Latest Rescue: Wenda, Cocoa and Belle Three horses were seized by Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on April 28, 2010. They were in poor condition. The seizure was televised on channel 4, WOAI and many of you were touched by them and many donations were made from that episode. Many people were surprised when the owner said he was giving them Kool-Ade and lemonade. By the look of them, that did not help them. Wenda, the Palomino was the worst. The young mare, Belle, really looked bad and her mother, Cocoa was no better. The “before” pictures tell their tale. It’s only been a few months and already they are looking better. Wenda still has some gaining to go, but she has put on some weight. The best news is that they will be ok.
Champ in Flight You may remember Champ from several years ago. He arrived at the Refuge with only one uninjured leg. The owner had been told to put him to sleep because the injuries were so severe. Jeannie went to work right away and ,as they say, the rest is history. He is sound today and enjoying a good run.
Shorty Shorty, the sheep, came to us from a 4H project to save his life. Much like Beau, the goat, their young owners could not see them go for someone’s dinner. This photo was taken one day as we drove into the Refuge. Doesn’t he look like a “Chia Pet”?
Nickie You also might remember Nick. He was the Refuge’s first rescue when he was 18 months old. He has had many friends over the years and is still the sweetheart he always was. He and Rockie have been buddies for a number of years. He was abandoned and left behind before the Refuge found him.
Kirby and Big Boy Kirby came to us from the race track and Big Boy came with other horses that were seized by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Every now and then these two buddies play like they were 3 years old.
June
Seizure
of 20 Horses
In June of 2007, we were called by the sheriff’s
department
to come pick up 20 horses being seized for cruelty. Many of them were
severely
malnourished and in need of immediate care. With help and volunteers, we
were
able to bring them all to the Refuge.
The stories on the web site are only a few. We picked these
horses
because of their rehabilitation.
Rose and Miracle There was a stallion with them, but he was one of the
worst
cases so we were not concerned about him with the mares. We were so
wrong! He
left us with 2 pregnant mares. In spite of all we did, we could not save
him. A
mare we named Rose delivered a beautiful foal named Miracle. The best
part was
that she was healthy. But Rose would not let us near her baby at
first…that
took awhile! They have a new pasture with room for Miracle to run and
play. She
is now as big as her mother and has discovered that people bring treats.
M&M and Magic The other mare named M&M delivered her foal 2
months
later. We named her Magic. M&M is a much different mother so we were
able to
imprint Magic right away. She was born a dark brown with a white
"spotlight" on her forehead. She has since gone roan. Go figure! The
main thing is that both girls are healthy and are growing like weeds!
M&M
and Magic have been adopted and are at their new home.
Old Red Old Red was also in that seizure. As you can see by the
"before" picture, he was in bad condition. And to make matters worse,
was over 30 years old. Red was and is a gentle and kind fellow and we
were
concerned for him. The worry was not needed. Red started feeling better
almost
immediately. Within months he had gained weight and was looking forward
to extra
treats. Red is a success story of the best kind. There is nothing like
seeing an
"old one" come back to life.
Red in 2009
Freckles Little Freckles was also one of the worst. In addition to
being starved, she had an ugly growth on her ankle. Our vet believed
that the
growth could be removed, but wanted to wait until she had gained some
weight. A
few months later surgery was performed and she has recovered. She is now
with
some of her buddies from the seizure and is doing very well.
M&M and Magic
Old Red
Red in 2009
Freckles
Freckles in 2009