Thursday, June 24, 2004
Sanctuary gives foundered horses safe haven
But Floyd Lawrence, 57, of Sandy Level felt he had only three options. He could have sent her to a slaughterhouse. But even if he'd had the nerve, they probably wouldn't have taken the unhealthy horse. Penny had been diagnosed with Cushing's disease - which attacks hormone levels - three years prior and was on daily medication that she'd need for the rest of her life.
Lawrence could have had her euthanized. But that really wasn't an option either; he loved Penny too much.
After wrestling with what to do for nearly a year, Lawrence said he chose the only alternative that made sense - send her to a sanctuary.
The Horse Rehab Sanctuary in Buchanan is home to eight horses, including Penny, that need special medical attention or have been neglected. The nonprofit organization opened officially this month, but horses have grazed on its pastures for about four years.
The organization specializes in helping horses that have foundered, a severe hoof condition that makes walking painful. Several things can cause a horse to founder, including too much grass, leg injuries and high fever.
Lawrence decided to take Penny to HRS because he lacked the money to pay for her daily medication. Lawrence was rejected by some shelters that would not take Penny because her medicine was too expensive, he said.
"It got to the point where I was doing whatever I could to maintain her health because I love her," Lawrence said. "She's a good horse."
The HRS is the only horse shelter of its kind in Botetourt County, said Jen Ward, one of the six women on the group's board of directors. Some horse shelters in the Roanoke Valley provide rescue services, but HRS is one of the few that provide full rehabilitation and medical services.
Lawrence said he knows he did the right thing. But that doesn't stop him from calling HRS at least two to three times a week to check on Penny.
For nine years, Lawrence had the same morning routine: he woke at 5, got dressed and visited Penny. Now, his barn is empty. And when he walks out onto his pasture, he misses Penny standing there, staring at him with somewhat of a wink.
"It's harder every morning I wake up," Lawrence said.
He plans to visit Penny soon - a drive of about two hours - and will take along with him some bags of feed and fly spray.
Donations and sponsorships allow HRS to care for its horses. A guest at the HRS grand opening on June 12 decided to sponsor Penny, helping with food and medicine, for one year. Volunteers are also welcome to help with horse care, farm maintenance, fund raising or office organization.
Although HRS received its official 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service in January and opened this month, the shelter started in 2000 at the home of Carol Vencill, 45, of Buchanan, where it is still located. A paint mare named Deedie was the first horse taken in; she had severely foundered.
Deedie's owners were about to put her down, said Vencill, a local farrier. But she and a friend, Kathy Trimpi, a veterinarian who works for the Roanoke Valley Equine Clinic, decided to care for the horse.
"She had her good days and bad days," Vencill said.
After one year, the horse had to be put down. The HRS staff tries to show horse owners that foundering is not a death sentence, but it can be one if it's left untreated. Vencill and Trimpi, who also serve on the HRS board of directors, took in three more horses that had foundered after their first year with Deedie.
All of the eight horses currently living at HRS are available for adoption to the right owner, Ward said.
Potential adopters must have a personal interview with an HRS counselor and will have the site where the horse is to reside inspected. HRS officials also require that potential owners complete three sessions with the horse to get acquainted and ensure that they are compatible.
"We like to think that all of them will be adopted," Ward said. "But if they aren't they can stay with us. They definitely have a sanctuary with us."
