Hundreds respond to help closing Duncan horse rescue

CHEK
WatchA Duncan horse rescue has been overwhelmed with offers of help and people wanting to adopt needy horses in response to a story CHEK News brought you earlier this week.

 

Tiny “Poppy” the miniature horse was meeting a possible forever home Saturday as Mary Watts and her husband Willie arrived, eager to meet her.

The Cowichan couple is one of hundreds who’ve responded to help Duncan’s Humanity for Horses Rescue & Rehab this week.

“You look in their eyes and you feel so sorry for them,” said Mary Watts.

“It feels really good to be able to help. It makes me sad, it makes me wanna cry that people can be so cruel,” she said.

“And it seems to be getting more frequent,” said Willie Paterson.

“Especially as farms are disappearing and subdivisions are taking over,” he said.

The Duncan area rescue is closing its doors due to the overwhelming costs, harassment and now vandalism at the farm after rescuing hundreds of horses bound for slaughter over the past four years.

Since CHEK News’ story aired Tuesday Rebecca Sanesh has been deluged with offers of adoption for the dozens of horses she’s now seeking homes for.

“Great, forever homes,” said Sanesh.

A gofundme page has generated thousands of dollars to pay for the animals feed and vet bills and CHEK viewers have offered to volunteer too.

“Very grateful,” said Sanesh.

“Over 200 messages on the page, private messages, emails and I’m sorry I haven’t got to everybody yet,” she said.

“We have the room and the money, I’d rather have them than fancy new trucks or stuff like that,” said Paterson.

“So I’ll try to help as much as I can,” said Watts.

Sanesh plans to stay open for as many months as it takes for all the rescue’s re-homeable horses to find their right fits.

The oldest ones she plans to keep, to let them live out their days with her and never be uprooted again.

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