About the Tara's Babies Sanctuary

Tara's Babies sanctuary is located at Dakini Valley, 148 acres of former ranch land nestled in the 3 million acre Tonto National Forest near Payson, Arizona. With an elevation of 4,700 feet, a permanent stream, rolling meadows and no immediate neighbors, it is the perfect setting for a dog rescue. Access to the property is on an unimproved forest service road.

Because of its remote location, Dakini Valley is off- the-grid, and landline phone access is unavailable. We rely on solar power, as well as satellite and cell-phone connections. Future plans are to develop a unique facility, based on sustainable design principles.

Until the new facility is built, we are unable to provide on-site shelter to cats, and the number of rescue dogs on site is limited to around 37. We are usually filled to capacity.

A Day at The Sanctuary

Our intention is to find loving homes for the animals in our care, and we want adoptions to be for life. For this reason, we teach the dogs basic commands and prepare them for life in a family home.

Every day, every dog receives the basic care of food, fresh water and human interaction. This may include grooming and playtime. Dogs are sometimes brought into our recreation room, to socialize with people in a home setting.

For every leash-trained dog, there is also a daily walk.

In addition, each dog is engaged in training appropriate to the individual dog. For dogs ready for adoption, this involves learning and refining responses to basic commands. In the case of very timid dogs, more fundamental feed-based training is used to increase their confidence and trust in people.

A very few of the dogs at the Sanctuary, due to unpredictable and aggressive behavior, will remain at Tara's Babies Sanctuary for the rest of their lives. These dogs also receive optimal care and training appropriate to their needs.

Daily checks are made on the health and well being of all the dogs, and appropriate intervention provided as needed.

Most importantly, the dogs are loved and this is reflected in their happy demeanor.