Safe Harbor was founded in 2022 on 35 acres in Seagrove, North Carolina. Founder MaryEllen Schoeman had been a wildlife rehabilitator and rescuer in California for over 20 years, and also maintained a small urban farmstead in the suburbs of Los Angeles, much to the bemusement (or chagrin!) of her neighbors.

But then . . . pandemic. Determined to see the loss of their paid jobs as a positive, MaryEllen and her husband Paul uprooted and moved across the country, so that MaryEllen could fulfill her lifelong dream of having a farm and animal rescue. Within weeks of closing on the property in Seagrove, the first call came in - could a home be found for a goat with brain damage? Safe Harbor was up for the task and a steady stream of animals needing help has been arriving ever since.

Safe Harbor is inspired by, and named for, MaryEllen’s beloved raccoon, Harbor, who passed away in 2018. Harbor’s full story can be found here: Safe Harbor: A Journey