Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimber Williams.
Hi Kimber, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I come from a long line of West Texan ranchers and farmers (fifth generation to be exact!), and I’ve always loved animals. When I was eight years old, I got my first horse, Doc’s Flurry, and over the years he further solidified my belief in the therapeutic benefits of animal-human relationships. At my side for more than 20 years, Doc and I grew up together and took care of each other. He saw me through law school and passed in 2008, soon after graduation.
Being a country girl at heart, I had always envisioned opening an animal sanctuary. After the pandemic, I realized life was short and I needed to take the leap to finally realize my dream. After a short search, my mom and I purchased five acres of land in Ramona (NE San Diego County) in 2021 and dubbed the ranch “Robin’s Nest Rescue” (RNR) after my middle name Robin. The organization serves as a lasting tribute to Doc’s legacy, embodying the power of the human-animal bond through its mission and operations.
Together with my family, we rescue farm animals in need. Today, there are more than 23 animals on the ranch, including alpacas, pot-bellied pigs, Sulcata tortoises, sheep, a mini horse, and a mini donkey. We’ve got a full house, with room to keep growing!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As the youngest of three children, I learned at a very early age to go after exactly what I want. I have never done anything halfway; I go all in on everything I do with grit and passion. In 2014, before I even owned a piece of land, I paid a designer to create a logo for the ranch that was on my vision board. All I knew at the time was that I wanted to do two things – rescue animals and help people.
After graduating law school, I started a career as a recruiter for international law firms. I’ve been pretty successful and have built my reputation upon taking on hard cases. That is, if the situation is unusually difficult – in terms of the firm, the candidate, or the position – I do a lot of research and find ways to create a successful outcome for everyone involved. This “pioneer grit” seems to follow me in all my experiences.
So, during the pandemic, I had an “ah-ha” moment after losing my dad. I realized there’s never going to be a perfect time to do anything. You just need to find a path forward and go for it. With the help of family, I was able to purchase five acres of land in Ramona.
The property was a bit of a diamond in the rough, but it fit my vision almost perfectly. It was formerly a pig rescue and was already outfitted with animal pens and enclosures, which aligned well with my dream of starting a rescue ranch. The property boasts massive boulders, beautiful mature trees, and lots of usable space. But the entire property was in desperate need of work, care, and love.
I enlisted my mom, “Dr. Sue,” to run the ranch with me. She taught sociology and criminology for 25 years at Kansas State University before retiring in San Diego. Together with my husband, Nicholas Spear, and my “Girl Friday” Karin Marsicek, we make an extraordinary team. We were also lucky to have the incredible support of our local music community in Ramona. They saw the need we were trying to fill and rallied to support us from day one.
Honestly, the hardest part of this journey so far has been learning how to fundraise and make the nonprofit self-sustaining. Yet, I’ve been convinced that a public charity – we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit – marks the best way forward to bring awareness to animal welfare and the right to happiness for all beings. In turn, the animals give back tenfold. Our slogan captures that spirit – we rescue them; they save us.
In the second year on the ranch, we decided to host a music festival on the property as a fundraiser. Figuring out how to pull off this type of large-scale event was a huge learning curve, but we were committed to doing it. Somehow it all comes together at the last minute, and I’m always so happy I didn’t give up!
Our third annual Rockin’ Robin Music Fest and Fundraiser will take place on Sunday, Oct. 12 this year. It’s a family-friendly event, and we’ll have an amazing line-up of 12 musical acts across a variety of genres, as well as food trucks, auctions, and local vendors.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Robin’s Nest, our mission is simple yet impactful: Rescue, Nurture, Rebuild. We rescue animals from kill pens, hoarding situations, and other abusive environments, providing them with care and rehabilitation. We then offer sanctuary, where these animals can interact with people, fostering emotional and psychological healing for both parties.
Many other animal rescues just focus on the animals. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, at RNR, we strongly believe in highlighting the symbiotic relationship between animals and humans. Not just animals helping humans heal, but also vice versa. I want people to understand the level of passion and humility that goes into this type of work. We really try to honor that from the animal’s perspective, so they have an opportunity to heal from their trauma too. That’s what I’m most proud of.
In early 2025, we were offered a challenge that highlights our philosophy and our mission. I got a call from one of our veterinarians who informed us of a critical situation in central California. Twenty senior alpacas were in danger due to a major incident with the elderly owners. After a quick family meeting, I went to work, gathering a rescue team. There was one caveat: We were told we didn’t have to take Neptune, the “difficult” alpaca who had some behavioral issues. After sleeping on it, I decided that we simply couldn’t leave Neptune behind.
After an intense time of preparation and coordination, we were hauling 20 alpacas in three large trailers across the 400-mile trip, which happened to be during a freak winter storm. We kept them all here at Robin’s Nest for a few weeks in quarantine.
Neptune became one of our star “difficult” cases. Just like my response to the recruiting world, that’s my specialty. We learned that Neptune had been the victim of a brutal mountain lion attack and he developed behavioral issues following that incident. The physical scars are evident and healed over, but the trauma runs even deeper.
Neptune is here now, in his forever home. With the help of our trainers and rehabilitative treatment, he has become more gentle and trusting, with hope of being integrated into our full alpaca herd. Neptune is, in every way, the kind of animal we are here to help. Neptune is why Robin’s Nest Rescue exists: to give misunderstood, discarded animals the second chance they deserve. This is where we need the public’s help – resources that ensure we can keep saying “yes” to animals in need.
Currently, we offer a few different services, including:
–Group Farm Tours: Educational experiences for groups to learn about animal welfare and the human-animal bond.
–Small-Group Retreats: Therapeutic interactions in a retreat setting for those seeking emotional healing. We work with at-risk youth, exonerees, first responders and military families.
–Individual Sessions: Tailored therapeutic services addressing the specific needs of individuals, both human and animal.
What does success mean to you?
I define success through emotion – Is your heart full? Are you happy and content? I can honestly say that my heart is full for many reasons. For me, success also means looking forward with purpose. At Robin’s Nest Rescue, our next measure of success is growing the community support and funding needed to become fully self-sufficient. That will allow us to provide no-cost therapeutic programming to the most vulnerable populations—veterans, first responders, at-risk youth, exonerees, and others—who often need these healing opportunities the most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robinsnestrescue.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robins_nest_ramona/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinsNestRamona
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@robinsnestramona
Image Credits
1. Kimber Williams with Fern, the famous kissing alpaca. Photo credit: Shelly Mullin
2. Kimber Williams at Robin’s Nest Rescue. Photo Credit: Tony Arendt
3. Tivio the American Quarter Horse with veteran (Eddie W.) in the Side by Side therapeutic program. Photo credit: Kimber Williams
4. Neptune and his visible scars from a brutal mountain lion attack. Photo credit: Kimber Williams
5. Robin’s Nest Rescue team: Kimber Williams, Sherie Macht, Karin Marsicek, Tori Meske, Sue Williams, Steven Johnson, Photo credit: Shelly Mullin
6. Ash & The Mondays on the MainStage at Rockin’ Robin 2024. Photo credit: John Hancock
7. Karin Marsicek with Phinneas (mini horse) and Kimber Williams with Donkey (mini donkey). Photo credit: Shelly Mullin
8. Compton Cowboys and RNR Board of Directors at Rockin’ Robin 2024. Photo credit: John Hancock
9. Robin’s Nest Rescue Shed. Photo credit: Shelly Mullin
