February Star Sanctuary (FSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, family-run sanctuary with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, rehome and provide refuge for horses and cats in need. Founded in 2015, FSS is located on 124 beautiful acres in Frederick County, Maryland. Close to West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, FSS frequently rescues horses from all four states. February Star Sanctuary strives to improve the overall health and quality of life for its rescues by addressing issues such as animal abandonment and abuse, cat overpopulation, and the high numbers of shelter intake and euthanasia.

Led by Executive Director/Co-Founder Phyllis Smith, FSS achieves significant success through its equine adoption program, which includes rehabilitation and retraining. February Star Sanctuary provides horses with high quality veterinary care, therapeutics, equine chiropractic care, and an extensive training process to help horses, especially Thoroughbreds, develop new skill sets. Training program graduates are now thriving in a variety of disciplines including western, English, dressage, hunter/jumper, eventing, and polo/mounted games. Others are living their best lives as companions, therapy, and leadline horses. In addition to finding horses loving forever homes with adopters, February Star Sanctuary provides permanent refuge for several horses. Horse lovers in the area are also given direct access to many horses through equine sponsorship opportunities. FSS believes an important aspect of horse rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and continued care is encouraging them to interact with people outside of staff and volunteers, so they feel love and support from as many people as possible. Sponsors get to directly interact with a rescue horse and participate in essential activities such as grooming, feeding, and holding for the farrier. As an added benefit, if a sponsor selects a rideable horse, they can go for trail rides at the sanctuary. As part of February Star Sanctuary’s efforts to help all members of its community, while on-site, many horses participate in outreach activities, including programs teaching youth horsemanship and horseback riding, programs for disabled adults and kids, and programs for senior citizens at nursing homes.

February Star Sanctuary also has feline adoption opportunities for both indoor and barn cats, offers felines permanent refuge, conducts trap-neuter-return/rehome services for community cats, and cares for cats of women and families suffering from homelessness or who are victims of domestic violence. FSS is dedicated to helping as many horses, cats, and humans as possible. As a nonprofit, February Star Sanctuary sincerely appreciates donations of any and all amounts. Donations can easily be made through its website.

For February Star Sanctuary, rescue isn’t just a verb, it’s a promise.