Identified only by the number on their auction tags, three horses stood in crowded kill pens – their pasts erased and their lives reduced to mere dollars and cents. When no longer useful to their previous owners, they were sent to the auction house, thrown away like trash. With countless numbers of horses going through auctions on a daily basis, they were passed by – forgotten. The only interested bidders were those looking to make a profit by shipping them to the slaughter plant – individuals known as kill buyers. For most in this situation, this is the end of the story. For three Belgian draft horses, a second chance at life was just around the corner.
1) Henry. In May of 2013, an elderly Belgian horse stood in the kill pen at the New Holland auction in Pennsylvania. His past unknown, his name replaced by a number, he had been let down. Humanity had failed him. Henry was estimated to be nearly 35 years old – a senior that deserved a dignified end. Thankfully, Henry’s path took a different turn when he was saved from the kill pen and brought to Ferrell Hollow Farm Senior Horse Sanctuary in Tennessee, USA.
2) Joe found himself in a feedlot waiting to be shipped to the slaughter plant. He was thin, neglected and elderly in appearance due to his poor condition. It was obvious that his life had been a rough one, lacking in love and compassion. Joe was one of the first horses saved by Bear Valley Rescue in Alberta, Canada, his life changed forever. He was given a second chance.
3) Teddy. At 13 years old, Teddy had experienced a seemingly full but unknown life. His past was a blank slate. For whatever reason, he stood waiting to be loaded onto a trailer to the slaughter plant – scared and alone. Teddy was pulled from the kill pen and brought to his new forever home at Penny Lane Farm Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada. He arrived nameless and neglected, a lost soul, but was soon given a new lease on life.
