Our Story

A Paradise For Rescued Animal Animals

A Life of Compassionate Aloha

A gentle cow munches contentedly in a shaded corner of rolling green pasture overlooking the sparkling Pacific. Goats frolic, deer bask in the warm sun, pigs roll happily in the mud, and a donkey anticipates sweet nibbles of carrots and apples. Friendly chickens cluck and turkeys gobble, while ducks and geese splash in ponds. Rabbits and guinea pigs scamper through cool gardens. Exotic flowers bloom. And cats by the dozen greet visitors with expectant purrs.

This is Leilani Farm Sanctuary—an island paradise for rescued animals where compassion for all living beings reigns. Located on eight lush acres of pure love, this non-profit sanctuary on Maui saves animals destined for slaughter or orphaned after hunters took their mothers and educates the community on the humane treatment of animals.

Tour the farm and meet the Leilani Farm Sanctuary ambassadors, and consider sponsoring one or more of the animals who touch your heart and help us continue our mission of providing hope and education, one life at a time.

The Sanctuaryʻs Special Programs

Leilani Farm Sanctuary is an educational facility that teaches children and adults about animals in a way that changes their perspective about themselves and the world around them. Our emphasis is upon teaching that every living being needs food, water, shelter, shade, love, and has language.

We host at-risk youth programs, school field trips, special needs children, elder activities, and farm tours for the general public, including visitors from the Mainland — providing our community with a hands-on experience that is thought-provoking and stimulates social and emotional growth.

Most of the animals at Leilani Farm Sanctuary were orphaned, neglected, or abused. Through interaction with animals, children from troubled homes learn forgiveness, courage, strength, leadership skills, trust, empathy, and kindness. When we relay the animals’ stories to visiting children, it helps them relate to their own pain. (Often, when children are abused they turn their hurt around to abuse others, smaller than themselves.)

Exploring with children how abused animals have learned to forgive and overcome their pasts, the animals become role models, helping the children deal with their pain and reach for their bright futures.

By learning empathy and respect for all life, children become protectors rather than abusers. Animals, with their unconditional love and non-judgmental attitude, can often reach kids more deeply and effectively than people can. The healing that takes place when children get together with the animals is profound.

Sponsor a Group of Children

Your $400 donation will sponsor a group of special-needs children’s visit to Leilani Farm Sanctuary. A donation of $4,000 funds their participation in our ten-month humane education program. Please help these children, who otherwise could not afford to come.

Scan to Sponsor

Sponsor Keiki Group

Laurelee Blanchard

Founder – Leilani Farm Sanctuary

Laurelee Blanchard, Founder and President of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Finding Paradise”, left a lucrative career as Senior Vice President at the national firm of Lee and Associates Commercial Real Estate Services to devote her life to animal protection and humane education. In 1999, she cashed out her life savings and moved from Orange County, California, to Haiku, Maui. There she acquired an eight-acre parcel of land, on which she created a farm sanctuary—a refuge where animals would be protected from neglect, abuse, and slaughter.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, home to nearly three hundred rescued animals, including goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, a donkey, geese, deer, cats, pigs, sheep, turkeys, guinea pigs, tortoises, and a cow. The Sanctuary provides educational programs for school groups and special-needs visitors and offers tours and humane education to the general public.

EDUCATIONAL BROCHURE