The SAFE Alumni program is managed by three stellar individuals:

Lise Anderheggen-Leif

Lise grew up in New England and got some time with horses when she was young. She had a long hiatus until finding SAFE in September of 2020. After spending more time at SAFE, Lise realized that being a bigger part of the SAFE puzzle was important to her. “Seeing horses leave SAFE has always been a bit bitter sweet for me, Lise says. “As I see horses get adopted, I am always curious about who fell in love with a SAFE horse that I also love and where did they go.” So becoming a part of SAFE Alumni Program seemed a perfect fit. Lise says she is happy to be able to help in this capacity and looks forward to getting to know the families the horses are going live with.

Christine Dehner

Christine has a deep passion for animals, the outdoors, and community service. She was introduced to horses at a young age, thanks to her family’s 120-acre horse property in Calgary. Even though financial constraints kept her from her dream of becoming a world class show jumper, she maintained her passion for horses through determination and self-teaching. Christine came to Seattle to further her work developing and overseeing clinical studies, specifically using immunotherapy to treat cancer. Despite such a demanding and rewarding career, she felt a void in her life without horses. Fortunately, a friend introduced her to SAFE, she discovered that being with the people and horses at the rescue brought her immense joy. Her involvement with SAFE quickly became a top priority in her life, allowing her to reconnect with horses, contribute to a meaningful cause, and learn more about horsemanship from SAFE staff and volunteers.

Connie Brenden

Connie is a technical writer and proud owner of a Chihuahua. She started volunteering on a chore shift at SAFE back in 2014 when we were located in Woodinville. She has also served SAFE by calling references provided by perspective adopters for several years. Now, she looks forward to serving on the SAFE Alumni team.