STAT horse sanctuary provides safe haven for animals

Shiloh, one of the horses at STAT Sanctuary, enjoys life following an animal rescue. Menifee 24/7 photos: Doug Spoon

As one approaches the corral, an old brown horse named Shiloh wanders over near the fence. Given some attention, he responds by lifting his head over the rail for a pat on the head. Once you start that, it’s hard to walk away.

That’s the appeal of STAT Sanctuary, a rescue ranch for horses and small animals on Scott Road in Winchester. STAT stands for Save the Animals Today, and that’s exactly what happens there. Owner Pattie Roberts has saved so many lives by taking in abandoned animals, her place is pretty much full these days.

“It started out as a one-time rescue,” Roberts said about the beginnings of her venture 11 years ago. “This was not what I planned on doing for a living. After about three years, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You know, you’ve made a career change.’”

Since then, STAT Sanctuary has extended the lives of many horses and other animals, including dogs, cats, goats, sheep, turkeys and pigs. For years, people have dropped off animals they can no longer care for. In addition, Roberts and her volunteers have picked up horses that have been abandoned.

“Most of these horses came between 2007 and 2010 when the real estate market crashed,” Roberts said. “Prior to doing the rescue, I was with K-FROG radio station and a lot of my advertising clients were realtors. They were opening up houses and telling me, ‘There’s three dead horses and two about to die out here.’ That’s where the bulk of these horses came from.

“For the most part, they were tattooed or branded, so we knew whose they were. Some of these horses were sold for $150,000, $200,000 in their younger years. But people lose the house, leave the horse. We found animals when we were up on a property 17 miles back in the hills by Anza. Emaciated horses would wander onto our ranch.”

At STAT Sanctuary, the horses are well cared for and their lives are extended because of the good conditions. Very few are adopted because of their age, but the animals are often visited and provide service in their own way to special groups.

“They’re all old, so nobody really wants to adopt a horse that’s only going to live for a few years and isn’t rideable,” Roberts said. “But we have a program for students with special needs, senior citizens, veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. We also have a handicapped accessible garden for someone who maybe doesn’t want to be with the animals but wants a piece of the ranch.”

STAT Sanctuary is totally supported by donations, which is why Roberts and her volunteer staff were so appreciative of an event held on the ranch recently. Members of the Vegan Society of Temecula hosted the area’s first Vegan Festival on the site. Vendor booths stressed vegan friendly food. Groups entertained. There was a salsa competition.

“I started helping out with the sanctuary because I saw how much they love the animals here,” said Ree Tomasek of the Vegan Society of Temecula and “Raise Vegan” magazine. “They are so well taken care of. The animals are happy here. I decided, ‘I’m going to do this to raise money for them and to raise awareness about veganism.’”

It truly is a labor of love for Roberts – and something not everyone else understands.

“When we first started doing this, after I found a horse I would call the breeder and say, ‘I found your horse’ and I’d get hung up on or snarked at, you know," Roberts said. "They’d say, ‘It’s not my horse anymore.’ Nobody wants them. They’re old horses.

“My own friends and family are the same way. They think I’m insane, that they’re old horses. ‘Put them down, be done with it, get a life.’”

Roberts sees it a much different way, and the state of the animals on her ranch are a reflection of that.

“When I owned and showed and trained, 28 years was an old horse,” she said. “Around here, if they don’t get real close to 40, we’re disappointed. Once they retire and they’re not asked to do anything, they’re not going to break down, they don’t stress.”

To the contrary, horses like Shiloh seem to be enjoying a life of retirement. And thanks to supporters like the Vegan Society of Temecula, STAT Sanctuary continues to provide a valuable service.

Vendor booths at the Vegan Festival promoted eating and staying healthy in various ways.