Former racehorse left to die in desert saved by Buckeye horse rescue
By Jason Barry
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BUCKEYE, Arizona (KTVK, KPHO) — It’s case of animal cruelty involving a former racehorse. Horse trainer Allison Montano just rescued the thoroughbred in a field near Gila Bend. The horse was extremely malnourished and dehydrated. “I’m surprised she even made it this long,” said Montano. “We were very worried she wasn’t going to make it through the first night, because of how poor and weak she was.”
The animal rescue group Hope Ranch Arizona received a tip about the abandoned horse on Monday, then went out to find her. Rescue founder Misian Cory believes the horse was wandering alone for 4 to 6 months and has probably lost about 600 pounds. “When we came across this sweet horse… she had apparently been left to fend for herself. She appeared relieved and immediately started to drink the water we brought for her.”
Cory was so thankful for finding the horse that she named her “Blessing.”
“I feel like she is a blessing,” said Cory. “I feel like we’ve been a blessing to her and I feel like she’s a blessing to the community.”
It turns out the horse has quite a history. There’s a tattoo under Blessing’s lip and a brand on her side to indicate she was once a racehorse. Blessing’s real name is “Pleasing Dom” and she was born in 2012.
The big question now is – who was the horse’s last owner and why would they abandoned her in the desert? “It just breaks my heart that anybody would do that to any living creature,” said Cory.
The story of Blessing’s rescue has stirred up a lot of interest on social media, with donations pouring in and people offering to help.
Blessing is expected to make a full recovery, but that could take several months. “I’m very thankful she’s pulling through it because she’s just been a blessing to deal with and very well behaved,” said Montano.
“You can tell that she’s got a brighter light in her eyes now,” said Cory. “She has hope.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Blessing’s medical bills and expenses.
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