Rescue Stories
SAFE’s history is filled with incredible stories. Our horses truly are unforgettable.
Unforgettable Anakin, Part 2
Up until Dec 23rd, Anakin had not tried laying down in his stall at Cedarbrook. He’d been on a strict referring diet since his arrival two weeks before, and he had just graduated to free choice hay. He’d also stopped trying to eat his bedding, so his stall was filled…
Unforgettable Anakin, Part 1
For us, Anakin’s story began early Monday morning, with an email asking for our help. It was from a woman in Winlock WA who wanted to know if SAFE had room to take in an emaciated Thoroughbred gelding. He had been rescued a few days earlier by her young boarder, and…
Rest 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,…
Rest 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…
Boone 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…
Return of the Golden Child
Phoenix has returned to our herd at SAFE Harbor Stables. He is healthy, happy, and looking terrific. Why is Phoenix back at SAFE? As you may remember, he was adopted back in 2008, about seven months after he was rescued. We kept in contact with his adopter, did follow…
A happy ending for April
We’re not going to beat around the bush because we have some great news to share: April has been adopted. On Saturday, she left SAFE Harbor Stables with a professional hauler to travel to Equamore Horse Sanctuary in Ashland, Oregon, where she will have permanent home…
Justice for Bud and 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,…
Oscar: 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”…
Goodbye 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…
