Providing mindfulness, advocacy, and wellness for equines

Lisa Daigle is the founder of Savannah's Place, a sanctuary providing mindfulness, advocacy, and wellness for equines and a 2015 graduate of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection's (IHAC's) Animals and Human Health (AHH) Certificate program. All AHH students develop a professional Animal-Assisted Intervention program proposal during their studies and many go on to implement these programs in organizations where they work. As part of her course work Lisa developed an animal welfare and ethical framework for the sanctuary, which serves as a guiding framework for the leadership of the sanctuary to this day. 

The logo for Savannah's Place is the Chinese symbol for heart, which Lisa says embodies the importance that home is where the heart resides. Lisa has enrolled in the Humane Education Practitioner Certificate through IHAC this year because of her desire to utilize additional education to the benefit her local community and the animals at Savannah's Place. She believes IHAC can once again help her accomplish her professional development goals. She explains, "As a graduate of the Animals & Human Health Certificate program, and enrollee of the Humane Educator Practitioner Certificate, I have immense appreciation for the quality and applicability of the education." When asked about how her education with IHAC has impacted her personal and professional life Lisa says, "In the words of activist Marian Wright Edelman, 'Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.' And what better impact could one make than advancing the welfare of animals, modeling compassion and empathy, and living with interconnection to all beings? At a practical level, these programs have given me a lifelong foundation for ethical and critical thinking, and improved my ability to communicate on all matters, large or small."

Aerial view of Savannah's Place.