I just need to vent about this a little bit because it pissed me off so much I need to let it out.
I volunteer at a horse rescue and some of the horses we get there have been very abused and neglected, some are surrenders and we also re-train retired racehorses to be pleasure mounts.
One of my favorite horses is a ex-racehorse gelding named Buddy, he is super sweet I love him. He had been at the rescue for about a year when a lady and her daughter came to the rescue looking for a horse, Buddy was perfect for them. The owner of the rescue went out and checked their land though it was 2 towns over she always wants the best for horses, it seemed perfect, they seemed perfect so she let Buddy go on lease clearly stating if they ever need to return him Buddy will always be welcomed back.
For a while it was great, the people leasing Buddy called and gave updates, sent photos and Buddy was perfectly happy there it seemed. I was so happy he was adopted as that meant we had more room to help other horses that needed it.
However soon the owners went dead, the owner tried ringing them but their number was disconnected. Frustrated she drove up there on Saturday to where there land was since she was going there anyway, and there was Buddy.
Skin and bones, standing in a field of mud with no grass, the fencing was broken and to top it off, the headcollar was growing into his face they made it way too tight.
The owner called the police, and since she was the rightful owner she got to take Buddy and bring him back, the leasers daughter it seems 'lost interest' and the mother couldn't afford to care for him anyway. The mother was charged with animal neglect.
If they could not afford him, why on earth did they just not bring him back. Why leave him to suffer like that? Also why on earth did you get a horse if you were not prepared to pay for it. Horses are big expensive animals, they are not a goldfish, they are not a budgie. They are horses.
Needless to say, the lady is now not only blocked from adopting a horse but from adopting any animal in the area including dogs, cats etc.
If you 'rescue' an animal and then give it an awful life, did you really rescue it or did you just make it worse? The latter, if I got a dog from the shelter that was going to be put then tied it in my backyard never feed it and just beat, did I really save it? Nope.
Buddy is now starting rehabilitation. I'm seriously tempted to adopt him myself and put him in my pasture with my horse, Skittles.
I find it stupid we need a licence to drive a car, ID to buy alcohol yet anyone can just take on a living animal without any requirements just because they want one.
Can someone invent an animal licence please.