Living Edge10 YEARS, 600+ HORSES REHOMED  Welcome to the first newsletter of 2025. It's a special year for Humanity for Horses - our 10th anniversary. Over the past 10 years, nearly 650 horses have been rescued, almost all from slaughter. More than 600 have been rehomed. We've sadly said farewell to some. But our small herd near Duncan on Vancouver Island continues to be cared for solely by volunteers and through the remarkable energy and commitment of the founder, Rebecca. And of course, a family of supporters that believes not just in saving horses, but in hope and healing. Rebecca with Sunday, who warns the herd with loud brays if bear or cougar are near. 10 YEARS LOOKING BACK It was a chance encounter 10 years ago that changed the life of our founder, Rebecca, and the lives of so many horses. Rebecca recalls what led to the formation of Humanity for Horses: “My daughter had joined a Facebook group called ‘The True Faces of Horse Slaughter,’ run by Belinda Lyall, who was attending an auction in Armstrong. She sent $500 to save a horse, and I was upset—I told her, “We don’t slaughter horses in Canada!” WOW, did I ever have my eyes opened.  "That same night, we caught the ferry, drove through the night, and arrived the next morning. We brought home a horse for my daughter (who still has her) and three babies destined for a home in Victoria.  “The following weekend, we picked up three more horses, and then we learned about the Dawson Creek auction, infamously known as the ‘Blood Bath'. Over 700 horses were consigned, and only 9 or 10 made it out alive. We managed to save three of those precious lives, including Lucky (right). The rest were hauled off to slaughter. "And so it began. Since then, we’ve saved 646 slaughter-bound horses and rehomed over 600 of them to loving homes.” This journey started with heartbreak and determination and has grown into a mission of hope and change. Lucky with his beautiful mane was one of the first rescues. He's a permanent resident. CELEBRATING 10 YEARS We’re looking ahead with a big vision - becoming sustainable. One of the hardest things is to continually ask for money. So we've launched two ambitious projects with the goal of making the rescue self-sustaining. Monthly Sponsorship  We've revamped our monthly Sponsorship program to make it easier for people to support the rescue with an amount for any budget.
- Wellness Warrior: $250/month
- Equine Enthusiast: $100/month
- Barn Buddy: $50/month
- Hay Helper: $25/month
- Pony Protector: $5/month Minimum
- Sustainable Supporter: Any amount
What Your Monthly Support Provides:
- 24/7 Hay to ensure healthy digestion and free access for grazing
- Specialized Daily Mashes & Supplements to meet the unique nutritional needs of each horse
- Veterinary Care including yearly vaccines, teeth floating, x-rays when needed, and emergency care
- Farrier Care every 6-8 weeks to maintain healthy hooves for all horses
- Special Care such as acupuncture or osteopath treatments
- Gravel & Hog Fuel for ground treatment, ensuring safe, secure areas for the horses to roam
- Safety Care for secure fencing, pathways, and tools
- Shelters for protection from the elements
- Personalized Care like grooming tools, blankets, and more
- A Safe Home for our horses to thrive in
When you sponsor the rescue, you’re offering more than just funds—you’re giving the horses hope, healing, and a second chance at life. Your generosity helps provide for their daily needs and ensures they have the care they deserve. You can sign up at humanityforhorses.com. 10-Year Anniversary Campaign The goal: $10 per month from 1,500 of our followers.  Just $10 a month. It's that simple. But with enough people, it would relieve so much pressure in covering our monthly expenses. It's an affordable option for anyone wanting to join our community of supporters. THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS Rain, Rain and Rain  November started with rain, and it kept raining. Storm after storm. Day after day. One atmospheric river descended with winds so strong our shelters were picked up and tossed or blown down. It was heartbreaking.  But there are times when our hearts grow bigger. Over a few days, our followers stepped up and enough money was raised to purchase six new shelters, which just happened to be on sale. Then funds were raised to hire someone to erect them all, a job too onerous for volunteers. When we need it the most, our family of followers continue to show their love of the horses.  Cruz and Chester in their new shelter where they spend most of their time hanging out together. All Bundled Up  Thanks to our amazing supporters, the herd was outfitted with new winter blankets. With the amount of rain on Vancouver Island, blankets are a must for a free-ranging herd. Without the protection from the wet, the horses run the risk of skin inflammation known as rain scald. Thank you to Sheena for organizing the campaign and to everyone who sponsored a blanket for their favourite horse.  Cassie (above) and Patches show off their new blankets. Christmas Cheer  The 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser brought many needed items to the rescue. Some have eased the workload or improved the site for the horses, for example, insulated hoses, new buckets, a gate and truckloads of gravel to be delivered once the ground is frozen. Thank you to Wendy for the dedicated work getting us in the Christmas spirit with daily videos and keeping us up to date, and to Bruce and Erica (above) who mounted the gate in January. Thank you to everyone who made Christmas happier for the horses. The Great Hay Campaign  Once again, our family of supporters came to the rescue. In January we found ourselves months behind with our hay bill. Thank you to our hay supplier for his patience, thank you Wendy for, once again, running a first-class Facebook campaign. And mostly, thank you to our community of followers who enabled us to return to good standing. It's important to know that the horses were never without hay. But it does highlight the importance of our revamped Monthly Sponsorship program and our 10-Year, $10 campaign to make the rescue sustainable. HAPPILY ADOPTED  We are thrilled when a horse finds a wonderful home. Year-old mini colt Lil Bitz was rescued from the Westlock auction in June 2024. While he was supposed to go to a different rescue, he came to Humanity for Horses and was adopted right away by a loving family. He’s now living a dream life as a companion to their gelding Benny. The family is so thankful to have adopted him and love him to bits. He has been renamed Cheerio, aka Rio. Congratulations little one. MEET ADOPTABLE ‘CURIOUS GEORGE’  Meet George who was saved from the Kamloops auction back in 2017. George is a very handsome, sturdy built, 10 year old bay QH type gelding. He was adopted as a three year old, but sadly was returned to Humanity for Horses last year because he started to buck every so often when being ridden. He's affectionately known as Curious George, full of energy and he loves to play, including playing the piano believe it or not. He's a bit like a little boy in a china shop, always wanting to be in the middle of the action. George is currently working with a trainer, Ultreïa Equine Balance and Fitness. He had 60 days out on him a few years ago, but as an unpredictable bucker he is being rehomed as a companion only. George is good on pasture and good in a gelding group. This handsome boy would do amazing with liberty as he loves people and to be challenged. BARN HELP NEEDED  Need a good workout? We are always looking for people to help at the rescue: carrying buckets, scooping poop, cleaning out the barn. You must be strong enough to push a laden wheelbarrow. Horse experience is preferred, but you MUST be comfortable in a herd environment. It can be hard work, but the rewards are priceless: • The moments of trust. When a horse decides to trust you, it will melt your heart. • The victories. Just when you’re ready to give up, a horse rallies and makes a miraculous recovery. • The transformations. Time, patience, and love truly work miracles. Cowboy (left), Patches and mini Saffron NOTE: Anyone interested in helping with admin or running errands, let us know: humanityforhorsesfoundation@gmail.com. DONATE, WHILE SAVING MONEY  Are you looking for a way to support the horses, but don’t have extra funds? There's a way for you to buy your everyday consumables and the horses benefit. Have you heard of Melaleuca aka the Wellness Box? You save money on high-quality, clean, green, North American-made everyday consumables, while supporting your favourite equines. How? Humanity for Horses is part of Melaleuca’s registered non-profit program, and each month we receive a cheque from customers’ shopping. Every purchase helps our horses, including sweet Moon. For details contact: Wendy@businessboxbooks.ca. EASY WAYS TO HELP  Our membership number: 857334 Use our membership number when fuelling up or shopping at Co-op. At year end we will receive a cheque based on the total purchases on our membership.  Our code: 2507108079
Bring your beverage containers to any Return-It Express location in clear plastic bags. There's no sorting and no line-ups. Just print off tags using our code, attach to your bags and leave at the Express Kiosk. Everything will be taken care of by depot staff and funds will be transferred to the rescue.
 Expanding our family of followers
Share our story with family and friends. The more comments and shares we have on Facebook, the stronger our algorithm, which means more people will see our posts. We have two groups - Humanity for Horses Foundation (private group) and Humanity for Horses Sanctuary (public).
THANK YOU EVERYONE.
THE HORSES THANK YOU.
 “Aiming to save, protect and improve the lives of horses in BC. Working towards saving horses bound for slaughter in BC and Alberta.”
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