ABOUT US

Del Oro Foundation was born out of the desire to provide a secure, safe and loving environment for dogs, cats and horses who have previously experienced the effects of neglect, starvation, abuse and abandonment. The foundation also serves the community by assisting local government agencies and other non-profit organizations to maintain and restore public land usage.

Long before Del Oro Foundation was formed, the people behind it were donating, caring, adopting and treating animals for many years. We decided to formalize our organization to raise awareness for these animals by providing information and education to the public and to increase the activity by bringing in much needed funding.

Del Oro Foundation is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and is privately funded by the founders.

Heike Stabenow

Born in Germany, Heike was drawn to animals before she even could walk and talk. A nature lover and passionate animal activist and volunteer, she joined the Human Society of Munich at age 10 where she started socializing shelter dogs and educating the public on animal welfare. Throughout her youth, she took in several homeless cats and dogs and cared for them. She also developed a very strong bond to equines when she started horseback riding as a child. Later on, living in California, she joined numerous animal rescue organizations to provide all sorts of services such as fostering, caring, training and rehoming for animals in need. Heike also got involved with local operations for feral cat TNR (trap, neuter, release) programs as well as Search and Rescue and Mounted Assistance Programs. In addition, she and her husband Rainer joined volunteer groups of various government organizations to help with the maintenance and management of public land usage. Eventually, they decided to formalize their efforts to serve the community by founding Del Oro Foundation – a rescue center and sanctuary for homeless, neglected and abused animals.

Rainer Stabenow

Rainer developed his love for animals as a young child starting with guinea pigs, hamsters and adopted cats. As a teen, he experienced his passion for horses by participating in gymkhana and vaulting events. Rainer has a natural gift of handling and training dogs and horses through positive reinforcement to prepare them for new permanent homes. This led him to provide his knowledge and services to other rescue organizations first before founding their own rescue center and sanctuary for animals – Del Oro Foundation.