Smokey’s story is a tragic example of a terminal, elderly owner who was trying his best to care for Smokey, but the little bit of feed he provided was woefully inadequate.
Smokey’s life changed when Good Samaritan Brittany saw him in his pasture and knew he needed rescue. While the other neighbors harassed the old couple because of the emaciated horse on their property, Brittany took a different approach. Instead of approaching with anger and threats, she wrote a heartfelt letter to the owner offering to help. That gesture opened the door – literally – to the owner agreeing to surrender Smokey.
But Brittany needed help. She reached out to rescues. She reached out to us. We were full and we told her we couldn’t take him, but she didn’t give up then, either. She agreed to foster him if we would handle his case and the medical care he would need for his recovery.
None of this was easy for Brittany. She had a job and other financial responsibilities. She wasn’t looking to take on an emaciated horse. But she was willing to do whatever it took to help Smokey. And she did. She coordinated a spot at her barn and the caretakers he would need for regular feedings. When he was sick, she made sure to get help and nursed him back to health, as he needed.
It took a village to help Smokey in his recovery. With financial support and medical assistance provided by RVR, along with regular support by volunteer Morgan, we all came together to help Smokey.
But the biggest takeaway from this story is the example Brittany sets for the rest of us. We can’t look at rescue as a problem for “somebody else” to handle. Making a phone call and expecting someone else to pick up and carry the weight you’ve just dropped on them isn’t the way to save animals. Rescues are full, while adoptions and donations are down.
It takes people pulling together to save animals. And if more people would take Brittany’s initiative and stand up for animals in need, horses like Smokey wouldn’t suffer as much as they do.
Bravo, Brittany! Let’s go, Smokey!
