Mini Goat Rescue

We made it and thank you! The new pen is built and waiting for the goats. Their arrival was delayed by a few days, but hopefully we will have an update on Monday December 12, 2011.

Animal Tales-Maggie Mae

I follow in the footsteps of a very big dog.  My name is Maggie-Mae.  In August of 2010, my forever mamma dog lost her best friend of 18 years, Bucky.  Bucky Marie was a red-nosed pit rescued in the ‘90’s.  Her day of good fortune came when C picked her up at 8 weeks of age, wrapped her in a sweater, and carried her home.  When I was dumped at a gas station in a wayword southwestern town, I had no idea what my future held.  I was left still bleeding from having just delivered puppies.  A Good Samaritan picked me up and took me to the local animal shelter; she probably didn’t know it was a kill shelter, but fortunately for me a small rescue did. 


Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, C had already seen my picture.  She spends a great deal of time searching the lists of shelters, of those lost and found, those abused, and those in need of a rescue.  She didn’t know how she would get me from one place to another or if the rescue ranch she co-founded was prepared for another dog.  Losing Bucky was a hard transition for Rasta’s human caretakers and the dogs on the ranch.  Being an elder, she held a place in the hierarchy of the six-pack at Rasta’s and a really special place in C’s heart that no one could ever fill.  


My fate was uncertain, I knew that much because in my belly there sat a ball of fear and I had no idea what became of my puppies, but my body ached for them.  I suppose I was with people that are called backyard breeders and they didn’t need me,  just my puppies to sell, fight, use as bait, or breed more.  


I should mention I’m a Staffordshire Terrier, a smaller dog, but strong as an ox, or so people have said.  Like the American Pit Bull I am a decendent of the bulldog and am sometimes the target of breed specific legislation.  The fate of dogs like me, once in the shelter system becomes a precarious one, especially in high kill shelters and/or areas known for dog fighting.


I ended up being one of the lucky ones as a small rescue made arrangements for my transport all the way to Rasta's.  At that time no one knew C had seen me, but once she discovered I’d made it closer to her, she determined fate was at work and my ultimate destiny was Rasta’s Rescue Ranch.


I am now part of Rasta’s permanent six-pack and have taken my place as second in command under Uncle Rudy, known as the Guardian of the Ranch.  This summer I received my first opportunity to prove myself a good mamma dog and a necessary part of the social network on the ranch.  First came Rain, a German shepherd lab mix found by New Mexico Dogs Deserve Better and then Rasta’s 7, the pups that came to Rasta’s in August.  I’m helping Rain grow up and loved having a chance to help those little pups along.  I wasn’t their mamma dog, but could have been.


I am a really happy dog now and a grateful dog, grateful for the small rescues that make the biggest difference.


Maggie-Mae

Blessed

Some days a common phrase around the ranch is “I hate people.”  Those are the bad days.  The days when Angela finds a pup like Sawyer, “The Padlock Puppy,” the days when you hear about a mama dog being dumped on a rural highway with her puppies in a bag beside her, or when someone finally surrenders a dog because they really don’t know what to do with an embedded collar.  Sometimes we just shake our heads and say through anger or tears, “I hate people.”

On those days our friends, supporters, donors, and volunteers make an immeasurable difference, and I’m reminded the good people outweigh the bad, careless, ignorant, and just plain cruel.

This week a professional dog trainer, Deb, visited the Ranch and volunteered her services.  Our horse trainer, Jan Burnham volunteered her extra energy and time.  And yesterday was volunteer day.  Jamie and Sue arrived with bags of apples and carrots and gave not only the horses extra attention, but their pens, catching up on maintenance (beyond mucking) that the three girls on the ranch don’t always have the time for.  This is when I am reminded most people are good.

Last week we raised all the money needed for Rudy’s surgery and can’t thank all of you enough or express the difference your gift of giving made in the company of many prayers and so much love. 

General care and feeding on the Ranch runs us a $1000.00 a month, so extras like Dancer’s special medicine for the Cushing’s, Rudy’s surgery, or even Rasta’s 7 pups, rescued in August, stretch our resources.  Sometimes it’s scary.  In 2009, when we started this venture it was rough financially, even more so emotionally.  2010 didn’t let up, but sheer perseverance helped us get by.  2011 has delivered us to a new phase here at Rasta’s.  It’s not easy to ask for help, but we’ve learned it’s not for us, but the animals and there’s a world of people out there who want to help make a positive difference.

All of you make a difference in Rasta’s world.  You’ve made it possible for us to grow with your donations, you’ve sent love and prayers, and I am certain that has provided much of the healing and the good and promising energy that is flowing for the ranch right now. 

We have volunteers!  We have professionals offering their valuable services.  We have you and that’s pretty neat.  Sometimes it’s hard, but friends and family can make all the difference.  Today, Rasta’s has a family beyond the animals that reside here and the caretakers of the ranch.  We have a growing family of friends from almost all 50 of the United States, a friend in Finland, France, and Great Brittan and well wishes from many places in the world.  A gathering of good people believing in a common cause, the health and well being of animals.  We are blessed to have you and send our thanks and very best to you and yours.

Your help makes it possible to do what we’re doing advocating, caring for, and providing for those in need of a rescue. 

Thank you,

From the spirit of Rasta, the Guardian Ru, Maggie-May, Sam, Chloe, Savannah, Pirate, Bella, Sadie, Scarlet, Dancer, Duffy, Sgt. Pepper, Moon, Lily the Goat, Rain, Tigger, Red, Rasta’s 7, and the three girls on the Ranch.

Righting Wrongs: Dancer

Dancer 2006 After Months of Love and Grain

In 2005 a woman approached me at the local gas station.  I knew her in passing and she’d heard, via the grapevine of our south-side community, about the new horse stalls and arena I was building.  She knew a woman who needed to sell a horse.  The woman lived just down the road, so I consented to visit.

The woman needing to sell the horse was about my age, running a small dog-boarding business, single, and embarking on the adventure of single motherhood.  There were several animals on the property aside from dogs: horses, goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens.  The animals looked healthy, except for one, a gelding appaloosa, who was obviously underweight.  “That’s Dancer,” she said and of course he was the one. 

As we neared him, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d gotten myself into.  He was blind in one eye, from a virus a previous owner had neglected to take care of, but most concerning was his thinness, seeming fragility.  He approached immediately and I knew there was no walking away, no leaving him behind.  She was asking a $1000.00, too much for a horse into his twenties, half-blind, and malnourished, but I understood.  She had others to feed and he was the sacrificial lamb, being underfed for the sake of a mare and stallion she wished to breed. 

There really wasn’t time to argue with her about a misplaced value system.  She explained she had rescued him from another woman in need, but couldn’t afford him.  So there I was suddenly incensed with a responsibility to save this horse.  I offered $600 and she countered with $800.  Fine.  Though not all that experienced with horses then, I knew Dancer’s time was short.

We didn’t have a horse trailer and I was not experienced enough to ride him home, though only a few miles.  Of course, she would have delivered him for a fee, but I figured I’d given her enough.  On a fall day, a dear cowboy friend and overseer of Eaves’ Movie Ranch, Thomas Wingate retrieved Dancer on my behalf.  As I spotted Thomas approaching along the trail behind our property, I clipped wires at the fence creating a needed entrance.  As Dancer entered he knew he’d arrived home and gave a whinny to Scarlet, a quarter horse paint we’d acquired just months before, a rescue in her own right, but that’s another story.

Dancer December 2005

In a matter of weeks Dancer began gaining weight and by winter his winter coat came in full and healthy.   Come spring he availed himself to my daughter to ride and carefully carried her about the arena, allowing her to hone her skills as a young rider.  Since 2005, Dance has been the best horse ever, always loving and appreciative, a sweet and dear prince. 

Sometimes I think about the things he went through on his path here.  Our best guess is the road was hard and long.  He’s fully broken, meaning anyone can ride him, and probably because he was once used as a cattle horse.  He’s very sensitive about his head, especially his ears, suggesting there was a roughness, borderline abusiveness in his past.  As mentioned, he’s blind in one eye having lost his sight because one owner along the way ignored a simple and treatable virus.  And I know first hand his bought with malnourishment.  I don’t know how much of the woman’s story was true, if she really did rescue him from someone else she wasn’t doing her job and ultimately seemed more interested in quick cash than his health. 

Recently Dancer was diagnosed with Cushing’s an pituitary gland disease in horses.  Over last winter he lost weight and failed to shed in the spring.  The vet gave me two options.  Cushing’s is treatable, but the medication costly, about $185.00 per month.  Of course, Dancer is part of the family; he became that the moment he arrived, so the alternative is not up for consideration.  However, it would surely help if we could find sponsors for Dancer.  As he rehabilitates from the Cushing’s with the help of the medication, he will need additional vetting, which will facilitate the process.   

Dancer is permanent resident of the ranch and will be with us as long as he desires.  He’s taught me much about the plight of some horses; his story reflects that of many, passed from hand to hand, year after year, until somehow being forgotten along the way.  Though his journey here to the place that would become Rasta’s Rescue Ranch was hard, he helped prepare us for the rescues that would follow: Rasta, Chloe, Savannah, and Pirate.  In my heart he will always be the best horse ever, I just wish all his previous owners would have known that too.

August: Puppies, a Pinto, Princes, & New Friends

Updates From a Lil’ Rescue Ranch

Oh, we are crossing our fingers tight for the big Red boy, in hopes of him finding his forever and most loving home.  He’s been staying with his foster mom, Kate, since narrowly finding his way out of the shelter system in Los Angles via an avenue of great dog lovers who determined this boy needed a second chance.  They were right.  He’s smart, ready and willing to learn (after years of neglect), and really as Kate says just a big lap dog.  Rasta’s is proud of Red, grateful to Kate and Red’s fans, and happy we could help in his journey.  Applications for adoption are out—this is very exciting for Red!!!

Our loving Dancer rescued seven years ago has been diagnosed with Cushings, a condition which impairs his body’s ability to maintain weight.  His meds arrive via UPS on Monday and hopefully they will do the trick.  Dancer is well into his 20’s and a dear loving member of Rasta’s permanent residences.  He’ll have to receive the medication the rest of his life, but considering all that he has given us the cost is superfluous in comparison.  Dancer lovingly cared for the young rider on his back since she was merely seven.  He allowed her to learn and they share that special relationship that happens between a little girl with a passion for horses and a princely spirit who just wanted to be loved.

Ms. Chloe is on the mend after her second bout with colic.  Seems our little blind Pinto likes to eat sand.  The paddocks are not particularly sandy, but she somehow manages to find it.  We will be moving her into a different pen in efforts to correct this.   Colic can be life threatening to a horse and of course Chloe forever holds a special place in our hearts.  She was rescued shortly after the loss of Rasta, the beautiful Shetland pony whose spirit inspired all that has followed.

Many have come in the wake of Rasta, most recently the pack of seven pups, who today get to celebrate the wonder of a little rescue ranch willing to go the distance.  We’re double securing their little yard, have temporarily surrendered Chandon’s studio to their needs, and will be preparing them to find their forever homes.  After rescuing them, we discovered the promised "Freedom Train" to Colorado, may not be the freedom we would hope for concerning these pups.  Preparation for forever homes is a huge emotional and financial investment, but abandoned dogs only get so many chances to be the best they can be.  This preparation involves putting weight on them, getting fully vetted including: another round of shots, micro-chipped, heartworm tested, and, of course, spayed and neutered.  The option exits to send them off to another rescue, but we’ve seen too many dogs who suffer separation anxiety from being passed from shelter to shelter, rescue to rescue, foster home to foster home.  This won’t be an easy task for the three regular caregivers on the ranch, but it will make a tremendous difference in their lives.

As much as I would love to go on with stories from the ranch this morning, I have some administrative (hate that word) tasks that must be done, some fencing to buy, and some money that needs to be found, ASAP.  There’s a little donate button on this page and if you could help we would so appreciate it.  Every dollar counts and we know times are tough for many out there, but even the smallest gift makes a big difference.

This month we’ve watched Rasta’s likes grow on Facebook and received special notes and stories from many.  Thank you for sharing your love for animals with us, your missing of loved ones, and hopes for changing the future of many. 

Sincerely,

Shawn, Chandon,  & Lilli 

Seeing Red; Saving Beauty

Red in Santa Fe.  Photo by Chandon Banning

Red’s sponsors know whom I’m talking about, the sweetest boy ever, who spent the first 5/6 years of his life just plain being neglected.  Then there’s Bella with a family who loves her and she clearly loves and they couldn’t keep her.   Red is the pit bull somebody probably wanted to look cool; Bella is the half-pit, who just lost her family because of those who want pits to look cool, bad, whatever it is. 

I’ve never watched a dog hug her family good-bye, but today I saw that.  Poor Bella now wondering what she did wrong—nothing, dear heart.  And then there’s Red so much love to give, so much love desired, but neglected for years and left on a chain until an embedded collar made somebody correct a bad human decision. 

Bella at her family's home before coming to Rasta's

These cases make us grow weary of bad human decisions.  Red and Bella are both paying the price of being pits in America today.  Hopefully we can change that.

Red’s life is changing, thanks to his sponsors and Kate.  God bless him, he’s a good boy, despite what he’s been through.  There has to be a family for Red.  Now we have Bella with her broken heart, delivered to Rasta’s today.  She loved her momma and little boy Dillon and doesn’t know what’s happened.  She’s scared and her heart broken. 

She and Red are just two rescued among a million that will pay the price this year—the price of the once revered nanny dog.     

Keep up the good works pit lovers, dog lovers, animal lovers.  It’s one animal at a time, sometimes….

Rescue a Mare, Save a Foal

*The following is written by Rasta's Rescue Ranch's youngest caregiver.

My name is Lilli. I am 12 and my parents and I run a small ranch called Rasta’s Rescue Ranch.  We rescue disabled horses, farm animals, and dogs in Santa Fe New Mexico. We currently have 5 horses, 3 goats, 1 sheep, and 6 dogs, and just the other day I read some very cruel things that a lot of American horse owners that put there horses in auction do not know about.  This is why Rasta’s is trying to start a fund to rescue one of these horses from slaughter, kill pens and feed lots.  I know that rescuing a horse does not seem like it would make a difference, but it would make a huge difference to the horse that we rescue.

The horses that they put in auctions are most likely to get auctioned off and then sent to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. Then the meat from the horses is shipped overseas and served on European and Asian dinner plates.  In 2009 over 70,000 horses were slaughtered and every 5 minutes one more is slaughtered.  Most of the horses that are slaughtered are pregnant mares because in the time that the mare is pregnant she is hooked up to collection devices that collects the urine that is turned into a very popular medical drug.  After the mare does not produce the urine that they want anymore she is auctioned off.  

In 2006 the U.S. banned horse slaughter for meat. But still every year hundreds of thousands of American horses get slaughter in Mexico and Canada. But just recently in Montana it has been legalized for the slaughter of horses to be practiced there. The congress wants to reopen slaughter houses for horses in the US.

A lot of the time slaughter is done very inhumanly because a lot of the time the horses are not completely unconscious during slaughter.  In other words, they are still awake while being slaughtered because the stun gun doesn’t usually hit the horse in the correct place.  It is also illegal for people to not feed the horses in the kill pens because of slaughter regulations, but the feedlots and kill pens refuse to feed the hundreds of staving horses a piece of hay.

These are the reasons Rasta’s is looking for a sponsor that will make it possible for us to rescue a pregnant mare or 2.

Chloe is a fourteen year old pinto pony. She went blind from moon blindness and is completely blind in both eyes.  She is a retired barrel racer, whose owner took her to an auction.  A man offered to buy her, but her owner realized the man was a broker for a slaughterhouse in Mexico.  Chloe’s owner said no and found Rasta’s Rescue Ranch. 

Chloe
Photo by: Chandon Banning

**Chloe was our first rescue after losing Rasta in December of 2009.