Animal rescue icon Lee Asher to appear in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. What will he say?
Animal-rescue personality Lee Asher returns to Florida next week for a speaking tour, and one issue he is likely to be asked about is his desire to partner with a sanctuary in this state.
Speaking in Boca Raton last November, Asher said he envisions expanding his Asher House sanctuary concept nationally — and the Sunshine State is a priority for a new location.
"Do I want to be back in my home state? That's absolutely a yes," said Asher, who grew up in South Florida, during a talk at Lynn University's Dialogues Speaker Series.
The statement sparked a social-media frenzy as animal rescuers across Florida and the United States sought to get in line for consideration. Among those interested in partnering with Asher were individuals and groups in Palm Beach County and Nevada.
Who is Lee Asher? Five things to know about American animal rescue icon.
Who is Lee Asher?
Asher, 35, is a New York native who grew up in Broward County.
Today, Asher lives in the Salem, Oregon, region, where he runs two animal sanctuaries and is affiliated with a third that, in total, care for an estimated 200 dogs, cats, horses, llamas and other animals. His crusade to bring attention to abandoned animals and those languishing in shelters attracted Animal Planet producers, and his six-episode reality show "My Pack Life" aired in 2022.
Since then, Asher has been telling the stories of the animals he has rescued to the millions who follow him on social media.
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What else has Asher said about expansion — and Florida in particular
In an interview in late January, Asher reiterated that he still calls Florida home and plans an Asher House sanctuary here. But he emphasized that project is likely many years away,
"I was raised in Florida. Florida is my home, and it was so good to be home," he said in a recent interview about his late November stay. "I would love nothing more, nothing more, than to open up a sanctuary there tomorrow."
But at the moment, his focus is on the success of a third location not far from his base in the Salem region.
Asher's goal is to continue to develop his Asher House sanctuary model. Rather than a warehouse, Asher Houses are homes on expansive estates with fenced-in ranges where animals are allowed freedom of movement.
Asher said the latest location in Portland — 140 acres in size, the second-largest to-date — is a prototype for how he would roll out a national network of Asher Houses by working out key challenges.
He is learning how to best manage spin-off locations from a distance. The Portland site is run by the founders of an animal shelter that he has known and collaborated with for the past three years, a milestone in the expansion vision.
"I trust them just as much as I trust the closest person in my life," he said.
For a site in Florida, Asher said he would need equally trustworthy individuals with a track record of success and then cultivate a bond over a yearslong span of time, as he did with the Oregon site.
"That would be the next step, over the next couple of years, finding some people that we really like partnering with out of Florida and that we really trust," he said.
Where is Lee Asher speaking in Florida next week?
Wednesday, May 29, at 8 p.m.: Florida Theater at 128 E. Forsyth St., Jacksonville. Ticket prices range from $36 to $101.
Thursday, May 30 at 8 p.m.: Hard Rock Live Orlando at 650 Universal Blvd. at CityWalk. Tickets range from $42 to $186.
Friday, May 31 at 8 p.m.: Ruth Eckerd Hall at 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. Tickets are $49 and $69.
Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Where animal rescue Lee Asher will speak in Florida post-Memorial Day
