The catalyst
“We started rescuing just out of appreciation for their relationship,” Wallace-Griner said. “It wasn't until years later when we realized we had more than 100 special needs animals and a [waiting] list of people that we met through the community of special needs parents that wanted to come meet them that we realized we were a nonprofit.”
Safe in Austin in Leander started with one Angel, and over the last decade since the organization became a nonprofit, it has amassed around 240 rescue animals across 19 species. Permanent residents include pigs, dogs, horses, rabbits, goats, birds, tortoises, chickens, a one-eyed hedgehog and a llama. Each animal came to Safe in Austin with its own unique backstory and challenges. Some animals are blind or deaf, have neurological disorders, diabetes, have missing limbs or use a wheelchair.
Who it’s for
Along with caring for animals full time, Safe in Austin hosts tours for families, individuals and schools to visit the ranch. The rescue offers summer camps, public events and programs for middle and high school aged students for free.
“We never charge a fee to anyone,” Wallace-Griner said. “We believe love should be unconditional, and that includes whether or not you can afford it.”
When parties visit the ranch, Wallace-Griner listens to their stories and connects visitors with animals who she thinks they will relate to.
For example, Meg, a pregnant horse pulled off the slaughter truck by Wallace-Griner, lost the pregnancy by the time she made it to the rescue and was seen by a vet. Wallace-Griner said that Meg has been a big gift for women dealing with pregnancy loss or fertility issues, and offers visitors a sense of healing and hope.
“The animals I know can feel that they have a purpose, that they're changing someone's life, that they're doing something good for people, and it is also healing them just as much as it's healing others,” Wallace-Griner said.
Managing the need
The rescue relies on volunteers to perform tasks like cleaning and helping care for the animals. Individuals must commit to volunteering once every two weeks at minimum, and also share the Safe in Austin values which are being nonjudgemental and having unconditional kindness.
While tours at the facility are free, the rescue accepts monetary donations for costs like vet bills, food and maintenance. Safe in Austin also uses the donations to help families by providing food and aiding with living expenses, medical bills and therapy.
“We're there to help however needed because we believe in Safe in Austin being a family and family doesn't exist just inside of our gates,” Wallace-Griner said.
Wallace-Griner said that amid a national economic crisis, previous donors are unable to keep giving funds to the nonprofit, making it difficult to predict operations for the coming months.
“We have to be able to take care of who we are already taking care of, the families that we help and the animals that we already have, and we're honestly worried about how we're going to do that even just next month,” Wallace-Griner said. “That's definitely the worst part about all of this right now.”
More details
Safe in Austin also accepts in-kind donations, such as Clorox wipes, paper dowels, dog treats and hay. Information about donating, visiting and volunteering is available online.
- 14601 Honeycomb Drive, Leander
- www.safeinaustin.org
