Former P.E.I. racing horse rescued from slaughterhouse, reunited with owner
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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — When Tyra Perry noticed that her previous horse, Mittcent Vangogh, was in Pennsylvania awaiting slaughter, she doubted she would ever see him once more.
Rescuing him from the kill pen, quarantining him in a farm and transporting him to western P.E.I. would price the Tignish lady $4,000 she didn’t have.
“From the start, I assumed, ‘that is by no means gonna work,’” stated Perry. “I simply thought that was sort of loopy … no person’s gonna donate that a lot for a horse.”
However destiny smiled on her trigger and, a lot to her delight, Mittcent Vangogh was saved and arrived again in P.E.I. on Dec. 22.
“It’s superior,” stated Perry. “Every little thing he’s been via, he’s nonetheless the identical boy.”
Perry managed to lift the wanted funds to avoid wasting the horse by posting her conundrum to Fb and beginning a GoFundMe marketing campaign, hoping social media might work its magic in time for Christmas.
To her shock, associates, household and neighbours cared concerning the lifetime of the standardbred simply as a lot as she did. After phrase of the animal in want unfold, Perry noticed an inflow of donations from strangers and other people within the native racing scene.
“It crammed up so rapidly,” she stated. “I used to be amazed.”
On Dec. 22, Perry greeted Mittcent Vangogh upon his return to the Island, seeing him face-to-face for the primary time in additional than a yr.
“It was a very nice Christmas present.”
Greater than a racehorse
When Perry acquired the 11-year-old horse in 2019, it was to race him out of O’Leary. Her father took him on the monitor; she was the groomer.
In that point, Perry and Mittcent Vangogh bonded. Regardless of how he positioned in a race, Perry advised SaltWire in November, she was happy with him.
“Truthfully, he’s simply such a loveable horse,” stated Perry.
In 2021, Mittcent Vangogh got here down with a sore foot and the household determined that they had no selection however to promote him. They misplaced monitor of him till a good friend alerted Perry to a submit exhibiting her previous horse was in a kill pen.
Perry determined she would do no matter it took to rescue her former companion.
Homeward certain
By mid-November Perry had raised sufficient cash to get Mittcent Vangogh launched from the kill pen and despatched to a farm within the U.S. There, he was quarantined for greater than a month to make sure that he was disease-free.
As soon as he was capable of go away isolation, Perry bumped into just a few points transporting him residence. Specifically, she stated that his papers stipulated he might solely journey via New Brunswick.
“Which was an issue as a result of most truckers go from Pennsylvania to Ontario to P.E.I.,” stated Perry.
Giving up was not an possibility, and Perry turned to her good friend, Ashley MacDonald, to assist clear up the issue.
Her household is within the racing business as properly and has expertise with transport; MacDonald’s father, in addition to horse transporter Dale Divine, discovered a approach for Mittcent Vangogh’s transportation to be routed via Ontario.
There, he stayed for an evening at MacDonald’s farm, awaiting the journey residence.
“We bought him a stall and I brushed him up a bit, gave him an excellent meal, a lot of hay, heat water,” stated MacDonald. “He was happier than ever.”
The subsequent day, her uncle transported the horse to New Brunswick, a P.E.I. farmer took him to Cornwall, and Perry and her father drove him the remainder of the way in which.
For MacDonald, it felt “wonderful” to be instrumental in reuniting Perry and Mittcent Vangogh – particularly since considered one of her personal horses was as soon as rescued from a kill pen.
“He’s simply been added to our assortment of horses that don’t have to fret about the place they’re going,” stated MacDonald.
Residence candy residence
Since arriving in P.E.I., Mittcent Vangogh has settled in Nail Pond with Kurt Clohossey, Perry’s household good friend who has a horse of his personal.
“I didn’t assume they (the horses) would hit it off so rapidly,” stated Perry. “It was sort of good to see they hit it off so properly.”
Upon returning residence, Perry stated Mittcent Vangogh appeared forlorn. Regardless of every little thing he’s been via within the final month, although, Perry maintains his general persona and temperament are the identical as she remembers.
“He doesn’t know, I don’t assume, that that is everlasting,” she stated. “He’s beginning to get higher, however I can’t wait to see as soon as spring comes and he and Kurt’s horse are capable of exit within the area. He’ll know he’s there perpetually.”
Though Mittcent Vangogh had his begin in P.E.I. in racing, these days are behind him. As a substitute, Perry intends to let him get pleasure from the remainder of his days “simply residing, consuming and being free within the area.”
Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. She may be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @KristinGardiner.
