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Journey's End is currently home to five mustangs, two wild burros, a
pot-bellied pig and six dogs. Would you like to meet them?
Wilbur is a ten year old mini pig. He escaped an abusive home and traveled
across five miles of treacherous desert to arrive at my doorstep eight years
ago. When I located his owners and discovered they had been abusing him, I
informed them he would be staying with me. He is a funny little guy with a
bit of an attitude. He loves dogs and horses. belly rubs, and daily mud
baths in the warm weather.
Maggie is a nine year old terrier mix and was found wandering the desert as
a half grown pup. She is a bit wild and crazy, and loves her ball-on-a-rope
toy and stuffed animals. At age four, she became fearful and sometimes
aggressive. I suspected low thyroid function and lab test confirmed it. She
is back to her old self on daily thyroid medication. She is an amazing
watchdog.
Bear is a solid black Chow Chow mix. He had been surviving on his own in the
desert around us, eating anything he could catch and somehow avoiding being
killed by coyotes or mountain lions. I was finally able to coax him into my
car one day. He is now about 7 years old, is extremely smart and very sweet
and affectionate. He is my hero, because on several occasions, he has saved
my life by bravely jumping between me and the very poisonous Mohave
rattlesnake I was about to step on. I am forever grateful to him.
Tashi is a Wheaten terrier of about 7 years. She had been used to churn out
litters of puppies, until her owners discarded her. A local shelter took her
in and spayed her and sheared off her horrible matted coat. I adopted her
soon after. I had lab work done which showed she had internal parasites and
a worn out thyroid. She now feels great after being dewormed and put on
thyroid hormone. She is the most sweet and gentle little girl I have ever
known. She is getting over her fear of being hit and kicked in her past. When
we are preparing for our daily walks, she gets so excited and has a big
smile on her face as her stubby tail wags madly.
Raindance joined our family in early September, 2009. She is about 2 years
old and was dumped at the local pound with her three week old pups. A rescue
group saved their lives by taking them all in. Rain was never properly
socialized with humans as a pup and can be very fearful, Someone also tried
to leash train her and punished her by hanging her up by her neck on a choke
chain. On top of that, she has been found to also be low thyroid, which can
occur in young dogs and often causes behavioral problems including
aggression and fearfulness. She is slowly learning to be more trusting. To
help her along, we adopted one of her eight week old pups. They were
thrilled to be reunited. The puppy also showed signs of being fearful of new
situations, so I am spending lots of time handling her and she has already
learned to walk happily on a leash. Raindance is doing much better as the
pup is giving her confidence and they spend hours at play every day. The pup
is dark brown, tan and white. Her name is now Mochaloca- because she is
sweet like chocolate, wired like coffee and just a little bit crazy.
Mochaloca had a penchant for eating gravel, a dangerous habit my vet says
usually proves fatal. I had to buy enough shade cloth to cover the ground in
the 14 by 28 foot pen outside the doggie door so she could play outdoors
without access to rocks. Now, at seven months old, she no longer has the
problem and is growing into a lovely girl. Both Rain and Mocha were spayed
in December. |
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Tara joined us in January 2010. She had lived nine years on a short
chain with very little shelter. She was obviously ill and had lost most of
her hair and was emaciated. After two years of begging my neighbor, he let
her move in with us. After 6 weeks of good nutrition, a warm bed, dietary
supplements and medical care, she is thriving and has gained 5 pounds. She
is a Siberian husky.
Mariah is a seven year old mustang mare. She was captured in Nevada by the
BLM at only five months of age and lost her mother in the process. She is
very smart, affectionate and a free spirit, but has emotional scars and
joint damage from her six months with the BLM. I adopted her at eleven
months of age. She enjoys running free in our large pasture and being
allowed to just be a horse.
Kola is a six year old mustang mare, born of a wild-captured mother in a BLM
holding facility. By the time she was two, she had been shipped from
Oklahoma to California to Arizona. Because she was passed over by adopters,
she was deemed "unadoptable" and was offered as a "sale authority" horse. I
paid ten dollars for her and saved her from the very real possibility of
ending up at the slaughterhouse. She is very mellow and sweet and is
Mariah's best friend. They love having mutual grooming sessions.
Scout is an eight year old mustang gelding. He had been abused, neglected
and worked too hard for a young horse. When I found him he was a nervous
wreck, had an injured neck and back muscles, creaky joints, overgrown and
bruised hooves, and his teeth and temporal mandibular joint were out of
balance, making it painful for him to even eat. He has had chiropractic
care, body work and massage, dentistry, natural hoof trims, joint
supplements, and lots of love, patience and understanding. He now trusts me,
runs and plays and is herd leader.
Serena is an twelve year old wild burro, captured by the BLM five years ago.
She was pregnant and very thin, due to the large number of cattle grazing in
the area she lived in. She also had a back injury when she first came here.
I later saw secret video taken by someone who watched the BLM "wranglers"
using her and other wild burros and even baby burros for their roping
practice. Serena is quiet and sweet and loves getting her long ears rubbed.
She is terrified of men and of anyone carrying a rope.
Jovita is Serena's six year old daughter, born here. She is a real
character, playful and fearless. She often chases coyotes out of the
pasture. She almost died of a rattlesnake bite three years ago. The vet and
I pulled her through, but she then developed inflammatory disease set off by
the snake venom. I tried many of the remedies I use myself and finally found
one which worked magic. She is now healthy and loves to play rough with her
Mom.
In December 2009, we heard about two mustang mares about to be shipped to
slaughter. They had been rodeo broncs and then used in illegal "horse
tripping". Wild horse advocates joined together to rescue them from the meat
buyer in California. They are now here, healing and beginning to trust
humans a bit, after years of horrible abuse. The roan is now Rene' and the
pretty dun is Windy. They both were wild horses at one time and are about 8
years old. They have been welcomed into our little herd by the others.
Despite being abused, neglected and abandoned by humans, these precious
animals are healing and thriving with the care and understanding they
deserve. Any donations are greatly appreciated and will be spent wisely to
support these animals and others in the future. Many heartfelt thanks and
blessings to those who care.
We are a Non-Profit 501 (c)3 organization
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