Horse Shelter Heroes – S4E45
The holiday spirit is in full swing at Horse Plus Humane Society! This week, we hosted our Home for the Holidays adoption event and toy drive, and the results were nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
Our goal was to find forever homes for our residents while helping local children have a brighter Christmas and our amazing supporters truly delivered!
🎥 Watch the full episode here: Christmas Adoption Event – Horse Shelter Heroes S4E45
Adoptions & Toy Drives: A Perfect Match
Our adoption event featured a special twist this year. Instead of a standard adoption fee, we asked adopters to bring a brand-new toy to donate to the local Elks Lodge toy drive and the turnout was absolutely incredible!
We celebrated some amazing matches including a “mule power” victory when Joe from Florida stopped by to say hi and ended up adopting the bonded pair Gus and Sissy to ensure the lifelong team stays together.
Family trail partners were also a highlight as Darcy and her family fell in love with Joey and Patch, two horses now ready to start their new lives as cherished companions.
Our long-eared friends found plenty of love too with several donkey buddies from Opie to Rascal and Winks heading to homes where they will never have to be lonely again.
It wasn’t just about the equines though, we saw “small but mighty” success when a “shoulder cat” named Zelda found her perfect person, alongside several other critters who joined our “Found Love” wall.
By the end of the event, our Christmas tree was surrounded by a mountain of toys that will make a world of difference for children in Lewis County this year!
Medical Updates: Fiesta’s Fight Against a “Super Bug”
While we celebrated our recent adoptions, our medical team remained laser-focused on Fiesta, our “Olympic jumper” recovery case. Dr. Lydia performed a thorough recheck and confirmed that although Fiesta has made tremendous progress, we are currently fighting a very serious infection.
Lab results revealed the presence of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including the specific type that can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a devastating flesh-eating disease.
Thankfully, because we caught the infection early and started the appropriate antibiotics immediately, Fiesta remains stable and is even enjoying being a “wee bit spoiled” with extra treats.
However, her road to recovery is still demanding, as she requires over an hour of intensive husbandry care every day to keep her wounds clean and healing properly. We are staying vigilant, but her resilient spirit continues to give us hope!
Farrier Day: Straightening Things Out
Our farrier, Elijah, had an incredibly busy day working through a roster of ten animals, reminding us that proper hoof care is truly the foundation of a horse’s health.
This is especially vital for many of our buyout rescues who arrived with years of neglect visible in their hooves.
We witnessed a major transformation with Jester, who arrived with extremely long, crooked feet. While he’ll need a shorter maintenance schedule to fully correct the damage, he was a perfect gentleman throughout his entire first session.
We also focused on teaching the babies, as little Pakito experienced his very first trim to ensure he grows up to be a “good citizen” for future farrier visits.
Of course, not everyone was on their best behavior as one feisty Standardbred from New Zealand decided that biting was his preferred method of communication.
He is now officially scheduled for some “round pen education” to help him find a much-needed change of heart!
Looking Back with Gratitude
As we wrap up the year, we are overwhelmed by the challenges we’ve overcome. When we were told we couldn’t rescue from the auction, we launched the Buyout Program and ended up saving even more lives by intercepting horses before they ever reached the slaughter pipeline.
None of this… the medical saves, the successful adoptions or the legal advocacy would be possible without our Horse Heroes! Whether you donated a toy, shared a post or joined our mission as a donor, you are the backbone of this rescue.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us at Horse Plus Humane Society! Here’s to saving even more lives in 2024!
Want to help more horses like the ones in this episode? Visit the Horse Plus Humane Society website to learn how you can support rescue, rehabilitation, and healing.
🎥 Watch the full episode here: Christmas Adoption Event – Horse Shelter Heroes S4E45
Your donations and shares truly make a difference — one horse, one rescue, and one story at a time.