The Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge

and Museum Are Now Closed

PAWS' cofounder, the late Pat Derby met Amanda Blake (above) in 1967 in Hollywood. At the time Pat was working as an animal trainer on the set of "Gunsmoke" where Amanda ("Miss Kitty") was one of its stars. Pat and Amanda would became close friends and in 1984, when PAWS was founded, Ms. Blake supported PAWS with donations, special appearances and fundraisers. When she passed away in 1989, she left the majority of her estate to PAWS.

Throughout her life Amanda made frequent trips to Africa where she fell in love with the natural beauty and wildness of the Maasai Mara Reserve and with national parks such as Amboseli and Serengeti. During her final years, Amanda lived at the PAWS Galt, California, sanctuary so she could be close to the animals she loved. She was there for the arrival of PAWS' first elephant "71."

In 1997, the Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge and Museum, located in Herald, California, were established in Ms. Blake's memory. The refuge once housed eland, fallow deer, rhea, emus, and a small herd of scimitar-horned oryx.

The Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge and Museum were located at the Rancho Seco Recreation Area operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge and Museum closed permanently in December 2022. The remaining animals were moved to PAWS' 2,300-acre ARK 2000 sanctuary in San Andreas, CA.