2025 Finding Strength, Healing and Purpose through Connection with Rescued Animals

Kyla Sevillo is insightful, driven and deeply compassionate — qualities that shine through in the way she cares for animals and dreams of creating a more just world for them.

Now 16 and a student at LaFayette Big Picture School, she spends her Tuesdays and Thursdays interning at The Haven at Skanda, a nonprofit animal sanctuary and farm in Cazenovia. For Kyla, it’s more than just an internship — it’s a place where she’s discovered connection, healing and purpose.

“I wanted to work with animals because I know they deserve better,” she said. “They feel things just like we do. Some of them have been through a lot, and I understand what that’s like.”

Kyla was adopted at age two and has carried with her the experience of being left behind by someone who was supposed to care for her. It’s a pain she sees mirrored in many of the animals at Skanda. “My biological mom didn’t really care,” she said. “She left me, just like people sometimes leave animals. And that really stuck with me.”

That sense of empathy and determination is what first drew her to Skanda. After researching animal sanctuaries online, she found Skanda’s mission — to offer love, hope and possibilities to rescued animals and the children who care for them — and immediately knew she wanted to be part of it.

Located in rural Madison County, The Haven at Skanda is home to rescued horses, goats, pigs and other animals who have survived neglect or abuse. But its impact reaches far beyond the barn. Through its trauma-informed youth program, Skanda welcomes children and teens — many of whom face significant life challenges
— for hands-on learning, social-emotional support and healing.

In Madison County, nearly half of school-aged children qualify for free or reduced lunch. According to CNYVitals.org, children living in poverty are more likely to experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect or household instability. These experiences can shape a child’s development and make it harder to succeed without the right supports in place.

That’s where Skanda steps in. With help from a grant from our Madison County Rural Poverty Fund, Skanda’s youth program is offered free of charge to children from income-eligible households. Participants work with animals, learn mindfulness, develop leadership skills and build relationships in a safe, nurturing environment.

“When I first came here, I didn’t have a lot of structure,” Kyla said. “But the animals helped me feel calm and focused. I started waking up excited on the days I got to come here.” One of her closest connections is with Freddy, a mule who arrived at Skanda scared and untrusting after surviving mistreatment. “Freddy didn’t trust anyone,” said Nicole Woodruff, program facilitator and The Haven at Skanda’s board president. “Kyla was the first person he bonded with. It changed him — and it changed her.”

Kyla’s experiences have helped her envision a future rooted in compassion. She hopes to study animal science or behavior in college — SUNY Morrisville is currently her top choice — and eventually become an animal cruelty investigator or run her own sanctuary.

“Skanda gave me the support I didn’t even know I needed,” she said. “It’s made me more confident and more sure of what I want to do.”

In a region where rural poverty and trauma are pressing concerns, The Haven at Skanda offers a model for what’s possible when children are met with care, opportunity and love — something Kyla now shares with every animal she meets.