Image by Joanne West, JWestPhotography.com
Kimberly Meagher – Founder and Chair
email Kimberly@whrr.org

Raised by her Grandmother, in Saginaw, Michigan, Kimberly Meagher (pronounced Ma-her) grew up in a violent neighborhood far away from horses. She moved to Arizona in 1985 and raised her two children alone.

She worked for Intel Corporation for 14 years. She left Intel in Sept. 2002 to pursue her dream of helping animals in need and to make a living as a horse trainer. In November 2002, her saddle broke while training a rescue horse to be in the play, Oklahoma! That accident left her with a broken neck and ruptured lower back.

Realizing that her horse training days were over, she turned her home into an art space to help raise money for the horses in her care. Kim works diligently to provide high quality art and music to the community while also raising awareness about horses in need.

Kim is part author of the book, Alternatives to Auction & Slaughter. A Guide for Equine Owners - A Better Way, which she helped create while she was the Arizona State Coordinator for the American Horse Defense Fund. She and Trina Bellak, Founder and President of the American Horse Defense Fund went to Capitol Hill for several sessions of congress to lobby for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Kim is also the author of a second book. The sales from her 2nd book go to Wildhorse Ranch Rescue to help provide food and vet care for the rescued herd.

In 2007, Kim had the opportunity to be in a movie titled "Jolene." She was the stand in for Jessica Chastain, the lead actor in the movie. Additional actors included, Dermot Mulroney, Denise Richards, Francis Fisher and Rupert Friend. "The ironic part about being involved with this movie, is that while we were filming one of the scenes, I spotted a horse trailer backing into the area where we needed to have a car drive away in the shoot. I called to the director to stop the scene so that we could get the trailer full of horses safely out of the way. It seems whatever I do, horses get involved one way or another. " Most of Kim's time is spent helping horses in need, whether it's writing a book, raising funds, tending to sick horses or earning a few bucks as a stand in for a movie. ~~

Quotes over the years by Kim Meagher:

The reporter said, "Kim, where does your compassion for animals come from?"
Kim's reply, "Having a brain and a reasonable IQ. And since you and I are both animals, aren't you glad that I'm not slitting your throat, cutting out your flesh and grilling it in my backyard?"

_ Kim Meagher responding to a reporter that was being a bit sarcastic about her devotion to helping animals in need.

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Wildhorse Ranch Rescue (WHRR) had a booth set up at the PBR Bull Riding Event at America West Arena many years ago. WHRR was there to educate people about the fate of unwanted horses. A man walked up to the booth with a frown and said “Why ain’t you helping people instead of animals?!”
Kim Meagher replied, “You do know that Homo sapiens are animals?”
He snickered and said, “I wasn’t talking ‘bout no gays.”
High-fived his buddy and laughed.

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"One thing I'm really good at, is knowing what I'm bad at." Kim Meagher in response to a reporter's question on what skills are important for running a charity.  

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"If you surround yourself with people you consider to be beneath you, then your own character is in reasonable company." _Kim Meagher

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"We should all be adept at knowing our ineptness." _ Kim Meagher 

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 "You don't have to own a ranch to help a horse, you just have to own a heart." _ Kim Meagher, Founder of Wildhorse Ranch Rescue

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 "Select your passion or your poison...often they are the same thing." _ Kim Meagher

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