Thank you for taking the time to hear Roy’s story! About 6 weeks ago, I went to an auction where I came across the most pitiful little mule begging to be saved. He was tired, underweight, his hooves severely overgrown, and looked like he had given up hope. I walked into his auction pen to rub his head, and as I turned to walk away, he made the saddest whinny cry. I knew then that I was not leaving that auction without him. He had no name, only a number, and was dumped at the auction after 15 years of hard plow work and being locked in a stall that caused his hooves to rot and form abscesses, and his tail to be chewed off by rats. He had only known cruelty and pain, yet he maintained the sweetest disposition. Stepping off the trailer to our farm, you’ve never seen a mule so happy and grateful to have a new lease on life. He even attempted to trot despite the horrific condition of his hooves.

After the past 6 weeks of proper farrier, vet, nutrition, and grooming services, Roy has become the heart of the farm. He spends most of his time following me around the yard while doing chores or taking naps under his favorite tree. Regardless of what is going on, Roy is always full of love, hugs, and happy hee-haw whinny calls!

Which is why last night, it was immediately noticeable that he was not himself and attempting to roll. We had the emergency vet out to the farm within an hour and then immediately transferred Roy to the University of Tennessee Equine Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for colic caused by a blockage extending throughout his entire small intestine that caused his large intestine to twist. Miraculously, Roy made it through surgery without issue, and I received word at 4:00 AM today that he stood up on his own and the vets were optimistic about him having a successful recovery. Unfortunately, this means Roy will also be in the equine ICU for the next 3-5 days while he heals enough to come home.

Roy’s emergency surgery and hospital stay has produced a very costly medical bill estimated to total between $10,000-12,000 depending on the length of his stay in the ICU and any complications he may experience. Roy found the will to live and fought to get back onto his feet last night despite the debilitating pain so that he could make it to the hospital. Please help us fight to ensure he receives all the medical services to make a full recovery. This tough little mule deserves to know more than 6 weeks of love and happiness in his life. We want to ensure he has the opportunity to experience everything retirement has to offer!