It is with a sad and heavy heart I wright you to tell you that Phoenix is no longer with us.
Many of you have known Phoenix since we rescued him in 2009. He was the most emaciated horse that we have ever rescued that lived through his starvation. His body had shut down so much that his hair was even falling out. We didn’t think he would make it, but Phoenix had a spark in his eye that said he wanted to keep fighting. To read his rescue story – Click Here.
Phoenix made an amazing recovery it took a long time to get him back to being a healthy horse again. Phoenix had arthritis in both his knees and due to the severity of his body almost completely shutting down when he was so emaciated we knew that organ failure could be a problem for him in the future. Do to potential health concerns we made Phoenix a permanent resident and I promised him that he would always be taken care of and loved for the rest of his days.
In 2014 I came to Tennessee to open up another shelter and I brought Phoenix with me. He was 19 years old then and I was so happy that he was able to enjoy the beautiful green fields at our Tennessee shelter. He loved to graze and really enjoyed himself, he had many happy days in the grassy fields here.
Now the hard part… I knew this day would come but it is something you can never be ready for.
I noticed that Phoenix was not quite himself, but seemed fine, just something was a little off. Then over night it seemed he had lost weight. The vet confirmed my fears, Phoenix was in organ failure. His kidneys and liver were shutting down and there was nothing that could be done other then saying good bye for the last time.
Phoenix was such a special horse, he will always have a special place in my heart. I’m so thankful that we were able to save Phoenix in 2009, it’s a miracle that he even survived all those years ago. I’m thankful that he was able to enjoy his life and that I was apart of his life.
I love you Phoenix, may you rest in peace – Tawnee
