Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Horse Sanctuary Faces Eviction Over Complaints, Cash Shortage

A Newhall horse sanctuary that provides care for animals that would otherwise be slaughtered is being evicted because of complaints from neighbors and failure to make rent payments, officials who manage the property said Thursday.

Equus Rescue and Sanctuary, one of the few facilities of its kind in the country, moved from Shadow Hills to its present 25-acre location in June, lured by the $2,500 monthly rent. But additional costs ultimately raised the charge to $4,500 a month for the sanctuary, which depends solely upon donations, co-director Linda Moss said.

“Now that we have found out the cost of the facility, we have to move on,” she said. “We will pay him up, but we want to get out of the deal too.”

The owner of the property has ordered the sanctuary to pay $5,000 of a $15,000 bill by today or face immediate eviction proceedings. Moss said she does not know if she can make the payment.

And even if the payment is made, the sanctuary has received a notice to vacate the property within 60 days, she added.

The rental agreement calls for the sanctuary to pay the monthly rental fee plus half of the property taxes on the land, said Graham Boswell, manager of the property.

In addition, the contract requires the shelter to carry liability insurance for property owner Sam Smiser and for the volunteers who work with the horses. Boswell said the sanctuary violated those terms.

“We have also received written complaints from the county supervisor’s office regarding flies and odor from the ranch,” he said. “We also received complaints from property owners in the mobile-home park next door about dust caused by the horses running around.”

The sanctuary feeds and provides medical care for about 120 horses, many from stockyards that sell them to slaughterhouses. Moss said she knows of only two other sanctuaries in the country, but believes that others have opened recently.

She dismissed the complaints from residents, noting that the same comments were made when Smiser operated a mule ranch on the property. Boswell said Smiser may move his mules back to the property.

The horse sanctuary, which has operated under different names at various locations for more than four years, will open at a new location, Moss said. However, she does not know if it will remain in the Santa Clarita Valley.

City officials estimate that the area is home to more than 10,000 horses, and many local horse enthusiasts welcomed the sanctuary as a natural addition. But Ann Irvine, a member of the Newhall Trail Riders, said it wasn’t visible enough when it came to raising funds from local residents and businesses.

“The community needed to be more a part of it,” she said. “They tend to forget if they’re not constantly reminded.”

Funds for the sanctuary come from all over the country, usually in small donations, said Sandy Waldrop, the shelter’s other director. The center’s small group of volunteers work full time at other jobs and don’t have the time needed for major fund-raising efforts.

“We really need a big sponsor like Budweiser or Pepsi,” she said.