At Henry’s Haven Sanctuary, Our Mission is Rooted in Compassion—for Animals and for People
ABOUT HENRY'S HAVEN & OUR MISSION
We are a nonprofit animal sanctuary based in Pennington, New Jersey dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong care for all animals in need, many of whom have been overlooked, neglected, surrendered, or deemed unadoptable.
We also envision Henry’s Haven as a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for individuals with disabilities to connect with animals, nature, and community. While much of our energy so far has gone into rescue and rehabilitation, we’ve begun forming meaningful partnerships—hosting volunteer days for disability support groups and welcoming individuals for therapeutic visits.
As we grow, we remain deeply committed to expanding this side of our mission and building a sanctuary where healing flows both ways.
But our work doesn't stop there...
Henry’s Haven Began with One Special Rabbit...
In late 2021, we learned about Greg, a bunny deemed “unadoptable” due to a medical condition. With no viable options left, Greg was days away from euthanasia. But when we saw his story, we knew we had to act. Despite the odds, Greg was eating, moving, and showing signs of life—and love. We adopted him, provided the care he needed, and quickly realized this was just the beginning.
We had spent years working at local shelters, witnessing how farm animals and exotics too often fell through the cracks. The dream of creating a sanctuary—a place where those animals could finally be safe—began to take shape.
After nearly two years of searching, we found the perfect property: a quiet 38-acre farm that now serves as the heart of Henry’s Haven.
Henry’s Haven Began with One Special Rabbit
In late 2021, we learned about Greg, a bunny deemed “unadoptable” due to a medical condition. With no viable options left, Greg was days away from euthanasia. But when we saw his story, we knew we had to act. Despite the odds, Greg was eating, moving, and showing signs of life—and love. We adopted him, provided the care he needed, and quickly realized this was just the beginning.
We had spent years volunteering at local shelters, witnessing how farm animals and exotics too often fell through the cracks. The dream of creating a sanctuary—a place where those animals could finally be safe—began to take shape.
After nearly two years of searching, we found the perfect property: a quiet 38-acre farm that now serves as the heart of Henry’s Haven.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
We believe that every animal deserves a chance at life, free from fear, neglect, or pain. Our work centers around two core pillars:
Rescue, Rehabilitate & Provide Sanctuary
We rescue both large and small animals—often those with medical needs, disabilities, or behavioral challenges—and give them a permanent home filled with safety, love, and individualized care.
Create a Safe, Inclusive Space for People
We are building an environment where individuals with disabilities can find joy, peace, and purpose through animal connection. With support from local groups and practitioners, we’re laying the foundation for programs that nurture the human-animal bond in an accessible, respectful way.
MEET THE BOARD
of Henry's Haven
Lindsay Kibler
President & Co Founder
With a B.A. in Psychology from James Madison University, Lindsay initially focused on human services before finding her passion in animal welfare. Her dedication to animals grew through volunteering and working in shelters, where she recognized the critical need for more homes and specialized care. This inspired her to pursue the dream of opening a sanctuary. After gaining valuable experience at other sanctuaries, Lindsay co-founded Henry's Haven. The sanctuary's mission extends beyond animal rescue to include supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, reflecting Lindsay's belief in the profound connection between animals and people.
Kelly Shaunessy
Vice President
Loving animals comes easily to Kelly and has been a part of who she is since she was a child. Growing up, her favorite book was Dr. Doolittle because he could talk to animals, and we would argue Kelly is an animal whisperer herself. She doesn’t hesitate to start building relationships with new residents and will spend extra time with anyone who needs it. Kelly is a champion of all cats - friendly to feral - and quickly took over the care of the barn cats, making sure they received excellent care. Everyone she interacts with quickly bonds with her because of her kind heart and love for giving treats.
Kelly has a lot of experience in animal welfare and started her volunteer journey at a shelter in Boston in 1993. She continued volunteering at shelters wherever she went, and that is how she eventually met Lindsay. Kelly’s passion, conscientiousness, and advocacy for animals continue to inspire and make her the perfect person for this role.
Outside of the sanctuary, Kelly enjoys her work, traveling, and playing pickleball. She has 3 lucky rescue cats of her own, Lynx, Bootsie, and Kilwin.
Nathaniel Kibler
Treasurer & Co Founder
Nate serves as our Treasurer, bringing a unique perspective to the role with his decade-long experience as a software engineer. While new to the nonprofit sector, Nate’s skills in problem-solving, strategic thinking, and managing complex systems are valuable assets in overseeing the financial health of the sanctuary. He strives to implement transparent, efficient, and sustainable practices to ensure the sanctuary can continue its important work.
As a passionate advocate for animal welfare, Nate is deeply committed to supporting every resident at Henry's Haven. In addition to serving as Treasurer, he dedicates his weekends to maintaining the property by planning, building, repairing, and extending shelters so that every animal here is safe and secure.
Jennifer Maher
Secretary
Jenni is a veterinary technician by trade with over a decade of experience in the animal health space. Jenni worked as a technician at the SPCA where she fell in love with animal rescue and the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants nature of shelter medicine. During her time at the SPCA, Jenni was reintroduced to her love for fostering animals and loves to share her home with animals in need. She has since progressed into a more behind-the-scenes role and currently works as a clinical trials manager where she combines her passion for animal welfare and scientific expertise to develop life-changing treatments for pets around the world. Jenni's connection to Henry's Haven began when she met Lindsay during her time at the SPCA where she quickly learned that she had met "her people." Since, Jenni has found great joy in supporting Henry's Haven as they've made their mark in the sanctuary space.
Outside of her professional life, Jenni is a dog-mom of three to Charlie, Margot, & Pearl who live with her and her husband in Farmingdale, NJ. Jenni describes herself as an introvert & homebody, who enjoys a simple life that allows her to spend time in nature with her pups, travel to new places, and enjoy time with family and friends.
Eliza Whittaker
Donor Relations
Eliza was Henry’s Haven very first volunteer and quickly became a fierce supporter. She has been with us since the beginning, and even without previous farm animal experience, has embraced every new animal with love. Her attention to detail in caring for the animals and dedication to being here for us no matter what showed us early on that she would be a very important part of our organization for a long time to come.
Eliza is great at networking and finding more volunteers and donors to support us. Her enthusiasm for our mission makes her role of Donor Relations come easy. When she’s not at the sanctuary, Eliza enjoys playing pickleball and golf, spending time with her family, and taking extra special care of her dog Gigi.
