PETA
Donate Now
  • Help Animals
    • Urgent Alerts
    • Our Campaigns
    • Action Team
    • Activist Guide
    • Get Active Online
    • Leaflets & Stickers
  • News
    • Features
    • Videos
    • Adoptable Animals
    • Rescue Stories
  • Investigations
    • Investigations & Rescue Fund
    • Report Cruelty to Animals
  • Animal Rights Issues
    • Animals Used for Experimentation
    • Food
    • Clothing
    • Entertainment
    • Companion Animals
    • Wildlife
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle 101
    • Personal Care & Fashion
    • Food & Health
    • Recipes
    • Parents
    • Humane Home
    • Entertainment
    • Animal Companions
  • Students
    • peta2
    • PETA Kids
    • TeachKind
  • Shop
    • PETA SHOP
    • Cruelty-Free Database
    • Literature
    • PETA Shopping Guide
    • PETA-Approved Vegan
    • PETA Presents
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Views
    • Victories
    • Milestones
    • Volunteer
    • Work at PETA
    • Intern
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • PETA Global
  • Donate Now
    • Donate Now
    • Vanguard Society
    • Tribute
    • More Ways to Support
    • Membership Services
    • Gifts in Wills
    • Corporate Partnerships
Report Cruelty to Animals
Skip to Content
PETA
Donate Now
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Report Cruelty to Animals
PETA
Animals are not ours
to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.
  • Help Animals
    • Urgent Alerts
    • Our Campaigns
    • Action Team
    • Activist Guide
    • Get Active Online
    • Leaflets & Stickers
  • News
    • Features
    • Videos
    • Adoptable Animals
    • Rescue Stories
  • Investigations
    • Investigations & Rescue Fund
    • Report Cruelty to Animals
  • Animal Rights Issues
    • Animals Used for Experimentation
    • Food
    • Clothing
    • Entertainment
    • Companion Animals
    • Wildlife
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle 101
    • Personal Care & Fashion
    • Food & Health
    • Recipes
    • Parents
    • Humane Home
    • Entertainment
    • Animal Companions
  • Students
    • peta2
    • PETA Kids
    • TeachKind
  • Shop
    • PETA SHOP
    • Cruelty-Free Database
    • Literature
    • PETA Shopping Guide
    • PETA-Approved Vegan
    • PETA Presents
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Views
    • Victories
    • Milestones
    • Volunteer
    • Work at PETA
    • Intern
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • PETA Global
  • Donate Now
    • Donate Now
    • Vanguard Society
    • Tribute
    • More Ways to Support
    • Membership Services
    • Gifts in Wills
    • Corporate Partnerships
  • Help Animals
    • Urgent Alerts
    • Our Campaigns
    • Action Team
    • Activist Guide
    • Get Active Online
    • Leaflets & Stickers
  • News
    • Features
    • Videos
    • Adoptable Animals
    • Rescue Stories
  • Investigations
    • Investigations & Rescue Fund
    • Report Cruelty to Animals
  • Animal Rights Issues
    • Animals Used for Experimentation
    • Food
    • Clothing
    • Entertainment
    • Companion Animals
    • Wildlife
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle 101
    • Personal Care & Fashion
    • Food & Health
    • Recipes
    • Parents
    • Humane Home
    • Entertainment
    • Animal Companions
  • Students
    • peta2
    • PETA Kids
    • TeachKind
  • Shop
    • PETA SHOP
    • Cruelty-Free Database
    • Literature
    • PETA Shopping Guide
    • PETA-Approved Vegan
    • PETA Presents
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Views
    • Victories
    • Milestones
    • Volunteer
    • Work at PETA
    • Intern
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • PETA Global
  • Donate Now
    • Donate Now
    • Vanguard Society
    • Tribute
    • More Ways to Support
    • Membership Services
    • Gifts in Wills
    • Corporate Partnerships
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Features
  4. /
  5. Undercover Photos from Sacred Vision Animal Sanctuary

Undercover Photos from Sacred Vision Animal Sanctuary

While undercover inside Sacred Vision Animal Sanctuary, PETA’s investigator documented hundreds of cats living in filthy, miserable conditions as well as operator Elizabeth Owen’s daily neglect of and cruelty to these cats, many of whom died as a result. View some of the investigator’s photographs below, and then take action.

Chappy – For nearly three weeks, Chappy was denied veterinary care for what Owen said was conjunctivitis. The delay left Chappy to suffer from what was likely a scarred cornea.
Mired in Feces for Days – Most of the cats in Owen’s charge are caged 24/7 for days on end, with no way to escape the sight and smell of their own waste.
Sphinxy – Owen denied Sphinxy veterinary care for an open wound encircling her right front leg. Sphinxy died unassisted approximately 10 days after this photograph was taken.
Dark, Unventilated Storage Unit – Approximately 300 cats are caged 24/7 in dark, stifling storage units. Most have been kept in these conditions for years.
Winky – This cat suffered and died after Owen rejected repeated offers and pleas to rush the obviously critically ill, convulsing cat for emergency care at no cost to her
OK – This cat, named OK, has been denied effective veterinary care for conjunctivitis for more than four months, during which time Owen admitted that OK has been in this condition ‘forever.’
Daphne – For months, Daphne, who is thin and has a matted coat and whose rear end is caked with feces, has been denied veterinary care for chronic diarrhea.
Puddles of Urine – Urine puddles on top of the saturated litter available to the cats. Owen routinely allows SVAS to run out of litter, making it impossible to clean out soiled litterboxes.
Small, Filthy Cage – Owen has warehoused cats for years—some even for their entire lives—in small, filthy crates that make it impossible for them to escape the sight and smell of their own waste.
Farkle – Owen has denied this cat veterinary care for a large, open wound behind his left ear for approximately 11 weeks and admits that the wound looks ‘like hell.’
Olaf – Owen says that Olaf—who is missing most of one eye and has an unsutured, irritated wound—has ‘always looked like hell’ but admits to having never taken the cat to a veterinarian.
Pirelli’s Remains – Pirelli died after Owen denied the cat veterinary care for an apparent respiratory infection. The cat’s body was put in a freezer that Owen later attempted to sell at her thrift store.
Kiwi – Owen has denied this cat veterinary care for several open wounds for two months and admitted that the cat has had one of the sores for at least a year.
Merrill – This cat has been denied veterinary care for more than three months for a severe respiratory infection and congestion, which Owen says the cat has ‘always’ suffered from.
Luke on January 10, 2011 – Owen has denied this cat veterinary care for a severe injury to his left ear for weeks, even turning down a volunteer’s offer to pay for the treatment.
Luke on January 28, 2011 – Eighteen days after PETA’s investigator first photographed Luke’s injury, the cat was still suffering and had received no veterinary care despite a volunteer’s offer to pay for it.
Bubbles – This cat has been denied veterinary care for more than three months for his apparent respiratory infection and poor oral health and body condition.
Paul – PETA’s investigator found that many cats, like this one, were missing a great deal of fur from their bodies, likely as a result of flea allergy dermatitis.
Elvis – PETA first notified officials about horrific conditions for Owen’s animals in July 2010, when a photo of this dying cat was sent to PETA by a whistleblower.
Brownie – Owen left this cat to die at SVAS when she ignored a veterinarian’s recommendation that the suffering cat be euthanized because test results were positive for a terminal illness.
Related Posts
Up to $10,000 Reward: Can YOU Help Us Find Who Tortured and Abandoned Rambo the Yorkie in a Norfolk Field?
Rambo looking healthy at the shelter, then two months later after severe abuse
Animal Companions
Up to $10,000 Reward: Can YOU Help Us Find Who Tortured and Abandoned Rambo the Yorkie in a Norfolk Field?

Someone dumped a badly injured Yorkie in a Norfolk, Virginia, field and drove away. PETA is offering up to $10,000 for information that helps identify the culprit

Take Action
September 2, 2026
What I Saw at PETA’s 18th Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cancun
Animal Companions
What I Saw at PETA’s 18th Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cancun

Hundreds of animals, devoted guardians, and unforgettable moments showed what happens when PETA brings veterinary care within reach.

Take Action
September 2, 2026
PETA Tip Triggers Federal Raid, Lawsuit Against Chinchilla Breeder
Chinchillas at breeder R and R chinchilla, which sells to the 'pet' and experimentation trades
Animal Companions
PETA Tip Triggers Federal Raid, Lawsuit Against Chinchilla Breeder

A lawsuit alleges hundreds of animals were hidden from inspectors for years.

Take Action
August 26, 2026
Join PETA's Text List
Get PETA Updates
Thank you for joining PETA's text list
Join Thousands of Supporters

Text PETA to 73822

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out here.

By providing your mobile phone number, you agree to receive automated texts and calls from PETA and accept our terms and conditions. Message and data rates may apply. U.S. mobile users only. Reply STOP to quit.

Mobile terms for automated texts/calls from PETA: peta.vg/txt. Text STOP to end, HELP for more info. Msg/data rates may apply. U.S. only.

Sign me up for the following e-mail:
Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mails unless you explicitly opt out here.

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

Follow Us
  • PETA Facebook
  • PETA Twitter
  • PETA Instagram
  • PETA YouTube
  • PETA SMS Sign-Up
  • PETA LinkedIn
  • PETA TikTok
  • PETA Bluesky
  • PETA Threads
Recent Posts
Up to $10,000 Reward: Can YOU Help Us Find Who Tortured and Abandoned Rambo the Yorkie in a Norfolk Field?
Rambo looking healthy at the shelter, then two months later after severe abuse
Up to $10,000 Reward: Can YOU Help Us Find Who Tortured and Abandoned Rambo the Yorkie in a Norfolk Field?

Someone dumped a badly injured Yorkie in a Norfolk, Virginia, field and drove away. PETA is offering up to $10,000 for information that helps identify the culprit

Take Action
Pitzer College Makes History: A Newly Installed Plaque Acknowledges the Animals Killed for Food and Seeks Change
Two black cows cuddling over a fence
Pitzer College Makes History: A Newly Installed Plaque Acknowledges the Animals Killed for Food and Seeks Change

Backed by Angela Davis and paid for by PETA, this first-of-its-kind memorial honors the millions of animals killed for food and encourages students to see them as individuals.

Take Action
What I Saw at PETA’s 18th Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cancun
What I Saw at PETA’s 18th Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cancun

Hundreds of animals, devoted guardians, and unforgettable moments showed what happens when PETA brings veterinary care within reach.

Take Action
Drone Attack in Ukraine Injures Volunteers from PETA Partner ARK During Dangerous Animal Rescue
Drone Attack in Ukraine Injures Volunteers from PETA Partner ARK During Dangerous Animal Rescue

During an animal rescue in a war-ravaged part of Ukraine, a vehicle belonging to Animal Rescue Kharkiv was attacked. Two rescuers were injured. Learn more.

Take Action
After Years of Cutting Into Monkeys’ Skulls, This Experimenter’s Program Has Collapsed
macaque with two babies
After Years of Cutting Into Monkeys’ Skulls, This Experimenter’s Program Has Collapsed

PETA’s actions, including meeting with law enforcement officials, brought down one monkey experimenter’s laboratory.

Take Action
JOIN US
Get urgent alerts, breaking animals rights news, and easy ways to take action for animals!
PETA bunny
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
At least one of the following fields is required.
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Untitled

Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out here.

By clicking, you agree to receive automated texts and calls from PETA and accept our terms and conditions. Message and data rates may apply. U.S. mobile users only. By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

Get the Latest Tips—Right in Your Inbox
We’ll e-mail you weekly with the latest in vegan recipes, fashion, and more!
Sign me up for the following e-mail:
Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mails unless you explicitly opt out here.

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

Read More

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?”

— Ingrid Newkirk, PETA Founder and co-author of Animalkind

Read More
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510
757-622-PETA (7382)
757-622-0457 (fax)
PETA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation (tax ID number 52-1218336). CFC #11651

About PETA

  • Our Story
  • Careers
  • Find Out Why Animal Liberation Matters to You
  • Victories
  • Volunteer
  • PETA Prime
  • Sign Up for E-Mails
  • Join PETA’s Text List
  • Contact PETA
  • International Publications

Help Animals

  • Urgent Alerts
  • Our Campaigns
  • Join the Action Team
  • For Students
  • For Teachers

For Media

  • Media Center
  • News Releases
  • PSAs
  • For Media: Order PSAs
  • Contact Media Team

Support PETA

  • Donate Now
  • Become a Member
  • Make a Monthly Gift
  • Make a Memorial Gift
  • Make an Honorary Gift
  • Make a Stock Gift
  • Gifts in Wills
  • What Is the Vanguard Society?
  • Membership Services
  • Gift Memberships
  • More Ways

International Sites

  • PETA U.K.
  • PETA France
  • PETA Germany
  • PETA Netherlands
  • PETA Switzerland
  • PETA India
  • PETA Australia
  • PETA Asia
  • 亚洲善待动物组织
  • PETA Latino
  • © 2026 PETA | Read Our Full Policy
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Contest Terms & Conditions
  • Disclaimer
  • Texting Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Report Website Abuse
  • Cookies Settings
Next Article »
DonateDonate Now
✕Close