From roof goats to wallabies: AZ animal sanctuary wins international honor

Farm Angels Sanctuary wins international award

An animal sanctuary in Surprise has received the 2025 Anthem Gold award.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - For years, Lisa Buccigrosse’s heart has led her here: Farm Angels Sanctuary. She loves every animal, and that, of course, includes Victoria. Caretakers didn’t know if Victoria would ever regain eyesight in her right eye after a bad case of pink eye got out of control, but Buccigrosse never gave up on her.

"I knew there was a solution to get her better," Buccigrosse said. Now, Victoria is fully healthy with her vision intact—one of countless success stories at the sanctuary in Surprise, Arizona.

"There’s no paid staff here; it's all on a volunteer basis," said Buccigrosse.

Now, she and that volunteer staff are making big waves. They have just won the Anthem Gold Award. Out of more than 2,000 nominations across 42 countries, Farm Angels won the prestigious international honor.

What they're saying:

"It's very humbling, but it's very nice to be recognized for all the work I do—the work day in and day out—because I love these animals," Buccigrosse said. "It helps the community, and it helps individuals, but to be recognized for the work is definitely, definitely nice."

The backstory:

The sanctuary won for its long history of service, including high-profile cases like the rescue of a wallaby in 2023 and a 2024 mission to save a goat that had become trapped on a roof.

"You never know when you’re going to get a call. It can be in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning," Buccigrosse said. "Being super flexible and thinking about how to respond to the situation at hand and what needs to be done."

Every animal at the sanctuary has a story, and thanks to Buccigrosse, they all have a future, too.

"The reward is being able to share this with others," she said. "While I do oversee all of it, it’s for those also able to participate and enjoy giving back, but really seeing how special all of these animals are as individuals."

Learn more at https://www.farmangelssanctuary.org.