board of directors
Clare Staples - Founder + President
Clare Staples has one of the most interesting and unusual stories. This former English socialite turned her back on a glamorous and envied existence, swapping a Hollywood lifestyle, famous friends, and the things most people dream of acquiring, to dedicate the second half of her life to helping the wild horses and donkeys of America. In the footsteps of other inspirational women, she completely changed her values and lifestyle to devote herself to saving and caring for the animals she loves and rescues. Clare has transformed her life into one of service and devotion to those less fortunate who have ended up abused, discarded, mistreated, and overlooked. As well as reuniting many equine families who would have never seen each other again if it weren’t for her tireless work.
Many people find their passion and purpose in life but Clare is lucky enough to live and breathe it every day saving these deserving sentient beings she so admires, loves, and respects.
Clare is the Founder and President of Skydog Sanctuary and has been working with wild horses for over 15 years. Clare is a qualified EAGALA Equine Therapist and helps manage the three ranches the sanctuaries call home. She is a long-time wild horse advocate and Skydog is the culmination of a lifelong passion to save and protect wild mustangs now and forever. Clare eats, breathes, and sleeps Skydog. She manages the social media, answers emails, fundraises for each rescue, cultivates donors and celebrity supporters, takes photographs and videos of the rescues, and is hands-on in every aspect of the Ranch from head to toe.
The knowledge she has acquired of wild horses, their plight, and the political manipulation and abuse of these cherished icons of the American West over the last decade makes her one of the leading experts on mustangs and wild horse issues but she has never lost her personal hands-on approach to each and every equine Skydog rescue. Clare has used a lifetime of being around some of the brightest and best to apply what she has learned for the benefit of wild horses and has grown Skydog Ranch from a thought to the leading Wild Horse sanctuary and advocacy orgnization in America. Skydog was recently verified with a coveted blue tick, as a brand leader, a social influencer, and famous around the entire world raising awareness for the American Mustang in every corner of the globe.
Clare divides her time between the three sanctuaries in Malibu and Santa Ynez Valley California and Bend Oregon, spending quality time at all locations to make sure all aspects of Skydog are running smoothly. Her voice is instantly recognizable on social media posts although she likes to stay in the background, with the focus being on the wild horses and donkeys in her care rather than raising her own profile or seeking attention. The horses and donkeys are the star of this sanctuary and no one person is more important than their care and attention.
JANELLE HIGHT - TREASURER
Janelle has been the Equine Director of Skydog Sanctuary for four years and is essential personnel. Her understanding of equines is extraordinary and her skills with mustangs are unmatched. Supported by her Assistant Equine Director, she trims feet, gentles completely wild horses needing medical care, tracks herds for regular herd checks, and rides the perimeter to repair the fences. She knows each animal and is able to identify them all by name at any distance. Many of her beautiful portraits of them are available in our Photography Store. Janelle’s skills and knowledge are invaluable in running the ranch. Her expertise qualifies her to determine whether we can accommodate another equine, and set timelines on when to turn them out with a herd. She lives on site at Skydog Oregon with her husband, Koal, who is part-time staff taking care of the ranch and horses. Janelle has a huge say in the management of the animals in our care and it’s imperative that she also be involved at the board level to make decisions about our growth.
JAMIE BALDANZA - SECRETARY
Jamie and Clare were brought together by their separate love of wild horses. The first time they spoke, they were on the phone for hours brainstorming solutions and their places in the world of wild horse advocacy. As an Art Director/ Creative Director over the past 14 years, Jamie has helped develop some of the most recognizable brands in the world. A horse lover since birth, she quit her job to follow her passion - photographing wild horses across the Western United States. With greater outreach from her growing Instagram following, she has been inspired to do even more. Jamie created her own production company that concentrates on bringing animal causes to the public through film & photography. She created the docuseries Wild Lands. Wild Horses (formerly called Taking Back The West). Skydog Productions and This Mustang Life joined forces on two short films called Pass the SAFE Act to bring attention to mustangs ending up in kill pens. Most recently, Jamie was a producer of the documentary Blue Zeus and participated in Q&A sessions at screenings.
RACHEL HUNTER - BOARD MEMBER
Rachel Hunter is a long- time horse lover and supporter of Skydog Sanctuary. She had horses of her own and retired them to pasture when they were no longer able to be ridden. Rachel has an enormous love of animals, nature, and this beautiful planet we share. She brings a wealth of experience regarding celebrity outreach and has helped us bring like-minded, horse-loving people together to raise awareness to the plight of wild horses in America. Rachel promotes our social media platforms by regularly posting about our work. We are thrilled that she has taken on this role and we are happy to expand our board to encompass creativity and awareness of what we are doing here at Skydog. Her deep spirituality brings the most beautiful, peaceful and harmonious energy to our ranches, which she regularly visits. Her intelligence and intuition are immeasurable contributions to making decisions on what is best for our organization and its residents.
BIBI BELIN - BOARD MEMBER
Bibi Belin found Skydog thanks to her amazing mustang Smokey, who became part of her family in Switzerland in 2020. When she was a little girl and people asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up, her answer was to rescue horses. Horses and donkeys have always had a special place in her heart. She got her first horse, Chamane, just after her 4th son was born. His amazing soul gave her the energy and strength to raise four boys and run the family household. When her sons were grown, she found Smokey. He was rounded up in Frisco, Utah, from a small herd in January 2017. She was deeply disappointed when he was sold to people in California, but when the sale fell through, It was true destiny. The day she and Smokey met in Switzerland, she felt a bond like never before. She knew he had come into her life for a reason. She started doing research on mustangs and .was horrified by what was being done to them. She knew she had to do something and made a promise to Smokey that she would. In early 2021, her partnership with Clare began. In the spring of 2022, she visited the Oregon sanctuary with her husband and two of her boys. Seeing the wild herds roam free, watching them gallop across fields, sitting on the ground surrounded by donkeys, and meeting incredible people dedicated to helping theses animals was an profound experience. Her heart was filled with joy and she knew right there and then that she could realize her childhood dream by helping Skydog financially and continuing to do so for years to come. Smokey had delivered his message and helped make this dream come true.
Sarah Martin - Board Member
Sarah Martin is a long-time volunteer for Skydog Malibu and an invaluable help to the sanctuary as a whole. Her professional experience managing comedian Margaret Cho has given her a wealth of contacts and skills to help the organization grow substantially. Sarah has helped design and find new ways to raise money with new merchandise and ideas. Her great love of the horses and burros has brought her regularly to Oregon, where she has produced social media posts and content for the website. After several years as a volunteer, she has now stepped on to the Board of Directors. Her knowledge and creativity helped Blue Zeus on its round of film festivals, many of which she attended as an associate producer. Sarah has a deep love of all the horses and donkeys at Skydog and was key in setting up the new ranch in Santa Ynez Valley. She assisted in a variety of ways to help get the property up and running for new rescues.