Bluemont Equine Sanctuary

03/27/2025

I gave a tour to a lovely new team member today and we got to talking about the donkeys. After she left I reflected on the fact that I don’t show them enough love here on our page and thought I would do a post.

I’m going to go knock on alllll the wood before I get into this paragraph lol. Our donkeys are our easiest herd. Medically and herd dynamics, they’re drama free and deeply bonded.

We have two sets of mama/son pairs. Charlotte and Taz and Gemma and Jax. Gemma is in a commited relationship ship with Mason. Dixon, Jax and Taz all young johns like to play and rough house together as they are so close in age. They’re in their menace to society teen angst era. Charlotte, the smallest and oldest is the quiet matriarch of the herd.

I have the most beautiful story about Charlotte. One of my personal favorites of all time here at the sanctuary. Charlotte is a beautiful grey mini donkey who was used for breeding for years. Taz is the only baby she’s ever been able to keep and she was such a nurturing and gentle Mother to him. To this day she is his comfort and they adore one another. We don’t wean here at the sanctuary and we would never take a baby from their Mom. At 3 yrs old Taz was still nursing for comfort from time to time. Who are we to tell another Mom when to stop breastfeeding?

WELL Gemma arrived with her baby Jax and her new boyfriend Mason and decided that when Jax was 7 months old she was done nursing. That she would rather bask in the sun with her new man Mason. Also her choice. Jax was pretty upset about this but he found another option…

One day I see Jax on his knees nursing from Charlotte. Charlotte was happy as a clam to offer comfort to another youngster. Both Jax and Taz would run to Charlotte for support and nurse when they needed a little reassurance. We think Charlottes milk finally dried up but they’re all still thick as thieves.

We’re so grateful to be able to give animals like Charlotte and Gemma a free environment to make these choices for themselves.

We humans don’t deserve donkeys. They are such honest and beautiful souls. I will forever aspire to be as altruistic to my core as they are. ❤️

03/27/2025

The decline of independent, knowledgeable horsemen in favor of riders who rely entirely on full-service programs is a troubling trend for our industry. Too often, riders simply show up, ride, and leave, trusting others to manage every aspect of their horse’s care. They follow their trainer’s directives without question, missing the opportunity to develop essential horsemanship skills and personal responsibility.

Attending a show without a trainer has become taboo. The idea of independently navigating a warm-up ring, walking a course, or making strategic decisions is foreign to many riders today. Beyond competition, this reliance extends to daily care. While trainers are invaluable resources, true horsemanship demands personal engagement.

Horses thrive on consistency, personalized attention, and knowledgeable management. A rider who understands their horse’s unique needs, how they respond to different training methods, express soreness, or vary in energy levels, can advocate for them in ways that a trainer managing dozens of horses cannot. When owners blindly follow a program without understanding its rationale, it is the horse who suffers.

On that note, there is absolutely no reason for a junior rider to have full-service grooming. Learning to care for a horse is an essential part of becoming a well-rounded equestrian. Grooming, tacking up, aftercare, and basic stable management are not chores: they are an opportunity and a privilege to recognize subtle changes in their horse’s well-being and take responsibility for their animal. If a junior rider has the ability to ride, they have the ability to contribute to their horse’s daily routine. Relying on full-service programs from an early age only fosters detachment and entitlement, rather than the respect and responsibility that true horsemanship demands.

Trainers should serve as mentors, not crutches. Every horse owner has a duty to take an active role in their horse’s well-being. If this trend continues, our industry will lose independent, well-rounded horsemen. We will see a generation of riders who can function only within structured programs, lacking the critical thinking skills necessary for effective horse care. Worse, we are producing professionals who can ride and teach but who lack the basic foundational knowledge to properly develop and maintain equine athletes.

Amateurs, in particular, have a crucial role in reversing this trend. Regardless of skill level, every rider has both the ability and the responsibility to take ownership of their horse’s well-being. This starts with asking questions: why is your horse in a particular training aid? Why is a specific bit, feed, or therapy being used? The more you learn, the better you can advocate for your horse. If your trainer resents your questions or discourages your involvement, vote with your feet and find someone else: because if they won’t listen to you, they certainly aren’t listening to your horse.

Restoring true horsemanship requires a shift in mindset. Riders must take an active role in their horse’s care, trainers should foster independence rather than dependency, and owners must recognize that ultimate responsibility lies with them. If we fail to course-correct, we risk losing not only invaluable knowledge but also the very essence of horsemanship: a loss our horses cannot afford.

03/25/2025

Just a little Skipper and Cora to brighten your day. ❤️

03/22/2025

We have deleted the post due to the author’s (the vet) request and have reshared the original it on our page for you all to read and share. 🙂

Here is a poem instead

The Old Horse

Once, I was thunder, swift and free,
A shadow racing the wind through trees.
My mane a banner, my hooves a drum,
The fields and skies were mine to run.

Now the days are slower, the strides less wide,
But wisdom lingers where youth has died.
I’ve carried burdens, both light and great,
And learned the patience to stand and wait.

The world grows quiet, the pace turns mild,
And in my heart still lives the wild.
The echoes of gallops, the rush of air,
The freedom of knowing I was once there.

My body is weary, my coat turns gray,
Yet kindness keeps the cold at bay.
For those who see beyond the years,
Will find my soul still fierce, sincere.

So offer me rest, not a restless road,
A pasture of peace, not a heavy load.
For an old horse’s heart beats strong and true,
Grateful for love, and the care of you.

Unknown

03/16/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Once upon a time, in a land before TikTok tutorials and matchy-matchy saddle pads, horse people actually knew how to take care of horses. Shocking, I know. Kids like me didn’t just rock up to the yard, hop on, and swan off afterward like some equestrian diva. No, we earned our time in the saddle mucking out stables that smelled like something out of a horror movie, filling haynets that somehow managed to tangle themselves around our legs, and lugging water buckets that felt heavier than our actual bodies.

And Friday nights? That was Pony Club night in Ireland, an unmissable ritual. First, the riding lesson, where we pushed ourselves to perfect our position or attempted (and often failed) to keep our ponies from launching us into orbit over a cross-pole. Then, the real fun stable management. If you thought you were leaving without knowing how to spot colic, wrap a bandage properly, or pick out hooves without losing a finger, you were sorely mistaken.

But now? Stable management is disappearing faster than your horse’s dignity when it spots a plastic bag.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭

These days, many young riders don’t spend hours at the yard learning the ins and outs of horse care. They arrive, their pony is miraculously tacked up and ready, they ride for an hour, and off they go probably to post a reel of their perfect canter transition. And look, I get it. Times have changed. Insurance policies have made it harder for kids to hang around stables, and busy modern life means people want things quick and easy.

But here’s the problem: a horse isn’t an Instagram prop. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 1,000-𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚. And without that old-school, hands-on education, we’re seeing the consequences. Horses suffering from preventable colic, riders unable to recognize when their tack doesn’t fit, people feeding their cob the same as a Thoroughbred and wondering why it’s suddenly the size of a small elephant.

And the worst part? People are accepting standards of care that would have been unheard of years ago.

I hear owners justifying no turnout like it’s normal. “Oh, my yard doesn’t turn out in winter.” “My horse copes fine without it.” No, they don’t. Horses are designed to move. Keeping them in a box 24/7, walking them for 20 minutes on a horse walker, and thinking that’s a substitute for actual turnout? That’s not horsemanship, it’s convenience. And it’s a ticking time bomb for their physical and mental health.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝

It’s not just kids, either. There is now an entire generation of adult horse owners who don’t actually know how to look after their horses properly. People who have spent years on riding school horses, never mucked out a stable, never bandaged a leg, never had to nurse a horse through an illness, suddenly finding themselves with their first horse and no idea what they’re doing. And instead of admitting they need help, many of them turn to social media (sometimes it’s ok, but not posts like is this colic?) for advice rather than a vet, a farrier, or an experienced horse person.

It’s terrifying. These are the same people who will argue in Facebook groups about whether their horse is “just lazy” instead of recognizing pain, who think a horse standing in a stable 24/7 is fine because ‘he doesn’t seem unhappy’, and who will spend more on a glittery saddle pad than on a proper equine dentist. Owning a horse should come with more than just a financial commitment, it should come with a commitment to education. But right now, there are too many owners who simply don’t know what they don’t know.

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

So, what’s the solution? We need to bring back the grit. Pony Clubs, riding schools, livery yards everyone needs to make stable management a non-negotiable part of equestrian life again. Not a boring add-on. Not an optional extra. An essential, just like knowing which end of the horse kicks.

And for those of us who lived through the ‘earn your saddle time’ era? It’s on us to pass that knowledge down. Teach the young ones how to tell the difference between a horse that’s playing up and a horse and a horse that’s in pain. Show them that grooming is not just a way to make your horse shiny for pictures it’s how you check for cuts, lumps, or signs of discomfort. Explain why turnout isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

I miss those Friday nights at Pony Club. The smell of damp hay, the constant background noise of ponies trying to eat things they shouldn’t, the feeling of pride when you finally got your plaits neat enough that your instructor didn’t sigh in disappointment.

We need to bring that back, not just for nostalgia’s sake, but for the horses. Because if we don’t, we’re going to end up with a generation of riders who can execute a perfect flying change but don’t know what to do when their horse colics at 2 a.m. And that? That’s the kind of horror story no equestrian wants to live through.

Sunny and the farmer spec gate 😂

03/05/2025

Rue was born right here at Bluemont at 3am in the last stall on the left. We rescued her sweet Mama Hazel from a terrible fate. Hazel arrived heavily pregnant and we tried to work a thousand miracles to get Hazel healthy and ready to give birth to her baby.

When Hazel delivered Rue she immediately bonded with her. She nuzzled her, cleaned her and they imprinted on one another. Rue received Hazel’s colostrum which was vital to her survival. An hour later Hazel started circling her stall and wouldn’t stop. Her face had gone blank and she would step on anything in her way. It was clear that she had a stroke while delivering Rue.

We called our emergency vet who stabilized the two of them and helped us load up for New Bolton Hospital. We were delivered a crushing blow that Hazel would never come back from this. That her frontal lobe was too damaged. They suggested that we euthanize her right then and there. We decided to bring Hazel and Rue home together and take it one day at a time. Hazel was starting to eat mashes and she was allowing Rue to nurse. But that was as far as she got. We tried for 6 months to rehab Hazel but unfortunately her medical team was right. She would never have a good quality of life again. When we sent Hazel over the bridge Rue was devastated. Even though Hazel couldn’t mother Rue they were bonded. Rue is intelligent and she understood that there was a medical problem with Hazel but horses don’t understand the concept of euthanasia. They just know what they see and smell. So we left Rue with Hazel for a long time. Hours. She would graze and come back to check if Hazel was moving. I sat with them, in mourning right alongside Rue.

Thank god for Silver Song who immediately took Rue under his wing. And for Zoli who always kept careful watch over her too. She had two of the best boys in her corner and as a team we got Rue through.

Rue is a mini mule, half donkey and half mini horse. She’s a tricky one to connect with and she has her preferred herd mates and humans. Mules aren’t like horses or donkeys. They think and act differently and are very particular. Mules are my personal favorite.

Swipe right to see lil baby Rue 💕

02/11/2025

Our landscaper has been goofing off on the job. 🐴😍💜

02/10/2025

Stevie’s safe with us. So many people, even riders have no idea what the horse industry is really like. I saw a trend on SM where people were highlighting that they kept their horse. Like they were these amazing people for doing so. That their horse had given them so many rosettes and years of riding that they owed it to them to care for them in their final yrs.

I see this messaging often around horses. “They gave me so much, they deserve retirement” Then oftentimes if said horse is a mare, her retirement is having babies. Anyone with a thinking brain knows pregnancy and baby rearing is not “retirement”. On top of that, one day the humans who care for you walk into your paddock and take your baby, for their gain. Over and over again. The heartbreak a breeding mare carries is indescribable. As a woman I can feel their melancholy and can spot a mare who’s lost her children even if I don’t know her history or story. Stevie carries this, which gives her a special empathy and softness for others. Both human and equine.

For a moment I would love for us to ponder this same messaging but around dogs. “My dog performed for me for years and then I bred her. She gave me so much, I owe her retirement”. Imagine the comment section on such a post. People would go nuts. Shouldn’t it be that the moment we become an animals steward in this domesticated world that it’s our duty and an honor to keep them safe, loved and cared for? Isn’t this the absolute baseline of care? With horse owners it’s perfectly normal to “retire” and breed your lame horse. It’s also normal to rehome your horse under the guise that “some little girl out there is looking for a leadline horse to love on forever”. NOPE. We save these horses and I can say with my full chest that their fate is rarely a forever home filled with love.

The equestrian culture MUST change. All of you can be a part of that change by using your voice. By asking the hard questions. By expressing that you’re not ok with the way things have always been done. By taking your business elsewhere. By supporting rescues that have your same values, who lead with empathy and advocate for horses.

If we don’t speak up for them, who will?

02/08/2025

We need your input. Big and Little. It’s what we’re known for. We have big drafts, big warmbloods, thoroughbreds and Standardbreds but also… Our census is comprised of almost 50% miniature horses. I didn’t include the donkeys or ponies in that percentage. Miniature horses are a passion of ours for many reasons. There are the practical reasons like, they take up less space and we have safe mini herds that we can work new arrivals into but moreover it’s the exploitation they endure. One of my personal goals for 2025 is to talk more about the plight of the mini and why it’s so important that they are treated like real horses, because they are.

But that’s not what this post is about. So let me get to it. Our website is already amazing. We’re lucky enough to have a board member who dedicates her time and love to these endeavors (pro bono). But we want to update our census, tell our animals stories on a deeper level and make it easier for people to sponsor a horse, goat, chicken, turkey or barn cat right from the website.

With that being said Big and Little has been in my head for ever. We call our big horses biggies and our small horses smalls or littles. We want to create a tagline or slogan of some kind around this. We need your help! Please leave any suggestions you may have below. Whether it’s a rough idea, a few words that popped into your head, a creative direction or a whole tagline!

This picture of Moondog and Sidekick reminds me of Julius and Vincent in the movie Twins. Am I aging myself here?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts !

With love, Lesley ❤️

02/05/2025

I truly don’t know how to start this post. It’s personal, and that’s something I try to shy away from. The humans here will have their ups and downs but our care never waivers. We have systems and a team in place for that. This sanctuary is a safe place for so many animals. A one man show should never be celebrated as it’s not reasonable or sustainable. But also my well being matters as the Co-Founder of Bluemont whose dream imagined is offering equines true sanctuary in a very grim industry. Additionally I’m responsible for so many things beyond the daily care and welfare of our horses. We are a large operation and equines are expensive and challenging to care for. This is truly why there aren’t many equine sanctuaries.

For a while now I’ve felt physically unwell. First it was little things that I brushed off. Then each symptom became even louder and at the end of November things reached a fever pitch. I had a horrific headache that wouldn’t let up. My vision was impaired and the ringing in my ears made it hard to hear. 6 specialists later, 3 brain scans and lots of blood work revealed a tumor on my Pituitary gland (in my brain). I was immediately placed on a medication to try and shrink the tumor as well as reduce some of the hormones it’s creating. A neurosurgeon is following my case closely and we’re hoping to avoid surgery altogether. While not common these tumors are almost always benign. There were some very scary moments and I would wake up shaking with anxiety about who would Mother our 4 boys if something happened to me. I’m just so grateful that there are good treatment options and I plan to have my health fully back on track soon.

As far as Bluemont is concerned. We will never stop, we will never waiver and we won’t be slowing down. I just had to take a few months to focus on my health. That means my normal updating and posts slowed a bit. I firmly believe this platform is for founders to communicate & advocate with our followers… not a marketing firm or intern.

All of this to say, as I come back online with updates and daily happenings we hope that you will continue to support our beautiful animals. We need you now more than ever.

❤️ Lesley

02/05/2025

What a great idea to help make drivers more mindful on the roads!

01/21/2025

This is so incredibly important.

Equines and losing their herd mates.
Most equines don’t process death in the same way we do, but its important to understand how they look at it.
Firstly its they way they understand it, they can watch it but it does not mean much, it’s the smell that tells them. So horses should be allowed to smell their departed friend, this is two part, firstly its for them to work out they have died, second part is they will be smelling for adrenalin and endorphins. Generally animals don’t fear death but they fear pain and the process of dying, which if most people are honest is the same for us, most people don’t fear death it’s the getting there, when its your time most people just hope its instant or they go in their sleep, animals are often the same.
You can put a horse down with another one watching and they will often finish their bucket of food before they go to investigate why their mate is laying down. Then they smell a lot around the dead one and if there is no adrenalin or endorphins then they died quickly and were not attacked, so nothing to worry about, even though they saw it the nose overrides all other senses, (hence why horses dislike the wind, stops them smelling in one direction)
So how do we help the horses, ponies etc accept the death of a herd member.
Time is the most important thing, giving them long enough to investigate.
The best thing is to put down the horse in an area that’s safe to let their heard mates into afterwards loose.
This is because some horses run “tests” to check they are dead, this will involve walking in arcs up to them, running away in short bursts (trying to get a flight response) grazing next to dead ones head, pawing with hooves, sometimes biting. If there is some blood they will often put on their nose or taste it, again checking for adrenalin or endorphins to ensure that they are safe and it was not a lion hiding in hedge that killed it. They will then walk away grazing and return about 3 times, after this they accept it and just walk away.
The time it takes varies on the position in herd of the one that’s dies, (one that has been pushed out of herd due to being ill the others will only take 20min to accept as they were expecting it, on other hand if it’s the leader of herd that unexpectedly died, accident etc, it takes far longer as no one is giving instructions so the upset is 2 fold this might take a hour and a half to accept whilst sniffing)
Also the breed is big factor, Shetland ponies for example only take a few minutes (they appear hard and uncaring often due to this) where a thoroughbred or Arab takes on average 45min to accept.
Leading a horse up to dead one tends to slow process down or sometimes they don’t understand at all as they will try to feed of body language of the one who’s leading them and we are not good at horse body language. If there is no choice due to are its still better then not showing them at all but its best done with long lead rope and keeping it as loose as possible to allow the horse to jump around as remember this is partly how they work it out.
The more horses in the herd the quicker they will figure out that’s one died but its nothing to worry about as they will look to each other.
Some special cases, donkeys are terrible at being so attached they one died they will pine to death, so they need another animal for company when their mate goes and we find they should have a least 12 hours with their deceased friend, this is why when we put down donkeys we recommend they we put it down one day and we will come back next day to collect, even trough this means 2 trips.
Mares when they lose their foals (or if foal pts ) again if we have put foal down and you are not going to foster mother then its best to do it and leave foal in stable for example where mother has free access, it can take her up to 48hr to realize her foal is dead and not just sleeping at which time she will bury it and its then safe to remove it without causing any upset.
All of this is why we allow at least a hour and a half for every horse we are putting down but are prepared to wait even longer if needed, 2 part it ensure the euthanasia is never rushed so we can ensure its instant and best as it can be but also the grieving process is vital to any other horse that are part of hear if they were attached. And the more time they have with their field mate who passed on the better.
If you have very closely bonded herd I’m always happy to discuss what’s the best way not only for the one who’s going but also for what’s best for their companions.
This photo shows a group of horses checking out their sadly deceased field mate, no stress just working it out and accepting it.

*edit*
I will add that the times I have said are different horse to horse and it's the time it takes them to normally understand the their friend has died and not just injured or sleeping.
Once they accept this they will then start to greve, like people some horses will take a few hour, some a few days and some a couple of weeks to get over a major change to their herd. But it's much better when they know what's happening to the other option my friend is missing and they will keep looking sometimes for months..

01/21/2025

01/07/2025

😐

01/04/2025

Charlie we love you ❤️. We rescued Charlie from a feedlot back in 2020. He was listed as a young blind gelding. He was blind from hyperlipidemia and was medically urgent. The employees at this place knew none of that but I could tell. We had him picked up and transported to an excellent clinic in NC.

The Doctor called me as soon as he worked him up and told me that Charlie was a stud in his late twenties and that he had less than a 20% chance of survival. But Charlie had fight in him. He was still spunky and the treatment for his condition was very straightforward. IV Hydration, stabilize his organs and keep him eating. All of which they accomplished. Charlie survived!

When he arrived to the sanctuary he pranced off the trailer and greeted me with a not so little nip. He was a PITA 🫠. He would literally watch my truck leave and proceed to run through our 3 rail horse fencing to try and get to Eva & Juna. When he was finally healthy enough for castration we sent him to the hospital for his surgery. He calmed after his 🥜 ✂️ and did well for close to 4 years. But hyperlipidemia can damage the liver permanently. We watch Charlie closely and he’s on an herb called Milk Thistle to support his liver but he was starting to slow down. We ran blood work and his liver enzymes were off. We knew this would eventually happen. We started turning him out on grass for a couple of hours a day. Older minis need to be kept in a dry paddock (grass free). The free grazing gave Charlie something to look forward to. He would run around and pretend to open a can of whoop 🍑 on some of the other boys here. Safely through the fence of course. And the omegas in the grass were great for his inflammation.

Years ago Charlie bonded with Rue and then Silver Song by proxy. Charlie and Silver spent months trying to figure out who the Alpha was in their little herd. Silver finally won but let me tell you… Charlie’s right on his heels. Rue has two Dads, who certainly annoy her at times. Awesome and Snowy eventually joined the trio. So now there are 5. This is ideal because if someone passes the herd grieves together.

We cherish everyday we have left with this ginger boy. 🧡🐴

12/23/2024

Sam’s before and after. 1.5 years in sanctuary. What a strong boy 💪🏼❤️‍🩹

12/21/2024

Just a few headshots of a small % of our herd to brighten your Saturday. About a month ago, Tara one of our valued board members came out to take new headshots of the animals that call Bluemont home. Our target was golden hour but with how large our herd is that was hard to maneuver. It took a long time for us to make our way through the sanctuary. The only horses we had to halter and hold were the babies who were just a little too wiggly to capture a clear shot. The others were photographed right in their paddocks, just living their lives.

Tara was on her way out for a date night after spending her afternoon with us and it got me thinking about all the individuals who contribute hands-on to Bluemont. We have a large team, 65 volunteers in total. Equines require a tremendous amount of care. From haying close to 50 horses, to manure removal, feeding, a 4 hour med pass, barn cleaning, blanketing, watering and more. We have a core group of 20 who come rain or shine, snow or blazing heat. These people are crucial to our operations. They are the heart of the organization. On the flip side, accounting, website management, social media, intake requests, merch, sponsorship management and fundraising is equally as important. Without the brains of the operation there would be no funding for Bluemont. We’re so grateful that a group of like minded people love and dedicate themselves to our mission and animals.

Looking through these photos was profound. I know every horse here inside and out. Seeing their progress year over year, their healing… both mentally and physically is why I can endure the heart break and grief that this work brings. Sam in particular, his eyes, neck and rich coat color had me 😭😭🥰🥰. This boy really got his power back.

The animals who find their way to us (over 100 in total) form deep bonds with the humans here and vice versa. While we are an organization with oversight and a mission, the animals here are family. You can see it in these photos. Don’t they look loved? ❤️

Feeling pretty mushy right now. Think I’ll go have a grateful cry and a hot cocoa. ☕️

12/20/2024

Cosmo’s glow up is 🤌🏼😘

This boy came to us as a “bottle baby”. He was born on a breeding and meat farm and was a poor doer. This is why the farmer was willing to release him to us. He had no mentally value. He came us to very ill, battling coccidia, lice and parasites with a body score of 1. When babies arrive in this condition it’s very difficult to save them. We hovered over him for weeks monitoring every bite he took and carefully treating him. This involved daily injections of a b-complex and thiamine. He was so dull and felt so awful that he didn’t even react to the injections.

Cosmo still has an altered gate from neurological damage from malnourishment but he’s bright, spunky and ready to play! His best friend in the whole wide world is the one and only baby Cora and the mischief is strong in these two 😅.

Cosmo is looking for a sponsor! If you would like to contribute to his care please send us a DM. 🖤 🤍