We WON! ASPCA awards us $10,000 in Help A Horse Day Contest

ASPCA Awards More Than $100K to Help a Horse Day Contest Winners Twelve equine rescues receive grants in recognition of outstanding efforts to protect horses and Equine WellBeing Rescue wins $10,000. We could not be more surprised and feeling very blessed. Our "Spring Cleaning at Peyton's Place", on April 22nd of this year was a great success for the rescue in addition to getting a lot of big projects completed, we met wonderful new friends, shared the horses, donkeys and minis with everyone and let the local community learn more about us. Who would have thought our rescue in the small town of Snowflake would rate such national attention from such a well known organization and to win a prize on top of that. After the intense nursing care for the mini donkeys with pneumonia these last 3 weeks this could not have come at a better time AND the mini donkeys are well on the mend so we feel doubly blessed.

We can't thank everyone involved with the event enough for all that was accomplished that day and we are looking forward to having everyone out to the rescue again soon. Special thanks to our sponsors Beth Williams, Realty Executives - White Mountains and Bullseye Construction, both of Show Low and Linda Gayle Photography whose photos of our day are in the video released by the ASPCA. Click this link "ASPCA Help A Horse Day video announcing the winners" and you will see Peyten hand painting Gwen in the barn and Fran with her daughter, Christine, grooming Missy in the barn. ASPCA said, "More than 20,000 community members came out to support the 173 groups holding celebrations across 38 states in April, and winners were selected based on the creativity of their events, as well as their success engaging their local communities." Though we submitted our paperwork, we didn't really expect to win against some of the big rescues nationwide that participated and to win $10,000.....I am still in shock. Heartfelt thanks to the ASPCA for recognizing huge efforts by a small rescue and congratulations to all the other rescues who participated in this nationwide event. Winning groups include: $25,000 Grand Prize Winner: TheraPony, Ramona, Calf. $10,000 Prize Winners: Equine Wellbeing Rescue, Inc., Snowflake, Ariz. Freedom Hill Horse Rescue, Owings, Md. Rancho Tierra Madre Corp, Cave Creek, Ariz. RVR Horse Rescue, Riverview, Fla. The Pegasus Project, Murchison, TX $5,000 Prize Winners: Days End Farm Horse Rescue Inc., Woodbine, Md. Drifters Hearts of Hope, Franktown, Colo. Mountain Valley Horse Rescue, McCoy, Colo. Phoenix Rising Equine Rescue & Rehabilitation, Clarence, N.Y. Save A Forgotten Equine, Woodinville, Wash. Serenity Farm Equine Sanctuary, Louisa, Va. Click here to see the full ASPCA announcement.

Peyton thanks everyone too! Oh, I am so excited I am almost speechless.......almost!

Six minis with pneumonia in a heat wave!

The 12 mini donkeys arrived last week and it was soon clear that several had clinical symptoms of pneumonia. As customary we had already prepared to separate our new arrivals from our other equine, but now we had to quickly prepare a nursing ward for the six that were sick. We have the jennys in one stall and the johns in an adjoining stall.

The youngest, now named Little, is only 3 months old, and two others a year or under. They are malnourished making them so susceptible to illness. Thank heavens for the counter top installed during our Spring Cleanup because we need it to keep and dispense all the medicines, syringes, needles, etc. Each of the six requires different drugs and doses and we log their vitals twice a day along with the drugs given at that time. They also get probiotics, electrolytes and various essential oil treatments.

The vet was out yesterday and we had to install a catheter on Blossom, she is so thin she has no muscles to put injections in. Now we can continue her drug therapy and for the next several day I will be giving her iv fluids four times a day to re-hydrate her and help her clear the crud in her lungs. Right now she is just too weak. In addition to the drugs, we are using peppermint and other essential oils to help with breathing and performing coupage to help break up the congestion.

We have fans in each stall and during the recent high winds have closed the barn doors and sprayed down all the stall and center isle to keep the dust down. Now we are heading into a heatwave said to last at least a week. Not what when want when they have spiked fevers as high as 105 degrees. Big thanks to Janie for the donation of box fans. Amore, Tanner and Little are responding to the treatment and starting to get better. Blossom, Millie and Walker have not shown much change. Recovery can take weeks so we are not out of the woods yet.

I have been out in the barn almost non-stop for the past week. There have been so many people that have come to help knowing we can't do all this care by ourselves. We hope to have more people offer time to help so we don't wear all of our volunteers out. If you would like to help, please text, call or send me a message 760-703-4860. I only have a short time to be on the computer early morning or late evening and am relying on my phone the rest of the time. We still have the 20 other equine at the ranch that need daily feeding, poop scooping, water troughs cleaned and more. We have spent hundreds of dollars on medicines and supplies and will need more over the next weeks. Celine at Ark Watch Foundation has been an important source of medical information for us having treated so many donkeys with pneumonia over the years and we thank her organization for the drugs and items they have sent to help. Vet bills will continue till all have recovered and get a clean bill of health.

If you would like to help with a donation it would be awesome and no donation is too small there is a donate now button below. For those that have already donated, THANK YOU! I have not had time to send personal thanks you, but I will as soon as I can.

This was unexpected but we are here for them and will do whatever we can to bring them to health so they can live normal lives with loving families. I hurt for their pain. Please say prayers for them and us as we all join together to help these very, very sweet and tender souls.

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