Long read but guaranteed to make you smile :) :) :) :) :) ........ The life of a slaughter bound horse can sometimes go full circle. Let me introduce you to Deuce and tell you his story. Deuce started his life on a 150 acre farm in Clifford, PA. He was one of 5 babies and 10 horses on the farm. They were not cared for, not fed, left to run on their own, and were in poor condition. The babies were never handled, completely untouched. It was March of 2009 when the SPCA received a call concerning the condition of all of the horses. Humane officers and volunteers from several counties were called in to help with the seizure. Jody Cordell Mondak, a human officer from Wayne county, was called in as a volunteer to help assist in catching all the horses. She then took on caring for 4 of the babies and the mother to one of them. Two of the 5 were Deuce and his momma. He got his name because he was the second horse they were able to catch in the field. Deuce was 3 weeks old. Both he and his mom were in very poor condition. The vet gave Jody two options, choose the mare OR the foal, or wean the foal and try to nurse them both back to health. Of course, Jody chose the second option. She bottled fed and eventually bucket fed Deuce. He prospered. His mother made a full recovery and was used as a lesson horse with children with disabilities. Deuce sustained a pretty bad cut to his right fetlock and Jody spent months wrapping and caring for it. At a year old, early 2010, he was adopted out under contract. The new owner kept in touch until he was 16 months old but the organization who wrote the contract dissolved and was recreated under new management and Deuce was not tracked. (This had nothing to do with Jody, she was acting as a foster.) His whereabouts were lost in approximately July of 2010 when the adopter moved out of the state. I debated my last trip to the kill pen but felt driven to go. I thought it was because of the pregnant mares I found when i got there, but Im rethinking that now. I cant explain it, something just told me GO! On Nov 9, 2014, I went to the pen and pulled 4 horses. We were done and getting ready to leave. I went back in to get my phone and clipboard and there stood this cute bay gelding with the most amazing eyes I had ever seen. I couldnt believe I missed him. Our rider left and I knew I would have nothing more than pictures to try to find him a home. I reached in the pen and rubbed my hands down his butt. I debated what to do. I then walked out and told the kill buyer I wanted to pull one more. It was rushed and hurried because they were all leaving but I was able to grab a few pictures of him and get some general information. I posted him out on facebook but he received no firm home offers. I then took a much needed night off and while out to dinner, Jody commented on his post that she could take him if bail was paid. EquineRescueNetwork saw that comment and they contacted Jody, had her fill out their micro rescue application, and began the process of checking her references. They messaged me and said they had an approved home for him and were raising the funds. I asked for Jodys contact information as I speak to everyone who gets a horse from me. Jody and I talked on the phone and later that night started facebook messaging. She did not realize when she offered this horse a home that it was Deuce. She started pulling out old pictures and sending them to me. She said do you think this is the same horse? We are both blowing up the pictures and trying to compare markings and traits. Jody stated, it is a 1 in a million chance it is him. But when she sent me the 16 month old picture below, I was convinced it was him!! I told her I was sure it was!! She asked me if he had a scar on his right rear fetlock (remember the injury she took care of). I couldnt answer that other than nothing that stood out to me because I was rushed pulling him. We arranged for Jody to pick him up today. I sat anxiously awaiting her call to let me know if she thought it was him or not. Even sent her messages telling her to hurry up ;) !! I got a facebook message ITS HIM!!!!! followed by a phone call. She said he walked right up to her, they walked to the trailer, one sniff, and he jumped on the very same trailer that he was loaded on at 3 weeks old. And he has the scar!! We talked for over an hour about him and his story!! I hate that he fell through the cracks but I am very thankful that I left my phone and clipboard lay in the kill pen that Sunday afternoon :) Congratulations Deuce! And thank you Jody!! Pictured below: Deuce at 3 weeks old, 16 months old, in the kill pen, and back home again :)
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 20:44:36 +0000
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