CASA Pinellas November 2nd at their DV Awareness Scavenger Hunt. 💜

I still have spots available on team “Isle of Misfits” if anyone would like to join. Thank you to my friends that have already signed up to attend with me. It means so much more than you know.

Get ready for CASA Pinellas’ Domestic Violence Awareness Scavenger Hunt on November 2! Build a team, raise critical funds to support local survivors, and win super fun prizes as you earn points through downtown St. Pete. 💜

The event kicks off at Welcome to the Farm - St. Pete at 12pm and wraps up at Good Night John Boy - St. Pete at 3pm with an after-party. Prizes awarded for top fundraising team, top scoring team, and best team costume.

Use the code EARLYBIRD at checkout to get a 10% discount when you sign up at p2p.onecause.com/casa.

08/23/2024

Thought you’d enjoy some recent Celine photos. 😻 These were taken at her last vet visit, and the last pic is with her bestie, Dr. Sanin. Celine weighs a whopping 5.9 pounds now! A far cry from the tiny 3 ounce nugget I took in over a year ago. I’m so proud of this sweet girl 💜

08/17/2024

Today is black cat appreciation day! 🖤

If you couldn’t already tell, I adore black cats, and have a total of NINE living here at the farm:

Walter Croncat, Lazarus, Bill & Kitty Purry, Chad Smith, and the four barn cats: Tina Purrrrner, Mariah Hairy, Pawla Abdul, and Momma Joan Jett.

Posting some of my favorite pictures of my tiny panther brigade, including Frida Catlo and Queen Esther who have since crossed the rainbow bridge.

06/01/2024

I’m starting to think the reason Stacy and Darcy haven’t been adopted is because of the god-awful “home haircuts” I’ve been giving them. 😂

03/29/2024

8 years ago today, this hairless wonder came to live with me.

When I first saw Harvey at Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, he was up for euthanasia. He had bitten an animal control officer, had multiple medical issues, and snapped any time someone tried to touch him. I’ll never forget the look in the eyes of the adoption counselor when I told her I was there specifically for Harvey.

She asked me if I was sure. She told me about Harv’s bite history and his extensive medical issues. Then she teared up when she told me his adoption fee was a measly $20. I told her I was sure, and that Harvey was definitely going to be my dog.

She took me to his cage, and threw a blanket over top of Harv before picking him up to protect herself from a potential bite. Harv didn’t flinch. Then she put him in my arms and this “vicious” chihuahua tucked his head under my neck and went to sleep.

Harvey came home with me that day.

“Kill shelters,” as they’re called, get a lot of bad press when the truth is, pet overpopulation is a community issue. If you’re looking for a family pet, please consider adopting from a “kill shelter.” You are really saving two lives that way: the life of the animal you adopt, and the life that newly adopted animal makes room for.

Happy 8 year adoptaversary Harvey. I love you so much my little “blind as a bat, bald as a boiled egg” prince. I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything and I would choose you again a million times over. 💜

03/27/2024

Let me introduce you to the glue that’s been keeping this farm together over the last four weeks:

This is Indigo. 💜

Together, we’ve been breaking our backs to get this farm ready for summer. I can say that the animals and property have never looked better thanks to their help.

I couldn’t ask for a better assistant (or friend) to help me get my proverbial 💩 together than this glorious little lima bean right here.

You can also catch Indigo kava tending at Botanical Brewing Co. Lakeland.

Thank you Indigo for loving my animals like your own, and welcome to the misfit brigade. 💜

03/23/2024

Sweet puppy looking for a forever home through our friends at Limbo Chihuahuas 💜

03/13/2024

No animal is “just a stray” or “just a feral” in my world.

Though neurologically blind, Lazarus is living his best life now because my friends Megan Siegfried Howard and Dr Katie Emerson felt the same way.

Would you like to learn how to help cats like Lazarus in your community? Are you interested in ways you can give your senior pet the best quality of life possible? Do you want to help the people and pets in your local community but have no idea where to start?

Join me this June for the first ever “Adopt the Weird Ones” community seminar. This event will be FREE to attend and will also be live-streamed for anyone who can’t be there in person.

Stay tuned for more details, and stay weird Tampa Bay! 💜🐾

03/07/2024

This is Lazarus. He died for six minutes and came back on my birthday, September 19th. His is a story of death and rebirth on many levels.

Lazarus began his journey as an unnamed stray cat that was brought in for a routine surgery under one of Tampa Bay’s community spay/neuter programs. As a feral, he was trapped and given a routine sedative prior to his surgery. Long story short, Lazarus does NOT tolerate sedatives well, and he inadvertently bought a (roundtrip) ticket to see kitty Jesus.

The medical team, headed by my good friend Dr. Emerson, fought to save Lazarus and performed what can only be described as a medical miracle seldom seen. Despite being without a pulse for six minutes, Lazarus’s heart began beating again.

The lack of oxygen damaged the small vessels in his eyes rendering him neurologically blind, but over the course of six months, Dr. Emerson and her veterinary nurse Megan provided around the clock rehab and care to sweet Lazarus. To them, he was more than just an unnamed community cat. To them, Lazarus was deserving of love, care, and a shot at a good quality of life.

When I had to help Ninja over the rainbow bridge last week, I didn’t know it yet, but Dr. Emerson was already in my inbox with Lazarus. He had finally reached a point where he could enjoy a forever home, and Dr. E wanted to know if that home could be with me. Of course I said yes.

I firmly believe that when one animal leaves me, they act as a sort of guardian angel for another misfit that needs help. Ninja left the Isle of Misfits just as Lazarus was being born into our pack.

Lazarus died and was “reborn” on my birthday. I don’t think life has random coincidences. I believe Lazarus is here by design, and I can’t wait to share his journey with you. Welcome home Lazarus. 💜 😻

11/01/2023

I am just so unbelievably grateful. That’s it. That’s the caption. 💜

10/31/2023

Momo is 4 years old and has asthma that is controlled by inhaler. Look how handsome he is! If you think you can give Momo the relaxing home he needs, contact Friends of Strays Animal Shelter in St. Pete! 💚💙

We have a special kitty to tell you about!
Momo is 4 years old and has asthma. Yes, cats can have asthma too! He has his own inhaler to help him manage, just like a person. Momo would do best in an environment that thrives on chill vibes to help his asthma. With proper care, Momo will be a happy and healthy, affectionate kitty in your home!
Thank you to for donating this cute bowtie to help him look fancy for his photos! It was made by . You can follow these accounts on Instagram!

10/28/2023

Thank you to Miami Herald for sharing Richard’s story! 💜

10/28/2023

The number one question I get is “how do I do what you’re doing?”

In my opinion, the best place to start is by fostering for a local home-based rescue group.

If you’re in the Tampa Bay Area, I personally recommend:

Limbo Chihuahuas - Chihuahua Rescue
Kneady Kitty Rescue
CATS of Safety Harbor, Florida
LoveyLoaves
Suncoast Animal League

If you prefer volunteering, fostering or adopting in a shelter environment, try:

Friends of Strays Animal Shelter
Manatee County Animal Services
Pet Pal Animal Shelter

10/26/2023

Richard went viral on TikTok this week. Nearly 5 million people have seen what an amazing boy he is. I’ve had a lot of animals go “viral” over the years, but there’s something special about it being Richard this time.

Richard was so unloved for so long, and now millions of people think he’s as amazing as I do. He waited a long time for that kind of love, and he deserves every bit of it.

Richard has been a challenge to me for the same reason he’s so special to me: his trauma. Like Richard, I unfortunately understand the toll that prolonged abuse takes on the brain. I know how it breaks the mind. The first time I saw Richard, I saw myself: broken, exhausted, scared, and starving for love. Now when I look at Richard, I also see myself. However, I look at us both with new eyes. Now I see two beings who were down but not out, damaged, but not irreparably broken. We made it.

Richard and I are both safe, loved and happy now by the grace of God. We are each other’s safe place, and I wouldn’t exchange the growth we’ve experienced together for anything in the world. I love you Richard, and I’m SO proud of you.