Rescue Stories
SAFE’s history is filled with incredible stories. Our horses truly are unforgettable.
Rescue Outside the Box
Most of the rescue work that SAFE does is fairly straightforward. A horse, facing neglect or abuse, is taken in, rehabilitated and retrained, then we find it a new home. The circumstances of neglect may vary, but the basic storyline is the same. In 2018, we found ourselves changing the script in two unusual situations. The Mayday Horses rescue effort was one such case. It involved a group of 21…
read moreAurora and Belle: an Unexpected Happy Ending
In journalism school, they say “don’t bury the lead,” so I’ll come right out with it: Aurora and Belle are being adopted together to a Thoroughbred sanctuary in northern California. They will live the rest of their lives, together, with nothing expected of them but to be horses. The sanctuary is called Humanity for Horses and already houses about 150 Thoroughbreds on 115 acres near Mt Shasta. We…
read moreA Rescue Partnership: Saving Sienna and Koko
SAFE does the majority of its work in the public eye, sharing our stories, photos, videos, and updates with our supporters via our website and social media. But there are some rescue efforts that are done in private through our Community Outreach Program. Through this program, horse owners in need of help can apply for assistance with hay, vet care, gelding services, and euthanasia. Out of…
read moreRest in Peace: Craspedia (2007–2015)
It took just a moment to fall in love with him, but it will take a lifetime to forget him. We met Craspedia in a field, a tall handsome fellow with a kind eye who stood calmly and quietly while we said hello to him. His owner had contacted us a few days before, concerned that his new horse was getting thin. It had been two months, he told us, and he did not understand why his horse was not…
read moreRest in Peace, Rose City Special (1997–2015)
We never truly know how much time we’ll have with the ones we love. We give our hearts to our animals, knowing that chances are good that we’ll end up outliving them and having to face saying goodbye. It’s a risk that most animal lovers are willing to take, grief being the price we pay for love. Most horses that come to SAFE have faced the worst and still survived. Thankfully a lot of them…
read moreBoone and Ivy: Unforgettable Horses
There is a reason that we celebrate the small victories and fairytale endings here at SAFE: keeping our focus on the positive aspects of the work we do gives us the strength and energy to keep doing that work. Because in between the amazing transformations and the unforgettable stories, there are moments when the injustice faced by these horses is nearly unbearable and there is no happy ending.…
read moreJustice for Bud <span class=“amp”>&</span> Brandy
Yesterday in King County Superior Court, a jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts of felony animal cruelty against the woman who starved and neglected Bud and Brandy. Here is their story. The call came late on a Sunday afternoon in February…two elderly horses, starved…can SAFE help? Dr Hannah was on site with officers from King County Animal Control, and the horses were being surrendered…
read moreOscar: A Perfect Gelding…A Perfect Gentleman
Oscar came to SAFE as a stallion, one of 16 horses seized from a breeding operation by Pierce County Animal Control in Dec 2011. Oscar had been starved and badly neglected. As a breeding stallion, he’d lived a life of isolation and was aggressive and “studdish” towards humans and horses. Oscar was gelded immediately after SAFE took possession of him, and for a period of a few weeks, he was only…
read moreGoodbye Dexter
This will not be an easy post to write. I’ve already made four or five attempts to get started, writing tired cliches…like “Letting a horse go is never easy” or “We know we can’t save them all” …and then hitting the delete key. Staring at an empty page. And finally putting the task off for another day. But when you run an organization based on transparency, you have to be as forthcoming with the…
read moreHappy Trails, Scooter!
In February 2012, SAFE was contacted by Pierce County Animal Control about 16 horses seized from an Arabian breeder the previous November. SAFE rallied to the call for help, agreeing to take five of the horses, including two stallions. What we did not know at the time was just how difficult those two stallions would prove to be. We made arrangements to transport them directly to Northwest Equine…
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