
Ensure a Bright Future for Firefly the Filly
Donation protected
Hi folks - if you know me, you know that I've been doing animal rescue work for years with multiple organizations and all sorts of animals. I've toted animals to adopters and to wildlife hospitals; I foster and I adopt. I have paid pull fees for adopters or to get animals out of bad situations. And there are millions of us with the same story.
Last year, I took a leap and brought home two horses from the Bowie Feedlot (aka kill pen) that were on their last hours of being saved from shipping to Mexico for slaughter. I paid for the horses, their transport, quarantine boarding, and final transport to my farm all on my own dime. I committed to them that they would have a safe and forever home. The gelding I would name Lucky Henry because I put him in my shopping cart only 5 hours before he shipped. The mare was part of a herd of 8 Andalusians that had been dumped for quick cash. I originally was going to pull one of the older Andalusian mares who had a thyroid tumor and probably didn't have as much a chance of being adopted. When I went to get her, she had already been sold. So, I turned to the remaining mares and selected a beautiful bay mare and added her to my cart. And putting horses in a shopping cart - that was a little mind-blowing.
Rosa and Lucky Henry landed at my place and have been living the life. Henry regained all his weight and is an absolute goofball who enjoys grass, food, and running from me. Rosa has had some human-induced trauma along the way and we have been working slowly on trust and safety issues.
And earlier this week, Rosa handed me a surprise - a gorgeous filly. She never got fat and did not display any of the normal pregnant characteristics except for developing milk for her foal in the last week. I named the filly Firefly - later that night after she was born, I saw my first firefly of the season and said, "that's her name!"
It's been a crazy start to the year after a crazy year last year. My bestie, my happy boi, Finn, had to have a cancerous toe removed in late February and broke a week ago with a very bad case of Anaplasmosis - a tick-borne disease. Our contribution to the local vets is off the charts.
And one thing that is weighing heavily on my mind is that I'm not young anymore. My goal had been to see all my current beloved animals to the end of their time on earth and call it a day. But I have this brand new filly who could very well outlive me. Aftercare for a horse in Virginia is currently between $1,000-$1,200 - who knows where it will be in a decade or two?
Knowing what I do about rescue work with horses, I need to make sure this filly has every possible opportunity to be successful. And to be taken care of, if I am unable to do it myself. I want her to be vetted, and trained and be an outstanding horse citizen so she won't end up in a kill pen without a future.
I'm pulling this GoFundMe together to make a savings account for Firefly - one that helps her have the future she deserves, even if I can't be around to share it. I want to be sure that anyone who may have her in the future knows that she has her aftercare taken care of as part of her package.
Would you mind helping Firefly (and me) by building her future? Any donations will be used towards her care, training, and any additional items we can stretch the budget to meet, like providing eventually for her aftercare.
And because I'm a firm believer in paying back, I'm going to offer some incentives.
- If you give $25, you'll have a choice of a set of Little Lights or a set of Firefly and Rosa notecards.
- If you give $50, you can schedule a private meet and greet with Firefly and her herd mates, including the Donkins.
- If you give $100, you get two invites to the Fortunate Farm Fall Family & Friends day in October, plus your choice of a set of Little Lights or notecards.
- For a $250 donation, all the above plus a private wine tasting for two.
- For $500, all the above and a private wine tasting for four.
- For $1,000, all the above plus a private wine tasting for eight.
But any donation towards Firefly's fund will help give her a future and give me the space and grace to take a breath. I'll be setting up a Facebook page where you can track her as she grows and becomes a rock star!
Organizer
Kristin Iden
Organizer
Leesburg, VA