This post is dreadfully overdue, and we apologize to everyone for that. In the past couple months, three beloved SAFE horses have passed on, and while we mourn their deaths, we celebrate their lives and the impact that each of them had on so many people.
Dobbin
Dobbin was humanely euthanized on November 8, after his owner found him down when he went to feed in the morning. Attempts to get him back on his feet failed, and Dobbin had already suffered scrapes to his legs and face in his own attempts to rise. His vet was called and found that Dobbin was going into shock, so the decision was made to let him go. Dobbin’s owners told us “It was our privilege to provide a home for Dobbin and to be able to extend his life for the past 3 1/2 years. He was a faithful and gentle animal who deserved the best.”
Brandy
Brandy and her best friend Bud were surrendered to King County Animal Control and taken in by SAFE in February of 2011. Both horses were elderly and quite emaciated. With a lot of care, they regained their health and strength, and were living in a SAFE foster home, awaiting adoption. On the morning of December 13, Brandy ate her breakfast of mash and seemed fine, but not long after, she was found down in her pasture, sweating and in pain. The sudden onset of these colic symptoms led us to believe that she had a lipoma, which is a benign fatty tumor that can cause a twist in the horse’s intestines. This is somewhat common in both older horses and Arabs, and Brandy, at 37 years old, was both. Because she was in deep distress, we did not hesitate to have her humanely euthanized. Bud was at Brandy’s side through the entire ordeal, and even after she was gone, he stood over her body for a long time and seemed to be saying goodbye. We were worried that he would react badly to Brandy’s death, but he seemed very peaceful and accepting. Bud continues to do well, surrounded by other horse friends that keep him comfortable and by his wonderful foster family at KCJ Stables, who truly care for him.
Class Act
In early December 2011, Classy was discovered to have a severe neurological deficit in her hind limbs, most likely caused by a spinal cord compression. Her adoptive owner did everything she could to treat her, but after several ups and downs, she made the difficult and painful decision to let her mare go, rather than let her suffer through any more difficult medical procedures at her age. So, on January 6, 2012, Classy passed peacefully away in the arms of the person who loved her the most. “I want you to know that even though Classy was retired and hadn’t been ridden in at least a year, she meant more to me than words can say,” her owner told us, “and if I could have bought her new legs I would have. Sadly it was out of my hands.”
