SKYDOG RANCH IN THE NEWS
ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
WASHINGTON POST - JULY 4, 2024
The Washington Post
“‘Horse Detective’ adopts wild mustangs, reunites them with herds”
Skydog founder Clare Staples and photographer Scott Wilson discuss wild horses, burros, their deep family bonds, the challenges of rescue, and the mission of Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary with journalist Cathy Free. This article was also picked up by the Boston Globe.
KTLA 5 NEWS - JULY 8, 2024
KTLA 5 News
“A Haven for Majestic Creatures: Skydog Ranch”
A forever home for neglected mustangs -- or in other words -- Olivia de Bortoli’s, KTLA 5 News reporters dream location. Skydog Ranch is a nine thousand acre ranch for wild mustangs and burros to freely roam. Founder and president Clare Staples is committed to be the voice for these majestic creatures by raising awareness and encouraging others to take action.
TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE - JUNE 2024
Town & Country Magazine
“Why is Everybody Falling Asleep with Sophie Lovejoy?”
Sophie Lovejoy, founder of Sant and Abel, tells the story of building her pajama brand. She shares how her desire to support animal conservation led to her collaboration with Clare Staples to design sleepwear featuring wild mustangs at Skydog Sanctuary.
KOIN 6 NEWS - JUNE 2024
Koin 6 News
“Positive Vibes with Skydog Ranch”
KOIN 6 news segment on Clare Staples and why she describes herself as “kind of a wild horse detective”, and educates on the plight of the American mustangs and burros that are often rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management.
(1.2 Million Monthly Visitors)
KATU (ABC 2) NEWS - JUNE 2024
KATU (ABC2) News
“Rescued Donkey Forest”
Clare Staples, founder of Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary, joined KATU (ABC 2) with one of her rescued donkeys, 7 month-old Forest. Clare discusses Skydog and how they work to save at-risk horses and donkeys from cruelty and neglect.
(1.2 Million Monthly Visitors)
FOX 12 NEWS - MAY 2024
Fox 12 News
“Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary”
Located on 9,000 acres in Prineville, Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary is a rescue organization for wild mustangs. Founder Clare Staples joins Greg Nibler on FOX 12 NOW to talk about the ranch and wild mustangs in Oregon, and a new book documenting them.
EVERYTHING HORSE (UK) - JUNE 2024
Everything Horse (UK)
“A Sanctuary for West America’s Horses”
Discover the incredible work of Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary, with writer Jan Hughes of Everything Horse, as she covers Skydog’s “Forever Home”, to the BLM, and even into the UK’s Animal Welfare bill and policies.
SOURCE WEEKLY - MAY 2024
WAVES SEASON 3 - MAY 2024
SBLY ANIMAL CHANNEL - SEPT 2022
SBLY Animal Channel
“Woman Vows To Reunite Captured Wild Horse With His Soulmate And All His Babies”
The Red Desert in Wyoming is an ideal place for wild horses to live and thrive. However, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) argues that there is an overpopulation of horses there. BLM officials explain that because of the overpopulation, horses end up starving to death during the winter. In order to avoid that, they round them up…
HORSE NATION - AUGUST 2019
Horse Nation
“Skydog Sanctuary: Saving Mustangs & Advocating For Solutions”
“We can save as many horses as we can save and then we’ll just be another full sanctuary. I think there are tons of solutions that don’t involve constant round-ups, gathers, and holding pens,” said Clare Staples, founder of Skydog Sanctuary.
Skydog Sanctuary, located in Bend, OR, Malibu, CA, and Mariposa, CA, exists to give mustangs a place to go. Founder Clare Staples felt mustangs needed “that land and space and freedom back.”
HORSE NATION - MARCH 2018
Horse Nation
“Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding: Skydog Sanctuary”
This Oregon-based mustang sanctuary has been going viral recently for its work to reunite a mare and now-gelding who were separated when their herd was gathered. Learn more about Skydog Sanctuary here!
Every Friday, Horse Nation teams up with Ovation Riding to spotlight an individual or organization doing good work in the horse world. Today, we’re recognizing Skydog Sanctuary of Oregon.
KTLA 5 - NOVEMBER 2017
KTLA 5 News
“Malibu Sanctuary Works to Save Wild Horses”
Clare Staples, the founder of SkyDog Ranch Wild Mustang Sanctuary, is running a unique organization that seeks to save Mustangs and give them a place to heal. Visit the SkyDog Ranch website to learn more.
Lynette Romero reports for the KTLA 5 News at 10 on Nov. 9, 2017.
EQUINE WELLNESS - OCT 2017
Equine Wellness
“Swayze’s Journey”
From a kill pen in Colorado to VIP at Sky Dog Sanctuary, Swayze is finding his stride.
Clare Staples-Read first learned of Swayze when someone tagged her in a Facebook post last fall. All Mustangs that have been removed from public lands by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have a unique freeze brand on the left side of their necks, a marking easily identified b the white hair that grows over it. Yet in Swayze’s case it was harder to tell, recalls Clare. There were two horses in the photos from the Colorado kill pen, and with winter on the way, their hair was growing in longer. Given assurances that these horses were indeed Mustangs, Clare decided to take a chance and bring them both home.
LA WEEKLY - SEPT 2017
LA Weekly
“THE BEAUTIFUL RESCUED HORSES OF SKYDOG MUSTANG SANCTUARY - LA WEEKLY / SEP 2017”
Skydog Malibu, a nonprofit organization that provides “sanctuary for horses that have wound up in kill pens, at auction, or being neglected, starved or abused,” opened its doors to visitors on Saturday, Sept. 16, providing an afternoon of barbecue and a facilities tour where folks could meet the horses. While these beautiful, rescued animals might have endured harsh situations, the caretakers of Skydog give the mustangs a loving home with an incredible view. Skydog is open to new volunteers; looking at these photos, who wouldn't want to help out?
MALIBU TIMES - SEP 2017
Malibu Times
“A Helping Hand for Horses”
A Malibu woman has ditched her high profile Hollywood lifestyle in favor of mucking stalls and the hard work of rescuing horses on the brink of slaughter. Clare Staples-Read is devoting her life to saving horses by opening Skydog Ranch where at-risk and abused horses are rehabilitated in Malibu and Calabasas, and ultimately set free for life on a 9,000-acre ranch in Oregon.
Growing up in England, Staples-Read said she always had a love of horses. After moving to Los Angeles and working in the entertainment world, she bought a horse and then another, a mustang, and soon discovered the dark side of American wild horses.
DAILY MAIL - SEP 2017
Daily Mail (UK)
“Back to being best friends! Kyle and Kim Richards on good terms after sibling rivalry on Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills as they hit Skydog Sanctuary”
Kyle and Kim Richards have fought for years on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.
But over the weekend the two looked like best friends as they stopped by the Skydog Sanctuary, the ranch and rescue home for wild mustangs.The event was held at a Malibu ranch with locals and VIP’s to come and meet the mustangs and learn about the organization.
THE SOURCE WEEKLY (BEND, OR) - JULY 2017
The Source Weekly
“Where The Wild Things Are”
"We have tried to focus quite a lot on saving Oregon mustangs," says Staples-Read. "So, there was a certain advantage in having a place up here which is essentially what those horses grew up with. This place mirrors very much the kind of forest and terrain they would have had in the wild." Water is another reason. "It's unbelievable in terms of the amount of water on the ranch. We have a creek running through, and a number of lakes. That was just an enormous asset—and then the beauty of Central Oregon."
THE BULLETIN - JULY 2017
The Bulletin
“Mustangs & Burros Are Given a Second Chance”
Many mustangs at Sky Dog Sanctuary have back stories that involve abuse or neglect, but none so much as Read. The wild chestnut horse has a hole in his face. When Read was a younger, smaller horse, someone placed a halter on his head and never took it off. As Read grew, his face expanded beneath the halter, which carved a permanent gash that exposes his nasal passage. Once stranded at an Oklahoma “kill pen” where many horses are bought and trucked internationally to slaughter, Read is in the care of Central Oregon’s newest mustang sanctuary.
“I’ve rarely seen a halter injury that has gone so deep,” said founder and sanctuary manager Clare Staples-Read, who bought the now 22-year-old horse last year. She named him after her husband. “But he does so well now. He runs around and is happy and breathes OK. I don’t think he’s aware that he’s different than any other horse — they treat him perfectly normal. He’s certainly a poster child for the bad situations these mustangs can end up in.”
HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - JUNE 2017
Horseback Magazine
“Sky Dog Sanctuary for Wild Mustangs Opens Their New 9000-Acre Ranch in Oregon”
June 29th, 2017: Skydog Sanctuary, the 501c3 organization that provides a rescue home to at-risk mustang horses in America is officially opening a new 9,000-acre Skydog Ranch, near Bend, Oregon on July 15th from 12pm-4pm. They are opening their doors to the public for Family Day for visitors of all ages to come to the ranch for a hayride, food, and fun! Skydog Ranch is a forever home for wild horses providing sanctuary for mustangs that have wound up in kill pens, at auction, or being neglected, starved or abused. Many of these horses are rescued hours away from being shipped to slaughter in Mexico or Canada to be killed for their meat and served on foreign dinner plates.
Tragically every year over 150,000 American horses are sent to be inhumanely slaughtered and many of those are mustangs. Skydog Sanctuary’s biggest, most important mission is to shine a spotlight on the issues facing our wild horses while continuing to rescue as many as possible. By spreading awareness of the situation we can show how special, valuable and unique these wild horses are and create pressure to find alternative solutions that don’t require unnecessary killing, or captivity, for these beautiful animals.
BREYERFEST 2024 - JULY 12, 2024
BreyerFest 2024 News
“Big News for Blue Zeus Fans!”
BreyerFest 2024: Celebrate with this Blue Zeus Limited Edition Figure Model and Clare Staples, founder of Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary
Podcasts
Horse Love Podcast
Host Clare Staples speaks with friends of Skydog Sanctuary, including the broker who sold her the property in Oregon, the hauler who delivered the first rescued mustangs, board members, staff, volunteers, wild horse photographers, and other sanctuary owners. Each guest shares different insights into the ranch’s history, daily operations, the equine residents, and animal rescue. Episodes can be accessed on Patreon or the Skydog Youtube Channel.
Fake Doctors, Real Friends
with Zach & Donald
August 22, 2023
In this episode, hosts Zach Braff and Donald Faison talk with Rancher Clare Staples about what goes into running a wild horse and burro sanctuary. She shares her passion for saving wild equines, the obstacles these creatures face, and how she's able to keep track of hundreds of rescued equines.
THE HORSE CURE PODCAST
“Episode 30.8 Adoption Stories: Skydog Sanctuary and Ranch”
11:11 PODCAST
“Dharma Vs Ego. How are you showing up?”
Videos
The Dodo - January 2023
Rescued Wild Horse Gives Birth To A...😍
Ladybug turned out to be pregnant — but the real surprise happened when her baby was born!
The Dodo - March 2022
Woman Spends Over A Year Trying To Find Wild Horse And All Of His Mares And Babies
The reunion of Blue Zeus and his family
The Dodo - January 2021
Wild Horse Immediately Recognizes Girlfriend After Years Apart
The reunion of Phoenix and Ghost
The Dodo - July 2018
Wild Horses Reuinte After Six Months Apart
The reunion of Goliath and Red Lady, who was pregnant with Bohdi
The Dodo - January 2018
Great Dane Dog Befriends Wild Horses
Barkley the Great Dane welcomed rescued mustangs and burros to Skydog and made sure they felt loved and safe.
Skydog Sanctuary featured on Meta.
