Our Mission

IT STARTED WITH A WILD SOUL...

Wild Souls Ranch was established by Savanah McCarty, who, through her past, was inspired to teach "at-risk" youth in Humboldt County the value of a strong work ethic while also providing a supportive environment for healing. Savanah became a ward of California at age six after being abandoned by her mother. Savanah turned to horses for support and stability and found a new way of life. It was truly the simple things, like cleaning stalls, grooming horses, feeding and riding, that made a difference in her life.

In 2013 Savanah took her dream to a local non-profit, Miranda's Rescue, to establish an umbrella sponsorship so she could get to work helping the youth of Humboldt County. The Miranda's Rescue crew was gracious enough to lend a space, equines, and a helping hand in trying to get Wild Souls Ranch off the ground. In January of 2014, to better align missions, Savanah and her Program Coordinator, Mariah Lewis, sat down with Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue to pitch the Wild Souls Ranch vision. After a lengthy meeting, Heart of the Redwoods accepted their proposal.

Through her contacts, Savanah acquired two equine donations, Cody, an off-the-track thoroughbred, and the horse that saved her in her childhood, Sheza. With Savanah's dream rapidly coming to fruition and the first herd established, Wild Souls Ranch sought their own location and found a home at Hillcrest Stables in Loleta, CA. Wild Souls Ranch partnered with Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue until they established their own articles of incorporation in October of 2014. After enrolling their first youth, word spread like wildfire about the Wild Souls Ranch program. It soon became evident that there was an overwhelming need for a program like Wild Souls Ranch in Humboldt County. Over the years, the Wild Souls Ranch team has relied on many experts in various fields and Savanah's own personal healing equine experience to create their successful, one-of-a-kind program modalities.

With the help of many believers, supporters, volunteers, and staff members, Wild Souls Ranch rapidly became the thriving social services agency it is today. Savanah hoped that through Wild Souls Ranch, youth would learn to embrace healthy relationships, hard work, and process their past to move towards a brighter future. Marlene, who took six-year-old Savanah under her wing and taught her the love of horses, provided a transformative experience, and continues to inspire the legacy that has become Wild Souls Ranch, a legacy that believes in every wild soul.