Saffyre Sanctuary, Inc.

Since our inception, we created a re-homing program which is an equine placement service for horse owners who are no longer able or willing to care for their lame or senior horses. We aim to give people a safety net, providing an alternative to sending their horses to auction and potentially slaughter. We would like horse owners to contact us before their situations become urgent, to have the time and the resources to find exactly the right match for their horse(s). We are also seeking a property of our own in Los Angeles or Ventura County to offer permanent sanctuary to those horses we are unable to place.

We are networking with individuals, outside organizations, and other corporations to assist us in locating the resources needed to meet our short and long-term goals. We are actively involved in community events that increase our exposure throughout our state, specifically through social media and personal appearances.

We have been a small grassroots organization since our inception. We have a dedicated team of board members who are engaged, and contributing their time and efforts to our cause. We have a strong following on social media as well as the number one listing on Google when searching for horse rescues in Los Angeles.

We actively apply for grants that will fund more of our long-term needs, and continually seek outside services that can be of assistance to us. In other words, we are pounding the pavement to ensure our sustainability.

Our social media team is actively engaging our followers, keeping them informed of the horses we rescue and their background stories, so more people can find us and see the work we do on a daily basis.

We have placed 90 sanctuary horses in the past 12 years, we have a volunteer list of over 2000 people, collaborated with groups such as Coupla Guys and Gals, Phoenix house, LAUSD, and the City of Los Angeles DOR Program. We also have our own equine therapeutic educational and certification program, Equalia Actualization.

Saffyre Sanctuary currently cares for thirteen rescued horses by providing them with the feed and supplements that meet their specialized dietary requirements, including veterinary care, farrier care, and housing. These horses have health and emotional issues, which have made them unadoptable.

Esta Bernstein's book entitled “Changing Horses”, was published in February 2020, and explains the foundation of Saffyre Sanctuary while furthering the organization’s outreach and expansion. With over 100 books sold, all proceeds from the book go directly to our organization, creating more sustainability and exposure. The book was a Winnie Award Winner at the 2020 Equus Film and Literary Festival, virtually held due to the travel restrictions of COVID-19.

On June 1, 2021, The Horse Project Santa Barbara, became a subsidiary of Saffyre Sanctuary. This merger allows us to offer expanded services and programs, benefits from fundraising and administrative efficiencies, which will leave more time for our all-volunteer operation to rescue and work with more horses.