Horse Shelter Heroes – S6E20
Hey there, Horse Plus family! We have been running around the clock with complex rescue missions, some bittersweet adoptions, tough medical puzzles, and a big announcement from one of our favorite team members.
Let’s dive into everything that went down in this week’s episode of Horse Shelter Heroes!
Saving Abandoned Dogs
The team returned to an abandoned property in hopes of safely capturing several dogs that had been left behind. After adjusting their trapping strategy, their patience finally paid off when one of the dogs was safely caught and brought into care.
With one safe in, the team is already tracking the other three. We won’t stop until this whole canine family is safe at the shelter!
Cowboy’s Heart & Dumplin’s Breathing
Our handsome resident mini horse, Cowboy, had a repeat cardiac ultrasound. While he has some top-line muscle loss and is a little lean around the ribs, his weight isn’t a major alarm yet for a senior mini. However, his degenerative heart disease is progressing and his heart contractility is a bit weaker than last year.
He has a pronounced 5 out of 6 murmur but he is completely stable, comfortable, and we are monitoring him daily to ensure his quality of life stays high.
Sweet Dumplin’ had some abnormal lung sounds recently, so Dr. Gina took repeat radiographs and ultrasounds to check his chest and guttural pouches, the air-filled spaces in a horse’s throat. The scans revealed his left guttural pouch isn’t filled with air like it should be, there is definitely fluid or tissue buildup in there, likely related to a past strangles infection.
He also has some wheezing and crackles in his lungs. The next step is a specialized scope to get a definitive diagnosis so we can plan his treatment. Please keep him in your thoughts!
A New Beginning for Memphis & Banjo
One of the most touching moments of the week came when Memphis the donkey and his best friend Banjo found their forever home! After following Horse Plus Humane Society’s work, a family from Memphis, Tennessee, decided to adopt the pair. Moved by Memphis’s story of neglect and determined to give both animals the loving life they deserve, they welcomed the longtime friends into their family together.
Watching Memphis and Banjo leave for their new adventure was a reminder that healing is possible when compassion meets opportunity!
Saying Goodbye to a Little Fighter
With all the joy of rescue work comes the inevitable heartbreak. Our vet tech Nicole shared an incredibly tough update about sweet little Chicken Nugget, one of the kittens rescued from a McDonald’s dumpster.
From the start, Chicken Nugget was fighting an uphill battle with lethargy, dehydration, and a fluctuating fever. Nicole kindly took him home over the weekend to provide round-the-clock subcutaneous fluids and supplemental feedings. She even set up a mini oxygen mask, which he absolutely loved… he would fall fast asleep right on her chest while breathing easy.
Tragically, despite our absolute best efforts and all the love in the world, his respiratory system couldn’t recover, and he peacefully passed away. The silver lining? His three siblings are doing absolutely fantastic, showing that whatever sweet Chicken Nugget was facing wasn’t contagious.
Rest easy, little nugget.
A Bittersweet New Chapter for Haley
Finally, we have some huge bittersweet news from the Horse Plus family. Our wonderful Haley announced that she will be leaving the shelter in a couple of weeks to head back to Arizona! She has accepted a dream opportunity with the Maricopa County Humane Society in Phoenix where she will serve as their Adoption Manager and Shelter Specialist. Even better, they are sponsoring her to go to school full-time to get her official Vet Tech license!
Haley, we are going to miss you terribly but we are incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to see you smash this next chapter of your career. You will always have a home here in Tennessee!
Thank You for Making This Possible
Every rescue, medical treatment, adoption and second chance is possible because of the support of compassionate people like you. Thank you for standing with us as we continue helping animals in need and creating more happy endings every week!
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.
Your donations and shares truly make a difference — one horse, one rescue, and one story at a time.