Breeding kindness: No animal turned away at safe haven for horses in Elburn

HORSE RESCUE — David Sharos, freelance reporter for The Courier-News, writes:

St. Charles resident Kris Anderson doesn’t regard herself as a horse whisperer, but she does admit hanging around horses has made her a more sensitive human being.

“Being around them has given me more of a unity and connection with living things,” Anderson said.

The retired 4th grade teacher now serves as a board member and volunteer for Casey’s Safe Haven in Elburn, a non-profit equine rescue facility founded in 2011 that has been accepting cast off horses, ponies, donkeys and mules that are later adopted, boarded, or allowed to live out their natural lives.

Anderson said finding this new chapter of life at Casey’s was the result of “an angel guiding me in the right direction.”

Sister Darbie and Casey’s Safe Haven resident donkey Petunia. Image from their website.

Casey founder Sue Balla of Elburn said she grew up in Downers Grove and that despite living in a horseless environment, they were always on her mind.

Changes in her life forced Balla to search for another outlet after the riding school closed. A friend suggested she lease a barn in Elburn and Casey’s Safe Haven was born, named after a horse purchased at an auction that became Balla’s friend for more than a quarter century.

Virtually no animal is turned away.

“Over the years, we’ve probably taken in about 50 animals and our mind set is to get them healthy and adopted,” Balla said. “On average, the animals need about two years to get healthy, but given that this is a sanctuary and rescue, some of them never leave.”