LOS ANGELES — Nearly 35 years ago, Leo Grillo thought he could get people to stop dumping dogs and cats in the forests and deserts of Southern California.

Grillo promised every unwanted animal that crossed his path that he would keep it safe and do all he could to keep it happy and healthy for life. He set up DELTA (Dedication & Everlasting Love to Animals) Rescue to keep that promise, and today, with 1,500 dogs, cats and horses, it is the largest no-kill, care-for-life sanctuary in the nation.

The sanctuary sits on 115 acres in Los Angeles County and has an annual budget of $8 million and about 50 employees. On the grounds are a state-of-the-art hospital, a full-time veterinarian and its own fire department.

The sanctuary, which was founded in 1979, was and still is one of the few care-for-life sanctuaries for domestic animals in the United States. Grillo, an actor, was driving in 1979 when he found the first dog he would save — an abandoned, malnourished Doberman-Labrador he named Delta.

Dr. Gaylord Brown met Grillo in 1985 when the actor brought in a dog that had been hit by a car. Brown said he told Grillo how much it would cost to treat the dog. “I was shocked by his readiness to say ‘Go ahead, go ahead.’ I remember telling my staff at the time, ‘I don’t know how much longer this guy will be around because he is spending all his rescue money on one animal,”’ Brown said. Grillo is learning all he can about electronic fundraising. He’s been named a top-ranked charity by the American Institute of Philanthropy CharityWatch.