01/21/2024
Okay here is the BARN FIRE UPDATE:
Brenda Abbamonte, on Darwood Rd in Pinckney lost her barn to a fast fire Saturday 1/20/24 around 2pm. Many of you know Brenda as my veterinary assistant from a few years ago. She has four horses, and thankfully all were out of the barn when it burned to the ground. Even some of the fencing melted and were destroyed, as they were connected to the barn. As you can imagine, all of her hay for the season, grain, supplements, medications, equipment (such as buckets, feed pans, brushes, pitchforks, etc.) saddles, bridles.... everything, was in the barn is in now gone.
There is a lot to be thankful for in this scenario, but also there is a lot of devastation, shock, loss and emotional energies spent.
So many of you have contacted me to help, and I am assisting Brenda and her family to coordinate this generosity and kindness.
Here is the situation currently: She made-do last night, and got the horses in a round pen, and also to a separate pasture. A neighbor has been so kind and helped her get them some hay. The horses got blanketed. Water was placed in buckets, but it's not a long-term plan, as there is no electricity for water heaters. Water has to be carried a long way from the house.
What She needs: Immediate need for any handyman/women to help build a quick lean to for her old special needs horse, in her round pen, TODAY. (She is at the store buying supplies).
HAY donated. She thought she was set for the winter. If anyone could spare anything it would be appreciated. Not to sound picky, but it does need to be quality; the last thing she needs is a colic emergency right now. She also has a few beef cattle that eat a round bale every 5 days, If anyone has hay in round bale form that could spare a bale or two, it would be appreciated.
FEED: She feeds Essential K, and uses the Huron brand of Alfalfa/Timothy hay cubes (switching brands is not an option for her picky older horse). She also feeds Dexter Layer crumble to her chickens, and a mixed batch of feed from Dexter Mill for the cattle.
Bedding in the form of bagged shavings, would also be great, as she wants to place it in the shed (The horses were used to coming in at night).
STORAGE: She has no place to put the hay, or feed, donated. She ideally would need a place close to her house she could store hay and be able to frequent it every few days to pick up a day or two at a time. Storing it under a tarp does not work well with Michigan weather. She is on a road off Darwin, just east of Dexter-Pinckney Rd, in Pinckney.
EXTENSION CORDS: to try to run from the house to heat troughs. HOSES are also needed.
Possibly could use a "long handled Pitcher pump" to access the water from the barn... not sure if that is something anyone has they can loan or donate....
Round Pen Panels: some of you have offered. I think this would be a smart plan, to borrow these and place these where the fences melted, as this will allow the mares access to a shed that they can't use now because the fences around it were burned.
If you have any of these items and can donate them, please send a private message to Brenda Abbamonte on Facebook. She is doing her best to respond to messages, but phone calls might be missed, and a message she can reply to when she gets a moment.
I will be posting a GoFundMe account if you would like to donate monetarily, vs physically.
Another option is to Contact the Dexter Mill and let them know you would like to purchase a bag of feed for Brenda's Fire account, and then Brenda can pick it up as she needs it and does not have to worry about storing it.
Thank you my fellow good hearted and supportive horse community. You know we would do the same for each and every one of you, in your time of need.
Brenda is overwhelmed with the love she is feeling from you all, and is so very thankful to each of you.
If you have already reached out to me, you also might try direct messaging Brenda. It is a LOT to coordinate, but please know I appreciate all of you!
