Here's the story Cathy wrote. It says it all:
Allow me to introduce my great big puppy dog Cloud; he’s not just another “rescue”. You see, Cloud was on his way to become a very expensive meal on a dinner plate in Europe or Asia. Cloud was on his way to the slaughter house because horse meat is a delicacy overseas. He wasn’t lame, infirm, or hard to handle, which a...re the usual excuses. His flaw was that his useful life as a pack horse was over. His reward for service, a horrible ride in an overstuffed cattle truck, without food & water, to a horse slaughter plant. That’s right; we send horses to slaughter for human consumption. It’s a dirty little secret in a dark world of human predators known as kill buyers. Most horses that go to slaughter are young, healthy horses that have been tossed aside. Why do their owners choose this option to dispose of their unwanted horses? Greed is the answer. Why pay a vet to come & euthanize when there are kill buyers waiting with cash in hand?Cloud was 1 day from the slaughter truck. Enter Stephanie Pierce, Founder of Miracle Horse Rescue in Parhump, NV. Stephanie was on her way to Oregon to try to save a few horses from the horror. She received a call about Cloud & asked if she would she like to buy him? If not he would be on the next truck. Cloud was lucky that day because the truck he was to go out on was full. 1 day reprieve saved his life. Stephanie ended up saving several lives that week bringing home Cloud, & several others. My first visit to Miracle Horse Rescue I met Cloud & it was love at first sight. My second visit was adoption day. I signed a contract & he became my horse. I traveled the desert highway every other weekend to visit my boy & volunteer at the rescue. I fell in love with these animals, which had previously been abused, starved, injured & then thrown away. Stephanie, with husband Rob who is a very talented farrier, brings them back to health & to life. I’ve witnessed it time & time again. To meet the horses of MHR you would never know of the abuse suffered. With a steady diet of good nutrition, trust & love, they seem to understand they are no longer in jeopardy & the horses transform. A few years ago, Stephanie’s path moved in a direction related to the PMU Industry. PMU stands for Pregnant Mare Urine which is harvested from the mares by companies like Wyeth Industries, to make HRT drugs known as Premarin & Prempro. The mares are kept pregnant because of the estrogen rich urine. They are hooked up to plumbing, confined to a small area while the urine is harvested. Often, when their useful life is over, off to slaughter they go. Their foals are stripped away & often sent to slaughter as well. Stephanie decided it was time to make a statement about this horrid industry & began adopting the pregnant mares. She has successfully delivered 4 healthy foals from these mares with successful adoptions of 3 babies. To run a rescue with 30-40 horses on sight at any given time is very expensive. Fortunately Rob donates his services as a Farrier but hay alone to feed them is a huge expense. Many of the horses have special needs or require dietary supplements. In this economy adoptions are scarce & donations are down significantly. Those involved with the fundraising process are very creative in developing different themes monthly but the funds never cover the expenses or unexpected Vet bill. I’ve never met anyone more dedicated & selfless than Stephanie Pierce. Her life is dedicated to these horses. Not only does she provide sanctuary but also the love & care to gain their confidence back. They never go without. As Stephanie says, the horses will eat before they do. Miracle Horse Rescue Inc. is a federally-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization which is dedicated to the preservation and welfare of abused, neglected and unwanted domesticated horses of all types and conditions. Please visit their website http://www.miraclehorse.com/ And visit the live cam on JustinTV to view the newest foal born to a former PMU mare just a few short weeks ago.
Cathy, once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! This means so very much to us, and most especially, to the horses!
Stephanie and Rob
