STAT Sanctuary celebrates 13 years of service to area
By Tommie Brown, Staff Writer While it’s easy to get sidetracked by the traffic jams and construction taking place along the intersections...
http://www.menifee247.com/2019/08/stat-sanctuary-celebrates-13-years-of-service-to-area.html
By Tommie Brown, Staff Writer
While it’s easy to get sidetracked by the traffic jams and construction taking place along the intersections of Scott Road, just beyond the traffic lights one can visit some of the area's most notable locations, as well as citizens.
In this case, the resident is Pattie Roberts, the award-winning owner of the STAT (Save The Animals Today) Horse Sanctuary. Located on the east end of Scott Road in Winchester, the 20-acre STAT farm is home to horses that were abandoned and once close to euthanization or death by neglect. Now, they have a new purpose on this Earth.
Celebrating its 13th anniversary this summer, STAT’s focus is set around therapy and education, and has made their animals an open space for healing humans. Whether guests suffer from PTSD, cerebral palsy, deafness, Alzheimers, or any special needs that could benefit from equestrian therapy, STAT farm opens its arms to anyone seeking healing with the help of animals.
Pattie Roberts with rescue horse, Cowboy
"Horses are really sort of telepathic,” explains Roberts. “Especially these ones who have been through so much. They can sense when you’re sad, when you’re sick, when you need help, when you have a bad attitude. And that gives so much room for them to be healing. And not only emotionally but physically.
"A horse’s movements match that of a human walking. Which is why horses have always been a key player in any type of physical therapy for people.”
The horse breeds range anywhere between mustangs and colts to purebred Morgan horses, and all the animals have a story and a name to go with them.
Take Ella, for example. Once a top 10 U.S. National performance horse, Ella had been used to her max by competitors and refused to cooperate any longer. Her anger and stubbornness put her on the fast track to euthanization, which is when STAT Sanctuary came along.
Sophie, another horse, was injured while being shipped home from the Pan American Games and was labeled “euthanized” on paper in order for owners to collect insurance money, yet was abandoned for no longer performing.
A particularly special story goes to the ranch’s senior horse, Cowboy. A common theme among horses at the farm is abandonment by owners rather than abuse. But in Cowboy’s case, he wasn’t so lucky. Reported to Roberts by the previous owner's neighbor, Cowboy was starved to the point of his bones physically tearing through his skin.
“I have no idea how he even survived,” said Roberts. “It’s beyond me. The day before I got to him, a second horse under the same owners had died. I don’t think Cowboy would have lasted one more day.”
And while the horses now live in perfect harmony at the animal haven, their gentle personalities weren’t always so mild.
“They were mean!” laughs Roberts. “They would snarl their teeth, buck at me, would listen to nothing we tried to get them to do, some wouldn’t even eat.”
Cowboy in particular remained exceptionally ornery.
“It was about a year and Cowboy was still angry and mean. So one day I went to him and told him, 'I can’t do this with you anymore. You change your attitude or I’m putting you down.' Within a week, his entire behavior changed. He rethought that quick.”
Though the horses are the stars of the show at STAT farm, the facility also includes a vegetable garden for Veterans with PTSD to cultivate, and a myriad of animals who narrowly escaped a painful death.
Among the horses live donkeys, pigs, roosters, goats, chickens, sheep, turkeys, and ducks, just to name a few.
“There is no reason these animals should be living in harmony with one another, getting along,” laughs Roberts. “I have a degree in animal husbandry and that’s exactly what they teach. Yet here they all are. I guess they just know they're safe here. And they don’t have a choice.”
Some of the animals were wrongfully taken in as pets by owners who learned that micro-pigs and chicks for Easter don’t stay manageable for long. Some were high school 4-H projects that were being sent out to slaughter after studies were done. And some animals residing there walked themselves on the premises, deciding the haven was a place they wanted to call home.
And while Roberts has handled the multitude of animals relinquished to her care with the utmost selflessness and grace, a non-profit horse ranch was never in her life plans.
“This was such an accident,” chuckled Roberts. “This was not in my business plans. Thirteen years ago I was working for K-Frog radio station, doing sales and advertisement, having fun, making a lot of money, and just keeping a few horses as a hobby. Until one day a lady came to me and said she was going to rescue about five or six horses, and could I help her with it? I said of course; you take care of them and feed them and I won't charge you for the land.”
The day of the rescued horses' arrival came and went, and rather than the five or six promised horses, Roberts came home to find 23 horses left on her property. While the original owner made payments to keep up food and care of the horses for a few months, the owner's involvement lessened.
“I called her and asked, 'Isn’t it about time you do something with these horses?' ” explained Roberts. “Her answer was to sell them. But by this time it was 2008 and the recession hit, and no one was buying anything. I called 35 animal rescues and no one would take them. And since I had money saved in the bank and no one was buying ads anyways, I decided to play with the horses for a year and when the economy went back up I would sell the horses then. Three years later, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, Pattie, you know you have made a career change, right?”
Before horses and K-Frog, Roberts' first dream was to become a veterinarian. Having gone to school and received a degree in animal studies, Roberts was on her way to her chosen career when she learned she was deeply allergic to formaldehyde. That completely closed any future possibility of working with animals in a medical setting - until STAT Sanctuary.
However tragedy hit STAT farm two years ago when Roberts’ sanctuary partner of 10 years, Sharon Carter, suddenly passed away.
“It has been devastating for me,” said Roberts. “Not only did I lose my friend but I lost my partner in this. She handled so much here; we were a team. And now I have to do the work of two people. Even between us two it was a lot, so going at this alone has been such a challenge.”
And while the last two years on the farm had fallen into somewhat of a saddened lull, Roberts is back in the swing of things and ready to take on the new challenges and blessings set out in front of her.
The major need faced in year 13 at the farm is monetizing what are ultimately free services.
STAT sanctuary is asking for 10 corporations to sign on as sponsors for one therapy horse each, at a $250 monthly tax deductible donation.
“Everyone in this community is so nice to me and they reach into their pockets when they see me and pull out whatever they have to give, but that’s just not sustainable,” says Roberts. “So much more could be done if I wasn’t waking up every morning focused on how to get the money to feed the horses, but rather on the work we could be providing to people.”
Donors will receive a banner displayed along the property’s fence, website and social media recognition, as well as donor appreciation days where the businesses can rent out the venue free of charge for staff events.
And while big donors are the targeted audience, any help is welcome at STAT. An administration volunteer is deeply needed, if only once a week, to help keep paperwork and scheduling details flowing smoothly. And any and all donations are more than welcome and needed.
“People say they want to donate veterinary services. I say great," said Roberts. "People want to donate gift certificates to Dan’s Feed in Temecula, I say wonderful. In 13 years, I have had around eight to 10 people working weekly, purely as volunteers, and I have never once taken any kind of salary. Everything I am given goes straight to the animals.”
But Roberts also wants readers to know that the STAT sanctuary isn’t just open to visitors with special needs. Whether it be retirement homes, Scout organizations, school field trips, homeschooling credits, veterans programs, mommy and me groups, business events, or vegan markets, the farm divides itself between land for animals, and land for all the venues it’s held before.
“When I was called to run this non-profit, I knew it wasn’t just about the horses,” says Roberts. “It’s about being a venue of healing. This venue is for other people and this is how I share it.”
In addition to the services and venue offered, STAT is happy to announce the arrival of their first formal office space on the land. Two portable buildings were donated to Roberts by RockRidge Church, which now serve as an area for clients and therapists to meet in a comfortable and private indoor setting and convene before and after the therapy sessions.
“I want potential donors to know that it’s not just them supporting the horses,” says Roberts. “They will be supporting a veteran program, a special needs program, programs of healing. The horses are just an intricate part of it.”
If you are interested in contacting STAT Horse Sanctuary, visit their website at SavetheAnimalsToday.org. If you want to make a donation, visit the same website or call Dan’s Feed Store at 951-676 -4040 to purchase gift certificates for the animals' needs over the phone.
While it’s easy to get sidetracked by the traffic jams and construction taking place along the intersections of Scott Road, just beyond the traffic lights one can visit some of the area's most notable locations, as well as citizens.
In this case, the resident is Pattie Roberts, the award-winning owner of the STAT (Save The Animals Today) Horse Sanctuary. Located on the east end of Scott Road in Winchester, the 20-acre STAT farm is home to horses that were abandoned and once close to euthanization or death by neglect. Now, they have a new purpose on this Earth.
Celebrating its 13th anniversary this summer, STAT’s focus is set around therapy and education, and has made their animals an open space for healing humans. Whether guests suffer from PTSD, cerebral palsy, deafness, Alzheimers, or any special needs that could benefit from equestrian therapy, STAT farm opens its arms to anyone seeking healing with the help of animals.
"Horses are really sort of telepathic,” explains Roberts. “Especially these ones who have been through so much. They can sense when you’re sad, when you’re sick, when you need help, when you have a bad attitude. And that gives so much room for them to be healing. And not only emotionally but physically.
"A horse’s movements match that of a human walking. Which is why horses have always been a key player in any type of physical therapy for people.”
The horse breeds range anywhere between mustangs and colts to purebred Morgan horses, and all the animals have a story and a name to go with them.
Take Ella, for example. Once a top 10 U.S. National performance horse, Ella had been used to her max by competitors and refused to cooperate any longer. Her anger and stubbornness put her on the fast track to euthanization, which is when STAT Sanctuary came along.
Sophie, another horse, was injured while being shipped home from the Pan American Games and was labeled “euthanized” on paper in order for owners to collect insurance money, yet was abandoned for no longer performing.
A particularly special story goes to the ranch’s senior horse, Cowboy. A common theme among horses at the farm is abandonment by owners rather than abuse. But in Cowboy’s case, he wasn’t so lucky. Reported to Roberts by the previous owner's neighbor, Cowboy was starved to the point of his bones physically tearing through his skin.
“I have no idea how he even survived,” said Roberts. “It’s beyond me. The day before I got to him, a second horse under the same owners had died. I don’t think Cowboy would have lasted one more day.”
And while the horses now live in perfect harmony at the animal haven, their gentle personalities weren’t always so mild.
“They were mean!” laughs Roberts. “They would snarl their teeth, buck at me, would listen to nothing we tried to get them to do, some wouldn’t even eat.”
Cowboy in particular remained exceptionally ornery.
“It was about a year and Cowboy was still angry and mean. So one day I went to him and told him, 'I can’t do this with you anymore. You change your attitude or I’m putting you down.' Within a week, his entire behavior changed. He rethought that quick.”
Though the horses are the stars of the show at STAT farm, the facility also includes a vegetable garden for Veterans with PTSD to cultivate, and a myriad of animals who narrowly escaped a painful death.
Among the horses live donkeys, pigs, roosters, goats, chickens, sheep, turkeys, and ducks, just to name a few.
“There is no reason these animals should be living in harmony with one another, getting along,” laughs Roberts. “I have a degree in animal husbandry and that’s exactly what they teach. Yet here they all are. I guess they just know they're safe here. And they don’t have a choice.”
Some of the animals were wrongfully taken in as pets by owners who learned that micro-pigs and chicks for Easter don’t stay manageable for long. Some were high school 4-H projects that were being sent out to slaughter after studies were done. And some animals residing there walked themselves on the premises, deciding the haven was a place they wanted to call home.
And while Roberts has handled the multitude of animals relinquished to her care with the utmost selflessness and grace, a non-profit horse ranch was never in her life plans.
“This was such an accident,” chuckled Roberts. “This was not in my business plans. Thirteen years ago I was working for K-Frog radio station, doing sales and advertisement, having fun, making a lot of money, and just keeping a few horses as a hobby. Until one day a lady came to me and said she was going to rescue about five or six horses, and could I help her with it? I said of course; you take care of them and feed them and I won't charge you for the land.”
The day of the rescued horses' arrival came and went, and rather than the five or six promised horses, Roberts came home to find 23 horses left on her property. While the original owner made payments to keep up food and care of the horses for a few months, the owner's involvement lessened.
“I called her and asked, 'Isn’t it about time you do something with these horses?' ” explained Roberts. “Her answer was to sell them. But by this time it was 2008 and the recession hit, and no one was buying anything. I called 35 animal rescues and no one would take them. And since I had money saved in the bank and no one was buying ads anyways, I decided to play with the horses for a year and when the economy went back up I would sell the horses then. Three years later, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, Pattie, you know you have made a career change, right?”
Before horses and K-Frog, Roberts' first dream was to become a veterinarian. Having gone to school and received a degree in animal studies, Roberts was on her way to her chosen career when she learned she was deeply allergic to formaldehyde. That completely closed any future possibility of working with animals in a medical setting - until STAT Sanctuary.
However tragedy hit STAT farm two years ago when Roberts’ sanctuary partner of 10 years, Sharon Carter, suddenly passed away.
“It has been devastating for me,” said Roberts. “Not only did I lose my friend but I lost my partner in this. She handled so much here; we were a team. And now I have to do the work of two people. Even between us two it was a lot, so going at this alone has been such a challenge.”
And while the last two years on the farm had fallen into somewhat of a saddened lull, Roberts is back in the swing of things and ready to take on the new challenges and blessings set out in front of her.
The major need faced in year 13 at the farm is monetizing what are ultimately free services.
STAT sanctuary is asking for 10 corporations to sign on as sponsors for one therapy horse each, at a $250 monthly tax deductible donation.
“Everyone in this community is so nice to me and they reach into their pockets when they see me and pull out whatever they have to give, but that’s just not sustainable,” says Roberts. “So much more could be done if I wasn’t waking up every morning focused on how to get the money to feed the horses, but rather on the work we could be providing to people.”
Donors will receive a banner displayed along the property’s fence, website and social media recognition, as well as donor appreciation days where the businesses can rent out the venue free of charge for staff events.
And while big donors are the targeted audience, any help is welcome at STAT. An administration volunteer is deeply needed, if only once a week, to help keep paperwork and scheduling details flowing smoothly. And any and all donations are more than welcome and needed.
“People say they want to donate veterinary services. I say great," said Roberts. "People want to donate gift certificates to Dan’s Feed in Temecula, I say wonderful. In 13 years, I have had around eight to 10 people working weekly, purely as volunteers, and I have never once taken any kind of salary. Everything I am given goes straight to the animals.”
But Roberts also wants readers to know that the STAT sanctuary isn’t just open to visitors with special needs. Whether it be retirement homes, Scout organizations, school field trips, homeschooling credits, veterans programs, mommy and me groups, business events, or vegan markets, the farm divides itself between land for animals, and land for all the venues it’s held before.
“When I was called to run this non-profit, I knew it wasn’t just about the horses,” says Roberts. “It’s about being a venue of healing. This venue is for other people and this is how I share it.”
In addition to the services and venue offered, STAT is happy to announce the arrival of their first formal office space on the land. Two portable buildings were donated to Roberts by RockRidge Church, which now serve as an area for clients and therapists to meet in a comfortable and private indoor setting and convene before and after the therapy sessions.
“I want potential donors to know that it’s not just them supporting the horses,” says Roberts. “They will be supporting a veteran program, a special needs program, programs of healing. The horses are just an intricate part of it.”
If you are interested in contacting STAT Horse Sanctuary, visit their website at SavetheAnimalsToday.org. If you want to make a donation, visit the same website or call Dan’s Feed Store at 951-676 -4040 to purchase gift certificates for the animals' needs over the phone.
