Dear Friends and Supporters,
Nestled on the rugged western slope of Colorado, our horse rescue stands as a sanctuary for creatures whose lives have been marked by hardship, neglect, or simple misfortune.
Our mission is to provide not only shelter and kindness but also the medical care that is essential for recovery and, sometimes, survival. Yet, in this vast and beautiful expanse, veterinarians are few and far between. The scarcity of veterinary services—especially after hours and on weekends—has become a daily reality, shaping the way we respond to emergencies and, at times, limiting the help we can offer.
The Challenge of Veterinary Care in Rural Colorado
For anyone who has lived or worked with animals in a rural setting, the challenges we face are all too familiar. When a horse colics in the middle of the night or a foal is born struggling to breathe, our options are heartbreakingly limited. The typical advice: “Take them to Grand Junction,” or, “Move them to Glenwood Springs.”
These are not mere inconveniences; they are daunting, sometimes impossible, feats when you are dealing with a thousand-pound animal in pain—an animal who may be thrashing or unable to stand, and who cannot simply be loaded into a trailer and transported across mountain passes in the dark.
Our rescue is not alone in facing this crisis. Each day, we see desperate pleas from fellow animal lovers across the region—owners struggling to find help for their beloved pets, from loyal dogs and cats to hardworking ranch horses. The phones ring, the messages pile up, and too often the answer is silence.
There are simply not enough veterinarians willing or able to come out, particularly after business hours. The result is unnecessary suffering, and sometimes, loss that could have been prevented.
A Vision for Compassionate, Local Emergency Care
This is why we are reaching out, not only on our own behalf but for the wider animal community that calls the western slope home. Our vision is clear: to create a sanctuary equipped not only with beds of hay and caring hands, but with the medical tools needed to stabilize, diagnose, and treat emergencies on site—especially when every mile and every minute can make the difference between life and death.
We want to extend our reach beyond our fences, offering a lifeline to fellow rescuers and pet owners who have nowhere else to turn. Too many times, we have watched animals suffer simply because help could not come fast enough or at all. We dream of a place where, even in the dead of night or during a snowstorm, there is hope—a clinic capable of delivering urgent care to those who need it most.
The Urgent Need: Diagnostic Equipment for Emergency Veterinary Care
To bring this vision to reality, we must begin with the basics. Our most urgent need is for diagnostic equipment—specifically, an ultrasound machine and an X-ray machine. These tools are not luxuries in the world of animal rescue; they are essentials. An ultrasound allows us to quickly assess internal injuries, diagnose conditions like colic or pregnancy complications, and guide emergency interventions with confidence. An X-ray machine is vital for detecting broken bones, dental problems, and internal injuries that would otherwise remain hidden.
