P.E.I. woman on mission to rescue her old racehorse from Pennsylvania slaughterhouse
TIGNISH, P.E.I. — When Tyra Perry gave up her racehorse, Mittcent Vangogh, she thought she was serving to him.
The eleven-year-old standardbred had a sore foot and Perry didn’t need to proceed racing him and threat his damage escalating.
“It was arduous,” she mentioned. “I wished to maintain him, initially, for all times. However I’ve one other retired racehorse and my father mentioned ‘I can’t maintain each racehorse that goes via our barn.’ It sucks for me, as a result of I get connected to them very simply.”
After promoting him in 2021, Perry misplaced monitor of Mittcent Vangogh. In early November, although, a buddy alerted her to a Fb put up exhibiting that her horse had ended up within the holding pen of a Pennsylvania slaughterhouse.
“Every time I noticed that, I used to be like, um no, I’m not letting him be slaughtered,” mentioned Perry. “He was a very good boy. I beloved him, I didn’t need to do away with him.”
The second she noticed the put up, Perry’s coronary heart broke. There was little doubt in her thoughts – she wanted to do no matter she might to convey her beloved horse again dwelling.
“I used to be very upset. I truly cried,” she mentioned. “It was the very first thing I noticed once I awoke, and I actually jumped away from bed. I used to be like, ‘what am I going to do?’”
She initially purchased Mittcent Vangogh in 2019, and he or she and her father raced him out of O’Leary. With Perry, the horse gained only a handful of races however often got here second or third.
Though she solely had him for 2 years, Perry mentioned that point was sufficient for the pair to develop a bond. Perry didn’t race him herself, however she was his groomer.
“After each race, I used to be pleased with him,” she mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what he obtained.”
Bringing him dwelling
Upon studying that her outdated horse was in a kill pen, days away from potential slaughter, she reached out to the group that had made the put up. She was launched to Kimberly Hale, who has labored with Perry on her mission to return Mittcent Vangogh to P.E.I.
“A variety of my thanks go to her,” mentioned Perry. “She actually helped me. I didn’t know step one to even making an attempt to save lots of him, or who to contact or something like that.”
For the previous few years, Hale has diligently labored to rescue standardbreds from kill pens in North America. In 2020, Hale additionally based Newstart Standardbreds, an Ontario-based registered charity targeted on rehoming standardbreds in Ontario and jap Canada.
Since its inception, in accordance with an inventory on its web site, Newstart Standardbreds has rehomed more than 100 horses – together with a handful that have been reunited with earlier homeowners.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” mentioned Hale. “I spent extra time in messages and on the telephone with folks which are simply heartbroken, and so they’re simply so elated once they can get their new buddy dwelling.”
After talking with Hale, Perry realized that she would wish cash to free him from the slaughterhouse and take him to a farm. From there, it might be a matter of arranging his transportation to western P.E.I.
Perry posted to her Fb web page requesting donations from her family and friends to assist cowl the associated fee, and plenty of have contributed to assist. She has a gofundme.com page set up for anybody considering contributing financially to the trigger underneath the title, “Deliver Vangogh Dwelling!”
By Nov. 5, Perry had raised the $1,800 wanted to get him out of the kill pen.
“I actually didn’t suppose I used to be going to get as a lot assist as I did,” she mentioned. “A variety of my household and pals donated.”
Mittcent Vangogh was taken to an area farm the place he might want to quarantine for 30 days, simply to verify he didn’t contract any illnesses throughout his keep on the slaughterhouse. The funds Perry gathered will assist pay for his boarding, meals, water and normal care.
If he’s cleared after 30 days, Perry will want to verify she has the funds wanted to get him again to P.E.I. As of a Nov. 8 Fb put up, she was $1,600 shy of her purpose.
“I consider that I’ll get the funds,” she mentioned. “By the quantity of assist I’m getting to date, I’m hopeful. I consider that by the point he’s out of quarantine, I’ll have all of the funds and he’ll be capable to come dwelling.”
Though Perry is unable to take Mittcent Vangogh in once more, she has already organized a spot for him to reside. A household buddy in Nail Pond, Kurt Clohossey, provided to maintain him at his farm.
“He’ll have a buddy there, Kurt has a horse,” mentioned Perry. “Hopefully, then he’ll have a cheerful and good lengthy life.”
Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. She will be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @KristinGardiner.
