Find this feature in the January 7, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent – 

Something in her heart broke, and ten-year-old Mary Ann Wilson rushed in, kicking and screaming, to rescue the defenseless cat from adolescent boys who were swinging it over their heads by the tail. She would not allow the abuse, and her courage in that moment established her life’s mission – to support the unsupported and defend the defenseless animals.

As a youth in Baltimore, Maryland, Mary Ann carted any needy animal that she found home to her family, and by the time she was a young wife to Mr. Ron Ahrens, she was volunteering with an animal rescue organization whenever she could get away from her business where she taught aerobic dance.

Throughout their marriage, Ron and Mary Ann spent several vacations skiing in Jackson Hole, which they loved. In 1997, they left Baltimore to retire in Star Valley where they purchased a home just north of Star Valley Ranch.

Of course, her life’s mission continued as she settled into life in Star Valley and discovered that the community offered very little support to homeless and distressed animals. Over the next several months, Ron and Mary Ann opened their home to nearly 20 homeless dogs and cats. The home and yard became known as the Dog On Ranch, and Mary Ann worked tirelessly to find homes for the animals.

One of her first rescue projects involved purchasing two golden retriever puppies that were on permanent tie-outs at different locations in the winter weather. Mentored by Sophie Graighead in Jackson, who specialized in rescuing golden retrievers, Mary Ann approached the owners of the puppies and offered to purchase them for $40 each. Initially, only one of the owners was willing to sell, but Mary Ann persisted and was soon able to acquire both puppies.

Sophie named the two retriever puppies Lucky and Rusty, and they served as the inspiration for organization of the Animal Humane Association of Star Valley (AHASV). The board of AHASV qualified for non-profit 501(C)(3) status in 2003 and Lincoln County Commissioner Tammy Archibald advocated for the organization to lease county property to construct a shelter by the Lincoln County Landfill. Ron and Mary Ann took out a loan to fund building a small shelter and began their work to provide a home for the animals.

The AHASV’s shelter, Lucky’s Place, opened its doors in 2007 with only three kennels inside and nowhere to serve animals outdoors. “My husband and I worked there all the time,” Mary Ann said. “We started raising money,” through grants, fundraiser donations and sponsorships to afford improvements, which would eventually include several outdoor chain-link kennels and indoor accommodations that were provided through financial sponsorship from generous individuals.

“In the beginning, the kennels were $1500 and we just kept recruiting sponsors so we could keep growing” by pouring a concrete pad and putting a roof over the outdoor area. “That whole time, it was just volunteer work. Once we got that open, it took about three or four years before we could afford to pay anyone to work there,” as the bulk of expenses included food and veterinary bills to recover health, administer immunizations and spay and neuter animals. But “nobody wants to do that every day for nothing!”

Mary Ann traveled throughout the region, collecting donated food and supplies. “The more you do, the more people get involved. More people are coming to value animals and if it weren’t for all the donations and people who care, I don’t know how we would have done it.”

As every moment of Ron and Mary Ann’s work with Lucky’s Place was volunteer, they relied on retirement income. When Ron passed away in 2012, his Social Security benefits and a real estate sale of some property they had held in Jackson provided her a living, and she was able to invest all her time and energy into rescuing her beloved animals. She remarried in 2018 and her second husband, Danny Derig, has stepped into Ron’s shoes, devoting his life to service alongside Mary Ann.

Though caring for animals is always meaningful to Mary Ann, caring for humans has been important as well.  When Lucky’s Place was relatively young, “a gentleman came in with his little boy, and they were living in their truck and had a dog. They had to leave the dog with us, because there was no room for the dog in their truck. I can still see the little boy’s face. He sat there and he looked at me and said, ‘Lady, please take care of my dog!’ It happens all the time with somebody down on their luck, and it just sticks with you. They had nothing. That boy was leaving the most important thing in his life. Dogs go through a lot, but when it affects a kid, it’s for life.  That was his best friend. We need to help people who are so much less fortunate, who can’t even help themselves.”

Mary Ann has never considered the shelter a business.  For her, it was about the animals and the humans who love them. “People would come in and really want a dog but couldn’t afford the adoption fee” that is charged to cover vet expenses. “I just waved the adoption fee. It’s about your passion for saving the animals. Somebody has got to be there for them. Every day, I pray” that the Lucky’s Place staff “will make the animals number one. Our motto has always been ‘It’s all for the animals.’”

Today, nearly 20 years after opening, Lucky’s Place is a fully functional facility that has several paid staff members, though volunteers are welcome to help walk dogs and clean kennels. “We have gotten so many good remarks with people telling us how great it is and how everyone is friendly. We have adopted dogs out to Maine and Canada and Montana and Florida – all over the United States.”

In 2025, as Mary Ann celebrated her 79th birthday, she began to realize that Lucky’s Place might need someone else to lead the organization someday. “If something happens to me, what happens to this shelter? It’s been my life. Even when [Ron] passed away, it was what I did every day, pushing and pushing” for funding, expansion and health and safety for the animals.

Retirement seemed the best solution, and though she is sometimes concerned, she knows that Lucky’s Place is now in new and capable hands. She is still available to answer questions but has stepped away from leadership of the shelter.

With retirement, Mary Ann is still driven to serve, but her focus has changed.  Today, she is serving humans in assisted living facilities in Mesquite, Nevada, “I go in to just to be there for people and bring some kind of joy to somebody’s life. I just go there once a week and let them know someone cares.”

She makes meals and takes them to older folks who need some friendly company. She helps transport folks to appointments or to visit family members. “Even though I am 79, if I can’t help somebody, I’m of no use. I have got to keep going with something. That’s why I am here, to help others. If they don’t have you, who do they have? So many people and animals get overlooked.”

True to her core nature, Mary Ann continues to love others with her whole heart. “They give you so much and it doesn’t take much for you to give something back. If you see an animal or a person that needs help, open your heart and help them any way you can.”