"Gentle Giant" Pet Attack
Donation protected
The Attack on our "Gentle Giant" Pets
Being somewhat of a newcomer to this community, I was euphoric when I met someone who wanted to share the rest of his life with me and me with him, but I had to like horses. He introduced me to "Jim" and "Bud" which are two of the most beautiful Belgian horses, also known as "Gentle Giants". I admit their size, over 2500 pounds each, was a bit intimidating, but I instantly fell in love. Bud likes apples, while Jim prefers carrots and both want to be brushed forever! Let me introduce you toJim and Bud (Jim is on my left, Bud is on my right).
Imagine our shock of, after my husband and his son raised and performed with draft horses for over 30 years, one of our 2 remaining Gentle Giants, Jim, was lying on the ground, trying , repeatedly, to get up. Unbeknownst to us at the time, his leg bone was shattered, which severed the femoral artery, from a gunshot wound, which ultimately, led to his death. Jim suffered terribly! He was shot out in the pasture, approximately 300 yards away from where we found him. Following the blood trail, we could see where Jim had dragged himself, fell, got up and stumbled back to where he knew was supposed to be safe...home. Jim was a family member and we are still grieving!
But the horror didn't end. Approximately 2 weeks later, Bud, our only remaining Gentle Giant, who, everyday looked for his partner, Jim, was shot twice in broad daylight! Once through his neck with what we believe was a high calibur rifle, then again, in his hindquarter, with what we believe was a .45 calibur handgun by a stranger who was playing a "war game"! This is what evil does!
After initial emergency veterinarian care, Bud had to be transported, by the generosity of another horse lover, to an amazing equine hospital in Wisconsin, approximately 350 miles from home. Bud immediately had surgery to try to remove the bullet in his hindquarter, which was unsuccessful and remains embedded inside him. Bud remained at the hospital for approximately 3 weeks, with some progressions and numerous regressions, until finally, he was well enough to come home.
Bud still requires daily care for his wounds, has lost a tremendous amount of weight and has become afraid of noises that never bothered him before. Bud continually looks toward the tree line, as do we, where evil was hiding, waiting to kill a defenseless, gentle animal. We will never be the same, especially Bud and certainly not Jim! Our sense of security has been shattered, but we will do whatever we can to provide Bud with whatever he needs to become comfortable again, which is why we decided to find him a new partner, even though Jim could never be replaced. Bud is still a magnificent Gentle Giant, loves apples and wants to be brushed forever.
A friend told me about the GoFundMe program and I decided to write to share just part of our experience with others. Any type of support, whether it is monetary for veterinary expenses or voices to help protect defenseless pets, would be sincerely appreciated.
My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a beloved pet and who unconditionally loves the ones they have.
Being somewhat of a newcomer to this community, I was euphoric when I met someone who wanted to share the rest of his life with me and me with him, but I had to like horses. He introduced me to "Jim" and "Bud" which are two of the most beautiful Belgian horses, also known as "Gentle Giants". I admit their size, over 2500 pounds each, was a bit intimidating, but I instantly fell in love. Bud likes apples, while Jim prefers carrots and both want to be brushed forever! Let me introduce you toJim and Bud (Jim is on my left, Bud is on my right).
Imagine our shock of, after my husband and his son raised and performed with draft horses for over 30 years, one of our 2 remaining Gentle Giants, Jim, was lying on the ground, trying , repeatedly, to get up. Unbeknownst to us at the time, his leg bone was shattered, which severed the femoral artery, from a gunshot wound, which ultimately, led to his death. Jim suffered terribly! He was shot out in the pasture, approximately 300 yards away from where we found him. Following the blood trail, we could see where Jim had dragged himself, fell, got up and stumbled back to where he knew was supposed to be safe...home. Jim was a family member and we are still grieving!
But the horror didn't end. Approximately 2 weeks later, Bud, our only remaining Gentle Giant, who, everyday looked for his partner, Jim, was shot twice in broad daylight! Once through his neck with what we believe was a high calibur rifle, then again, in his hindquarter, with what we believe was a .45 calibur handgun by a stranger who was playing a "war game"! This is what evil does!
After initial emergency veterinarian care, Bud had to be transported, by the generosity of another horse lover, to an amazing equine hospital in Wisconsin, approximately 350 miles from home. Bud immediately had surgery to try to remove the bullet in his hindquarter, which was unsuccessful and remains embedded inside him. Bud remained at the hospital for approximately 3 weeks, with some progressions and numerous regressions, until finally, he was well enough to come home.
Bud still requires daily care for his wounds, has lost a tremendous amount of weight and has become afraid of noises that never bothered him before. Bud continually looks toward the tree line, as do we, where evil was hiding, waiting to kill a defenseless, gentle animal. We will never be the same, especially Bud and certainly not Jim! Our sense of security has been shattered, but we will do whatever we can to provide Bud with whatever he needs to become comfortable again, which is why we decided to find him a new partner, even though Jim could never be replaced. Bud is still a magnificent Gentle Giant, loves apples and wants to be brushed forever.
A friend told me about the GoFundMe program and I decided to write to share just part of our experience with others. Any type of support, whether it is monetary for veterinary expenses or voices to help protect defenseless pets, would be sincerely appreciated.
My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a beloved pet and who unconditionally loves the ones they have.
Organizer
Jeff Battan
Organizer
Crystal Falls, MI
