Founded as the Arizona Animal Anti-Cruelty League by Sister Theresa Seraphim, a Russian Orthodox nun from England. Sister Seraphim moved to Southern Arizona in 1965 and to Tucson in 1969 and lived at this location until she passed away in 1990. During her tenure at The Hermitage, Sister Seraphim rescued not only cats, but chickens, guinea hens, peacocks, a handful of dogs, and a donkey.

In 2013, through the American Sanctuary Association, our cage-free shelter became an accredited sanctuary. We remain the only accredited cat sanctuary in Arizona.

In October of 2017, we moved into our expanded 9000 sq-ft, cage-free shelter. Here we house 200+ cats at any given time and rescue about 700 cats annually. With the addition of our medical suite, The Hermitage can provide state-of-the-art care for our cats including spay/neuter surgeries; dental procedures; laser treatments to assist in recovery; and more. Every cat is given a full exam every six months, allowing us to take a preventative approach to their care. Our in-house X-ray equipment allows us to diagnose many conditions without costly visits to outside veterinarians. This care is especially essential for our cats with special needs, such as FIV, FeLV, diabetes, or other chronic issues. Our ability to provide this comprehensive care in-house greatly reduces the stress on the cats, reduces our costs, and improves the cats overall well-being.