Being Their Voice

Day 5/365

They stood by the pawed down snow, where the bale feeder should have sat. One that would have set empty, their pasture picked down to the dirt under the freshly fallen snow. Ears pinned back ready to pick on the next of their herd that come near them because of the irritation that dwelled inside of them. They could feel the hunger deep inside, hunger that had went on for too long, hunger that they were not able to feed. When would they get their next meal? Who would feed them? Where were they going to get the drink that would quench their thirst that has gone on for too long? One too may days, and the herd was about to give up. Would there ever be a voice for them, one that would speak out, and let the world know that they were starving?
 
The voice came. A neighbor down the road, Laura, who was tired of seeing the hunger and neglectful ways of the human who was to be feeding them, watering them, attending to their veterinary needs. Of the human that didn't care, one that had moved out of the house and left them behind. In the pasture - alone. A phone call to the county humane officer, one that would change the herds lives forever, was made. And the process was started. They would be saved, someone would love them, feed them, and water them. Make sure they got all of their veterinary needs.

The house was long empty. The cars no longer in the drive. Weeks had gone on where no one was home, they had moved on. The driveway was cleared and a path made to the gate leading to the pasture. The pasture that was adorned with a nicely built barn, one that never was used to protect the herd from the elements. As they made their way into the pasture and the trailer backed up. The herd were unsure, afraid of what was going to happen to them. Where they were going. But they showed none of it, the blank stares in their eyes. The hopelessness of life, showing through their faces. And they were loaded up, one by one. All five of them. Starved and dehydrated, ready to give up on life.

And the look of the little filly, who was in the worse shape of the whole herd, was one that would break any one's heart. A look of near death. A look of severe dehydration and malnutrition. A look of "who cares". A look that would remined those that were there that day of their purpose, one that would forever be embedded into their minds. A look that would remind them of the close call that was put onto this herd, if the phone call was a day too late, the little filly would be gone. Life cut too short, at the hands of a human that didn't care. But she was saved, thankful for the phone call that was made.

A big Thank You to Laura and John, Donna and Dave, Rich and the Wood County, Wisconsin, sheriff's humane officer Nancy. If it were not for them, this herd would not have made it. They were the voice that needed to be heard. The voice that saved them.

The little filly, Sophie, has a long road ahead of her. She is still in a very critical state. At only eight months old she weighs right around two hundred twenty five pounds. Severely malnourished, as her mother was not in the pasture and she was reliant on food and water that was never provided for her. I still cannot wrap my mind around not feeding or watering your animals. An average, well taken care of eight month old filly would usually weigh in at four hundered pounds. Her body score is a 1 out of 5. You can feel all the bones in her body as you brush your hands along her fragile structure. Her coat is dull and lifeless. Her little body, full of worms. Her leg, a limp it brings as she doesn't put weight on it. An injury that should have been attended to by a vet, that went uncared for, as did all of her basic needs. Sophie is at my parents house. In a warm barn, as she does not have enough strength to even shiver, to produce her own body heat. A mixture of supplements, vitamins, probiotics, antibiotics, a daily wormer and salt are given to her twice daily. To help her get over her very critical state. Help her regain her weight and get to looking sharp as a little filly should look. The vet predicts this could take up to eight months or more. She has free choice of hay, and water. Something she has never had the privilege to have in her young life. Can you imagine?! Who would do something so horrible?! Someone who had very accessible vet care, that is who... someone who works at a vet clinic, pretending day in and day out that she loves and cares for animals. When in all reality, she does neither. As her animals were not even provided with the most basic of cares. Food. And Water.

The rest of the herd, who were not in as bad of shape as Sophie, but bad shape none the less, are being housed and cared for in the pasture of another person, Rich. Who is also taking very good care of them. Offering them free choice of hay and water, and giving them grain on a daily basis. Along with a dewormer, as they were also all packed full of worms. A stallion, who needs to be gelded, as he should have been a while ago. And three mares, one of which may very well be pregnant from the stallion. The other two, unsure.

I want to take this time to ask any of the readers of this blog, if they have anything to spare, could you please open up your hearts and help out with a donation? Anything will help, anything at all. Vet care for Sophie will be on-going. Enough funds have already been donated to geld the stallion, and the ongoing vet care for him and the other mares that were rescued from this horrible situation. All of this will add up. Donations can be mailed to:

Arabian Rehoming Fund

C/O Laura Pichler

9508 S Washington Ave

Marshfield, WI 54449

or via paypal: westiemm@yahoo.com

Sophie is getting filled with love and kisses. Lots of them.

Her new warm home :)

More posts about the arabs can be read here.

Please note - I was not there for the actual day of the rescue but have heard stories from my mother and her friend, therefore was able to formulate my own narritive. I have actually seen Sophie and the look in her eyes rips at your heartstrings. And makes you wish all animals had a voice.