Horse Shelter Heroes – S6E19
Another week at Horse Plus Humane Society brought moments of hope, healing, and heartbreak. From rescuing animals in need to making difficult medical decisions, the team remained focused on giving every animal the care, dignity, and compassion they deserve!
🎥 Watch the full episode here: He Didn’t Make It… I Horse Shelter Heroes – S6 E19
Bumps, Bruises & Birthday Hogs
First things first: if you caught our last update, you know things got incredibly tense when our team was wrongfully attacked at a public park just for filming a public horse show. We are still feeling the aftermath. Amber and Justin are nursing some painful scrapes and bruises, and Jason is facing a long road with the Ear, Nose & Throat institute to get his broken nose popped back into place.
It’s a frustrating setback, but our team’s spirits aren’t broken. We keep moving forward, one day at a time!
And the work simply doesn’t stop. It was round three of pig wrangling and since Haley was away, it was up to Keith to save the day…. on his birthday, no less! Talk about an unforgettable birthday present.
Thanks to better planning and teamwork, the pigs were safely captured and transported back to the shelter. Sometimes the best birthday gift is helping animals in need.
Happy Birthday, Keith! Thank you for always stepping up when animals need help. We wish you a wonderful year ahead filled with happiness and many more successful rescue adventures!!
A Special Visitor & Tiny Dumpster Kittens
The shelter welcomed a longtime donor whose generosity has helped fund critical infrastructure improvements including quarantine facilities and intake areas that allow the organization to help even more animals.
We are deeply thankful for her generosity which continues to make a lasting impact on the lives of the animals we rescue!
Meanwhile, local animal control brought in 4 tiny kittens discovered in a McDonald’s dumpster after concerns that their mother had been killed. The kittens quickly became the newest residents of the shelter, complete with some fast-food-inspired names.
Vet Barn Chronicles
Over in the vet barn, it was a busy week of specialized care!
Mahogany’s Road to Recovery! Our gorgeous Mustang, Mahogany, has been getting daily cold-hosing and sterile saline flushes for a deep, stubborn chest wound. She lost her foal before coming to us and is understandably a bit pushy but she absolutely loves her spa time and knows exactly how to bribe the team for snacks!
Sergeant Muffins Defies the Odds! At 28 years young, Sergeant Muffins passed his recheck exam with flying colors! He has incredibly mild arthritis for his age. While he does have some dental gaps and a treatable metabolic disease, a daily dose of donor-supported Pergolide is going to keep this happy boy feeling like a colt.
Ruby Finds Her Forever Home!
We love a good adoption story! Remember sweet Ruby? She and her buddy Copper were dumped at a local river a couple of months back. While Copper found a home quickly, Ruby was patiently waiting for her turn.
Enter Ricky! Ricky came into the shelter to drop off a stray dog and fell head over heels for Ruby’s perfect, gentle temperament. She is headed to a home where she will be thoroughly spoiled by grandchildren and neighbors alike. Happy trails, Ruby!
A Heartbreaking Farewell to Foot Loose
We always promise to be transparent with you, our community, which means sharing the heavy moments alongside the joyful ones. This week, we had to say a peaceful goodbye to a very special horse: Tarheels Irresistible, affectionately known as Foot Loose.
Foot Loose was a 19-year-old former big lick show horse whom we intercepted from a slaughter auction. He arrived in severe discomfort, wearing massive “stack” shoes designed to artificially alter his gait.
Tragically, Foot Loose was a victim of severe, serial “soring”, the illegal practice of using caustic chemicals and chains to force a higher step. His body bore the permanent scars of this abuse.
Despite extensive diagnostics, pain management, ultrasounds, radiographs, and consultations, the team determined that his condition was far more severe than initially hoped. His heart disease, spinal pain, and overall decline left no realistic path toward long-term comfort.
To keep Foot Loose alive just to make ourselves feel better wouldn’t have been fair to him. We chose to grant him the ultimate kindness: a dignified, pain-free passing surrounded by love, soft bedding, and endless cookies.
The Fight Continues
Foot Loose’s story is exactly why we do what we do. It is why we speak out, why we protest and why we endure the hard days. Animals give us their absolute all and they deserve to be treated with humanity, not discarded when they are no longer profitable.
Thank you for standing by us, donating the medications that keep seniors like Sergeant Muffins comfortable and allowing us to give horses like Foot Loose a place where they finally knew what love felt like, if only for a few days.
Your support helps write the next success story. Until next time, keep fighting the good fight!
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: He Didn’t Make It… I Horse Shelter Heroes – S6 E19
Your donations and shares truly make a difference — one horse, one rescue, and one story at a time.