in loving memory
Rainbow Bridge
Pepper
Last April we adopted Pepper, an Appaloosa that was blind in one eye and suffered from wobblers disease. She had previously been starved and found with hundreds of ticks and lots of coyote bite marks. The rescue centre she with was fighting to keep her, but was facing the unfortunate pending truth that they were going to need to put her down as no one was willing to adopt her and she was fading quickly. We wanted to try and give Pepper a loving home to see if it would help her condition, and it did.
Dr. Janice couldn’t believe she was the same horse – she had gone from giving up on life and not able to walk without stumbling and going in circles, to trotting around and gaining her sassy attitude and zest for life back. She was so loving, always rubbing up and demanding hugs, and we adored her.
Sadly, being approx. 30 and Pepper did pass away over this past holiday season, but she passed after having months of safety, love and other horses by her side too. I held her as she crossed her rainbow bridge, I haven’t felt a loss like that since my mom died 8 years ago. We loved her so much.
For information on wobblers disease in horses please visit Is He Lame or Is He Neurologic? (Wobbler Syndrome) | AAEP
Schmidt
Schmidt, as you may have read in our animals sections, was one of 2 potbelly pigs that sat with their rescue for almost 2 ½ years. Because of age and special requirements, no one wanted to adopt them. We brought them in last Valentines Day and they have been such a great addition to the family. They had opposite personalities, Schmidt being super shy, would squeal when anyone went near him and Winston would bully Schmidt out of the food.
We spent a lot of time with these 2 so Winston would be comfortable and know that he would have plenty of food and within a few months, ended up shared lovingly with Schmidt - or maybe it was that Schmidt grew into his own and let Winston know who the real boss of the pen was! Schmidt got to the point of enjoying ear scratches from both my youngest and myself and loved the company of the bunnies and ducks. Sadly, Schmidt also crossed the rainbow bridge as his cancer progressed, but like Pepper, he had really grown and had a loving last year of life.
Rescues all over Canada are exploding with pot belly pigs. They can make great pets but often get much larger than people think and can be quite mischievous. Pigs are also very sensitive and require special medical care, but very few vets care for these magnificent creatures.
Make sure you do your research before bringing a potbelly or other mini pig breed home: 12 Things to know before adopting a mini pig (spca.bc.ca)
