Help Chauncey Heal& Rehabilitate
Donation protected
Chauncey’s journey started in Pennsylvania where he pulled a buggy/plow for an Amish man. The story is he originally sustained the injury to his right hind leg while working when he had got it caught in some steel tubing, which had to be cut to remove his leg from the piping. Once he was freed he was immediately put back to work without vet care or time to recover. He was used and worked for as long as he was able, once he could no longer keep up with his demanding workload the man who owned him took him to the infamous New Holland Auction, otherwise known as the “Kill Sale” (the largest privately owned public horse auction east of the Mississippi) around the 20th of July. I was told when the previous owner was asked why he was selling his horse, he said something to the effect of "I have no intention of nursing a long-term injury on a horse, if he can't work he's no good to me", and then he dumped him off there like a broken down junk car and took what little money he could get.
Not more than 3 days later at the New Holland auction Chauncey was sold again to a kill buyer on the 23rd of July who moved him south to the “Kill Pen” in Bastrop, Louisiana. He was given another 4 days to be sold before he was put on the cattle car bound for a slaughterhouse in Mexico, that’s when his photo on the auction sight caught the eye and heartstrings of Kimberly Virostek.
She showed the picture of “Tonnage 5966” from the auction site to her husband Rob and they both knew they couldn’t let him suffer the fate he was bound for. They had no more space for another horse and tried thinking of another place they could board him safely and comfortably. After exhausting all of their options in Phoenix, Arizona around 10 pm (Eastern Time), my phone rings. On the other end of the line is my good friend Kimberly, she was so worked up and upset that I panicked thinking something horrible had happened. She quickly explained to me that she wanted to rescue a Belgian draft horse from slaughter but had no place to keep him. She started to say, “I can cover his feed” but before she could finish her sentence I said, “OK, if you need to do this make the arrangements and have him sent here. Do you have my address?” Between the two of us we were able to pull it off…
On the 27th of July, 2015 “Tonnage#5966” a Belgian draft and “Trinkets#9125” a Miniature horse were
pulled from the kill pen the very same day they were set to ship to a slaughterhouse in Mexico, and had their freedom purchased.
Eleven days later they finally came! Dawn from Saltwater Cowgirl Ranch Transport LLC brought them up safely, making a couple extra stops for Chauncey to rest his leg.
As Dawn and her friend unloaded our newest residents, I stood there in absolute shock! The picture of him on the auction site did no justice for how horrible looking (and smelling) his right hind leg was! Looking him over, it was hard to believe he was even standing let alone walking. Glancing over at his left hind leg was more gruesome than anything I had imagined. As if this sweet gentle soul didn’t already have enough injury issues already! His left hind leg was completely covered in dried blood from his hoof to his upper inner thigh and still dripping with thickened blood.
I got our new barn friends some fresh water and hay and let them rest for a few hours while I called the Large Animal Clinic at Auburn University.
I made arrangements for Chauncey to be seen right away, so not even two hours from when he was dropped off to my home, I was loading him up again in another horse trailer. Chauncey arrived with quite the receiving line, several students started taking his vitals, and then drew some blood to screen for any diseases and infection. They started cleaning his right rear leg and while also 
examining it hundreds of maggots started dropping from his leg onto the floor. My heart sank, to see such a sweet gentle animal in such horrible shape due to the neglect and indifference of the human responsible to care for him. Once he was settled in and we had a plan of action I said my goodbyes to Chauncey and headed home to get the mini horse settled.
In the morning the Vet called to explain that the state of his right hind leg was the result of a serious long-term untreated injury. Because draft horses are also prone to lymphatic issues it only compounds his injury, and that it most likely will stay that way permanently without sugery. The Vet then explained that because his right leg was stable, and now clean that it was the least of her concerns. She informed me of the results of his blood screening and stressed the priority of care now was treating a serious infection in his system. Surprisingly the infection was not from his right enlarged leg but from a deep puncture wound (31cm) in his left inner thigh.
She said the wound was very recent and had occurred within the last 10 days, because of the depth of the wound and it being so close to his spine that surgery would not be an option. She suggested putting him on strong antibiotics and irrigating the tract of the wound twice a day and monitoring him. That at the time was his best option. So without delay the Vet started his meds.
Based on all the tiny cuts trailing around his leg and across his stomach leading to the T-shaped wound to his upper left thigh, I am almost positive he was tangled in a barbed wire fence and impaled by a T-post.
Right as things had started to change for him the hits just kept coming. A few days after his treatment was started I was informed by the vet he had started showing signs of colitis, and they needed to take him off of the antibiotics. She told me the only thing they could do for him at this point was to continue to irrigate the wound and observe him for anymore symptoms of the colitis. As scared as I was and uncertain of the end result for Chauncey, I couldn’t help but think he came here to me for a reason not just to die.
On Thursday morning I get a final call from the Vet telling me that Chauncey’s symptoms had cleared and he would be ready for release that day. My heart skipped and I felt just a little bit of needed relief. I was given very specific instructions for his home care and a bill matching his size. On the drive home with Chauncey in tow, I could feel all of my combat life saver training transferring to the front of my mind. All the years of experience and knowledge as a healer to my pets and children. Wiping bottoms & noses, and nursing infections of all kinds gave me a calming confidence. This was a tall order to fill, but an order filled with hope.
His massive presents and quiet gentle way has touched everyone he has come into contact with immediately. There is an incredible strength within his resilient spirit and he just needs a peaceful place to heal. I am here to help him on this path to recovery as he has already started helping me on mine.
I wake up every day and head to the barn to begin my morning routine of feeding all of my barn friends and Chauncey’s wound care. I take his temperature to make sure he’s not running another fever and while he eats I clean and dress his “elephant man” leg, then I clean all the drainage off of his left leg from his wound. Once his leg is clean I begin irrigating his wound, expressing the any discharge from the infection. I dry his leg and apply medicated ointment to his wound and rub the rest of his leg down with Bag Balm to keep the drainage from matting down in his hair. Lastly I spray his legs with fly spray to keep the nasties off of him. This takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and again every evening.
When the vet came out to do his first follow-up she said he is making small improvements, but he still has a long way to go.
Some days he is sore and very slow moving and other days he's not so challenged, but regardless of what kind of day it is his spirit is always bright and his gentle eyes match his sweet face. Please help us in our mission to heal Chauncey so he can continue on his path to recovery. Hopefully Chauncey can then shine his bright spririt onto others and help them heal too!
Chauncey The Rescue Horse on Facebook
Not more than 3 days later at the New Holland auction Chauncey was sold again to a kill buyer on the 23rd of July who moved him south to the “Kill Pen” in Bastrop, Louisiana. He was given another 4 days to be sold before he was put on the cattle car bound for a slaughterhouse in Mexico, that’s when his photo on the auction sight caught the eye and heartstrings of Kimberly Virostek.
She showed the picture of “Tonnage 5966” from the auction site to her husband Rob and they both knew they couldn’t let him suffer the fate he was bound for. They had no more space for another horse and tried thinking of another place they could board him safely and comfortably. After exhausting all of their options in Phoenix, Arizona around 10 pm (Eastern Time), my phone rings. On the other end of the line is my good friend Kimberly, she was so worked up and upset that I panicked thinking something horrible had happened. She quickly explained to me that she wanted to rescue a Belgian draft horse from slaughter but had no place to keep him. She started to say, “I can cover his feed” but before she could finish her sentence I said, “OK, if you need to do this make the arrangements and have him sent here. Do you have my address?” Between the two of us we were able to pull it off…
On the 27th of July, 2015 “Tonnage#5966” a Belgian draft and “Trinkets#9125” a Miniature horse were
pulled from the kill pen the very same day they were set to ship to a slaughterhouse in Mexico, and had their freedom purchased.
Eleven days later they finally came! Dawn from Saltwater Cowgirl Ranch Transport LLC brought them up safely, making a couple extra stops for Chauncey to rest his leg.
As Dawn and her friend unloaded our newest residents, I stood there in absolute shock! The picture of him on the auction site did no justice for how horrible looking (and smelling) his right hind leg was! Looking him over, it was hard to believe he was even standing let alone walking. Glancing over at his left hind leg was more gruesome than anything I had imagined. As if this sweet gentle soul didn’t already have enough injury issues already! His left hind leg was completely covered in dried blood from his hoof to his upper inner thigh and still dripping with thickened blood.
I got our new barn friends some fresh water and hay and let them rest for a few hours while I called the Large Animal Clinic at Auburn University.
I made arrangements for Chauncey to be seen right away, so not even two hours from when he was dropped off to my home, I was loading him up again in another horse trailer. Chauncey arrived with quite the receiving line, several students started taking his vitals, and then drew some blood to screen for any diseases and infection. They started cleaning his right rear leg and while also examining it hundreds of maggots started dropping from his leg onto the floor. My heart sank, to see such a sweet gentle animal in such horrible shape due to the neglect and indifference of the human responsible to care for him. Once he was settled in and we had a plan of action I said my goodbyes to Chauncey and headed home to get the mini horse settled.
In the morning the Vet called to explain that the state of his right hind leg was the result of a serious long-term untreated injury. Because draft horses are also prone to lymphatic issues it only compounds his injury, and that it most likely will stay that way permanently without sugery. The Vet then explained that because his right leg was stable, and now clean that it was the least of her concerns. She informed me of the results of his blood screening and stressed the priority of care now was treating a serious infection in his system. Surprisingly the infection was not from his right enlarged leg but from a deep puncture wound (31cm) in his left inner thigh.
She said the wound was very recent and had occurred within the last 10 days, because of the depth of the wound and it being so close to his spine that surgery would not be an option. She suggested putting him on strong antibiotics and irrigating the tract of the wound twice a day and monitoring him. That at the time was his best option. So without delay the Vet started his meds.
Based on all the tiny cuts trailing around his leg and across his stomach leading to the T-shaped wound to his upper left thigh, I am almost positive he was tangled in a barbed wire fence and impaled by a T-post.
Right as things had started to change for him the hits just kept coming. A few days after his treatment was started I was informed by the vet he had started showing signs of colitis, and they needed to take him off of the antibiotics. She told me the only thing they could do for him at this point was to continue to irrigate the wound and observe him for anymore symptoms of the colitis. As scared as I was and uncertain of the end result for Chauncey, I couldn’t help but think he came here to me for a reason not just to die.
On Thursday morning I get a final call from the Vet telling me that Chauncey’s symptoms had cleared and he would be ready for release that day. My heart skipped and I felt just a little bit of needed relief. I was given very specific instructions for his home care and a bill matching his size. On the drive home with Chauncey in tow, I could feel all of my combat life saver training transferring to the front of my mind. All the years of experience and knowledge as a healer to my pets and children. Wiping bottoms & noses, and nursing infections of all kinds gave me a calming confidence. This was a tall order to fill, but an order filled with hope.
His massive presents and quiet gentle way has touched everyone he has come into contact with immediately. There is an incredible strength within his resilient spirit and he just needs a peaceful place to heal. I am here to help him on this path to recovery as he has already started helping me on mine.
I wake up every day and head to the barn to begin my morning routine of feeding all of my barn friends and Chauncey’s wound care. I take his temperature to make sure he’s not running another fever and while he eats I clean and dress his “elephant man” leg, then I clean all the drainage off of his left leg from his wound. Once his leg is clean I begin irrigating his wound, expressing the any discharge from the infection. I dry his leg and apply medicated ointment to his wound and rub the rest of his leg down with Bag Balm to keep the drainage from matting down in his hair. Lastly I spray his legs with fly spray to keep the nasties off of him. This takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and again every evening.
When the vet came out to do his first follow-up she said he is making small improvements, but he still has a long way to go.
Some days he is sore and very slow moving and other days he's not so challenged, but regardless of what kind of day it is his spirit is always bright and his gentle eyes match his sweet face. Please help us in our mission to heal Chauncey so he can continue on his path to recovery. Hopefully Chauncey can then shine his bright spririt onto others and help them heal too!
Chauncey The Rescue Horse on Facebook
Organizer and beneficiary
Tudela Kicking Fools Lefeat
Organizer
Bleecker, AL
Shanan LeFeat
Beneficiary
