Who we are
At Havencroft, we believe every animal deserves a safe place to land—whether they’re cranky, curious, quirky, or completely chaotic. We’re a small, scrappy animal sanctuary in southern New Hampshire providing lifelong care for animals with nowhere else to go, and a temporary haven for those who just need a soft spot to rest.
We’re currently run by a dedicated human team and a non-stop, honking, braying, bleating cast of residents—including goats with attitudes, ducks with secret agendas, conspiring cats, needy doggos, three deeply judgmental alpacas, and more.
Many of our residents come from situations where they were unwanted, aging, difficult to place, or left behind when their people could no longer care for them. Some arrived from rescues. Some showed up by surprise.
All of them are part of the family.
Our mission began with a simple idea: that even the most difficult-to-place animals deserve safety and comfort. Over time, it’s grown into something bigger—a place not just for animals, but for the people who care about them too.
As we grow, we aim to expand our capacity, support more complex cases, and create a welcoming space where animal care and community come together.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we’re committed to providing real, responsible, long-term care—while also keeping things grounded, joyful, and just a little weird. If you believe every critter deserves comfort and dignity (even the grumpy ones), you’re in the right place.
Dive Right In
Our Team
Ariele Sieling
Executive Director
Ariele Sieling is the Executive Director of Havencroft Animal Sanctuary, where she oversees a growing assortment of goats, alpacas, cats, dogs, ducks, geese, chickens, guinea hens, and whatever other creatures happen to need a place to land. A lifelong animal lover with a particular soft spot for the old, odd, complicated, and difficult-to-place, she has spent years caring for animals with a wide range of medical, behavioral, and social needs.
At Havencroft, Ariele focuses on building sustainable systems of care that allow each animal to live according to their individual needs, whether that means managing a complex medical case, earning the trust of a wary barn cat, or accepting that some goats simply have very strong opinions about how things should be done.
She handles nonprofit development, fundraising, communications, and much of the day-to-day operations at Havencroft Animal Sanctuary.
Kasey Fallon
Vice President of the Board
Kasey Fallon serves as Vice President of the Board at Havencroft Animal Sanctuary, bringing plenty of drive, creativity, and determination to the work of building a sanctuary from the ground up.
A writer and author as well as an animal lover, Kasey shares her life with Asher, a Catahoula mix, and brings the same combination of enthusiasm and persistence to Havencroft’s assorted residents and projects. She helps keep the organization moving forward, whether that means tackling a new idea, supporting the sanctuary’s growth, or lending a hand with whatever particular brand of animal-related chaos has emerged that day.
Greg Rives
Treasurer
Greg Rives serves as Treasurer of the Board at Havencroft Animal Sanctuary, bringing a head for business and a soft spot for animals to his role as the sanctuary’s resident Biscuit Counter.
Originally from New Hampshire and now living in Connecticut, Greg holds an MBA from Columbia University and runs an HVAC company, giving him plenty of experience with budgets, operations, and keeping complicated systems running. He shares his home with Andy, a rescue dog, and helps Havencroft build the financial foundation needed to keep feed bowls full, animals cared for, and the sanctuary sustainable for the long haul.
Celeste Miller
Secretary
Celeste Miller serves as Secretary of the Board at Havencroft Animal Sanctuary, bringing extensive experience with both dogs and nonprofit animal welfare to the team.
Based near Richmond, Virginia, Celeste also serves on the board of Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue and shares her home with Willow, a Great Pyrenees of her own. Her experience working with rescue organizations gives Havencroft an additional perspective on responsible animal care, nonprofit operations, and the considerable amount of paperwork required to keep helping animals—which makes her particularly well suited to her role as Chief Notes Taker.
Harley O’Brien
Director
Harley O’Brien serves as a Director on the Havencroft board and as our resident Brand Barkitect.
Originally from Peru and now based in New Hampshire, Harley works at Fidelity and brings extensive experience in branding, design, technology, and creative problem-solving to the sanctuary.
A dedicated cat lover with two cats of his own, he combines his affection for animals with his professional expertise to help shape how Havencroft looks, sounds, and tells its story—making sure our growing organization has a brand every bit as distinctive as the critters who call it home.
Deborah Bessner
Director
Deborah Bessner serves as a Director on the Havencroft board, bringing a legal background and a useful eye for the rules, agreements, and fine print that come with building a nonprofit. A graduate of Fordham University School of Law, Deborah works at Reed Smith LLP and lends that experience to Havencroft as our Chief Haygreement Officer.
At home, she has her own small contingent of rescued and four-legged chaos: Eleanor, a former street cat, and Franklin, a French Bulldog. Together, the combination makes her well qualified for an organization built around animals, complicated situations, and an alarming amount of paperwork.
Judy LaCross
Director
Judy LaCross serves as a Director on the Havencroft board and brings a lifetime of hands-on animal experience—and a very high tolerance for barnyard nonsense—to the sanctuary. Before retiring, she ran a farm in Vermont with roughly 300 head of cattle, along with goats, chickens, and assorted other creatures, giving her the kind of practical animal knowledge that only comes from years of muddy boots and livestock who refuse to cooperate.
Now living in New Hampshire, Judy is a frequent presence at Havencroft, where she spends plenty of time with the animals and can regularly be found dispensing treats, attention, and the occasional well-earned opinion about what we’re doing wrong.