A key part of St. Luke’s motto is to “go forth to serve.” Murphy Levesque ‘26 has taken this sentiment to heart and created an organization called Hidden Gem Animal Rescue that works to save animals from life on the street and give them a loving home. 

Murphy comments on the origins of the rescue and her plans for the future.

Why did you start the rescue? 

Murphy: I co-founded the rescue in 2020 with my horseback riding trainer Logan Allison. We started the rescue because helping animals is really important to us. At the time, the barn where we were located had a feral cat colony. The property managers would leave out food for their cats, and the cats spent most of their time under the managers’ porch. A few weeks after we found the colony, one of the cats gave birth to four sweet kittens. Over the course of a couple months, we trapped the kittens and brought them to the vet for medical attention. Saving those kittens was the spark we needed to fuel our desire to help animals and inspired us to start our own rescue to aid more animals in similar situations. 

How have you and Logan worked together to create this nonprofit? What was the process? 

Murphy: At first we would raise as much money as we could and then rescue as many animals as we could, and that’s very much still our goal. But also, as we’ve learned more about business, we’ve learned how to save our money to be able to rescue more animals in the future. It became less of a hobby and more of a business. As of 2024, we got our 501(c)(3) which made us officially a nonprofit business. 

What is your goal for the rescue? Where do you see it in the future? 

Murphy: Our biggest goal with the rescue is to have our own location and really build it to be a truly safe haven for animals. Rescues aren’t technically permanent homes, but a rescue is more stable than living on the streets. Maybe even in the far, far future, we can have multiple locations across the country. Potentially one down south where there are a lot of dogs that need help. 

Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you think you’re going to go into a career that is involved with animals? 

Murphy: I would love to see this business through the rest of my life. I see myself working with animals no matter what because I just love animals.

What is your favorite aspect of the rescue?

Murphy: The most satisfying part of the rescue is when the animals find a really good home. There was this one rescue where the potential adopter was kind of close to us, and she was really struggling with her mental health.  She ended up adopting a kitten through the rescue. That cat was also a little bit broken inside because she had gone through a lot in life. The two of them were able to form such a bond and take care of each other in so many ways. They were able to really progress in their life and be the happiest they could. I think that experience was one of the most gratifying moments. It’s really rewarding when you see these animals go to homes, and they’re happy and they’re not just alive, they’re living.

What is a funny moment you associate with the rescue?

Murphy: Our last dog Trooper had this funny thing where he would take people’s hands in his mouth, and he would take them everywhere with him.

St. Luke’s mission is to provide “an exceptional education that inspires a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead.” How do you think the SLS mission has influenced your service journey? 

Murphy: St. Luke’s has been really influential, and it’s especially supportive as St. Luke’s will carve out time for service hours, and make it required. They’ll give you opportunities and times to  build your service

Do you have anything else you would like to share?

Murphy: I think it’s really difficult for animals even if they may seem like they’re navigating their way through life on the streets through their survival instincts. So just because they’re surviving doesn’t mean that they’re really living, and I think it’s right for us all to give every opportunity we can to these animals so they can live.

To learn more about Hidden Gem Animal Rescue, you can visit their website hiddengemanimalrescue.org.