Zeljko Ilicic (ZHAY-co EE-lee-cheech) saved his first horse 12 years ago. The horse escaped death—and Mr. Ilicic found his calling.

Mr. Ilicic lives in Serbia, a country in the Balkans. He set up the nation’s only horse sanctuary in 2015 on a small piece of land. It’s called Staro Brdo Sanctuary. (Nope, that last word isn’t missing a vowel. It’s spelled correctly in the Serbian language. In English, it means “Old Hill.”)

Around 80 needy horses have since passed through Staro Brdo. Before coming, some were tortured or abused. Some are very old. Some lived well but could no longer be looked after by caretakers.

Animal care is tough in Serbia. People there are poor. Many government leaders are corrupt. Authorities do run shelters for dogs, but none for horses. So what happens when a horse gets too old to work on a farm? Some people send the horses to be slaughtered.

Mr. Ilicic stepped in. “I witnessed the sad destiny of a horse that was about to be put down,” he says, remembering the first animal he saved. “I decided to try to bring him back to life and to keep him if he survived. And he did.” Some of Mr. Ilicic’s favorite rescues include a local derby winner. Another was a movie-star horse that appeared in Serbian films. When it finally retired to the sanctuary, its legs had grown stiff with arthritis.

Animal sounds echo through the small property. Staro Brdo workers today look after nine horses, two donkeys, a buffalo, seven pigs, and several dogs, cats, and chickens. (The piglets were found at a waste dump! All grown up, they now like to cuddle and play.)

The sanctuary tries to find new homes for as many animals as possible. That way, it will have open space for newcomers.

Why? Sometimes when government officials don’t provide for a need, regular citizens must step up and fill it in creative ways.