This auction rescue was such a huge success! We cannot thank each and every person enough who donated to make it possible. We thought we may be able to raise enough funds to save 15-20 horses, but thanks to the outpouring of support, enough funds came in to rescue and care for 25 horses. There were 5 more horses that went through the auction our rescue team couldn’t say “No” to.
Our rescue team got a few hours of sleep last night, then headed back to the auction first thing this morning with lots of trucks and trailers to move all the horses to the shelter. Most of the horses were waiting in 2 pens.
The miniature horses that were rescued were all safely in their own pen. They are so cute! The smallest one in the group was peaking over the other ones, trying to see who we were.
Every horse was photographed as they were sorted into different pens so they could get used to their traveling companions before being loaded. There were so many horses, it was amazing. At this auction, we were able to rescue about 30% of all horses there! All their photos are posted on our Facebook page and we are asking for name suggestions. To see their photos and suggest a name, click here, then click on their photo.
While sorting the horses, Tawnee found an extremely emaciated horse in a back pen hidden from the public. It was so skinny, it was very upsetting to us all. It was so emaciated! We got on the phone and started trying to track down its owner. It didn’t have an auction tag on it, and it wasn’t ran through the sale. Finally we got the information on the owner, he was an out of state kill buyer that would be arriving shortly to pick up his load. We anxiously waited for him to arrive, and he finally did. We were able to purchase him for $100. We knew he probably wouldn’t make it, but there was no way we could let him get crowded into a semi-truck and die on the way to Mexico under the hooves of his doomed traveling companions (yes, they do ship and slaughter horses in this condition, they use their hides and bones.) We loaded him into one of the trailers and rushed him to the vet as fast as we could. At the vet office the vet said the kindest thing we could do for this sweet old boy was to say “Goodbye” to him. We knew it was the right decision for him, but this part of rescue is always so hard. We were thankful we were able to give him some kindness and compassion in the end.
The 30 other horses were taken to the shelter and were very happy to get out of the trailers and into the waiting pens.
Once in the pens the horses looked around with amazement. One horse stood, with ears up at attention, for nearly 3 minutes just taking everything in. These horses have been through a lot, you can tell by the looks in their eyes. They look like soldiers that have gone through a war.
Again, we want to thank each and every person for making this amazing auction rescue such a huge success. You are our heroes!
