NATURE CONSERVATION – WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
DOMESTIC ADMINISTRATION – EXOTIC STEWARDSHIP
ZOOLOGY – REHABILITATION
TIME TO RISE!
A professional 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (Charter 35417878N, EIN 13-4228753, UEI WTMYKU2MAKW4, USDA License 72-C-0239) with three locations in Louisiana & Texas, Sundown Inc. Nature Preserve is a fully qualified lifetime animal sanctuary specializing in nonreleasable wildlife, operating under USDA, USFWS, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) standards.
Sundown is not a business. Sundown is a ministry. Businesses sell. Ministries give. Big difference. Our ministry is lifetime stewardship for animals that cannot be released.
Licensed & Permitted: Tee Michaels, Founder/President, holds LDWF Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator (WRP) License Code K5 — Approved May 29, 2026 — Lafayette Parish, LA, and USDA Licensed Sanctuary 72-C-0239. LDWF Permit
Community: Services include professional wildlife rehabilitation triage per WRP K5, lifetime sanctuary care for nonreleasable exotic animals as Lifetime Sanctuary Support Residents housed separately (NOT under USDA 72-C-0239 wildlife standards), domestic animal administration for Community Rehoming Referral Network (pets remain at private owner homes, NOT at sanctuary facilities, posted on Petfinder as courtesy per partnership with LASCC lascc@lafayettela.gov), and educational outreach for conservation.
Rescue & Lifetime Sanctuary: Sundown Inc. Nature Preserve is a fully qualified lifetime animal sanctuary specializing in nonreleasable wildlife, operating under USDA License 72-C-0239, USFWS, and LDWF WRP License Code K5 — Approved May 29, 2026.
Our team works around the clock to ensure nonreleasable residents — including geriatric, disabled, and trauma-survivor wildlife deemed nonreleasable by LDWF/USFWS — receive lifetime veterinary care, nutritious diets, and species-appropriate housing in full compliance with USDA lifetime sanctuary standards. While they may not have had the best start, our residents finish their journey with the dignity they deserve.
Education: Sundown collaborates with professional organizations, various entities, and the general public to raise awareness about the responsibilities of exotic and domestic pet ownership, plus the pros and cons of wildlife, their essential roles in our ecosystems, as well as the many ways communities can promote better coexistence with these precious souls.
Listed below are just some of our proud attributes:
Designed, created, and developed the original (former) LDWF permit test.
Developed a powerful Contingency Program used by the USDA as a teaching guideline for other organizations.
Operates on a 24/7 basis (no breaks from the horrors of inhumanity).
Assists all local & statewide agencies in EMR situations.
Offers rescue, adoption, rehabilitation, relocation programs, and more.
Donates up to $15,000 for buildings and other supplies to other rescue organizations.
Works with authorities to remove hoarded/abused animals from deplorable situations.
Participates in multiple community programs such as the popular TNR.
Offers Hospice programs & support.
Provides educational classes for professional foundations and individuals to aid and assist in better animal welfare.
Teamed up with Benner’s to design & manufacture the first cageless “Cat Fence System” that has become so popular today.
And that is just half of what we have done and continue to do. Please take a few minutes to look around and view all that we offer. We are constantly adding and updating information, so be sure to check back regularly or sign up for our newsletter to stay informed and up-to-date on the matters that mean the most to you.
Don’t forget to show some love – Donate now so we can do even more!