Prairie sanctuary struggles with costs to keep rescues healthy

ESTEVAN — Happy Little Hooves Pony and Donkey Sanctuary, located southwest of Estevan, has one fundraiser underway and another happening soon to support the animals in its care.

The first is a GoFundMe campaign, Help the Littles with Vet Bills and Feed, which has raised $166 of its $3,000 goal. Laura Stock, who operates Happy Little Hooves with her sister Rhonda, noted they have eight little ones who need a specially soaked feed.

“Happy Little Hooves is raising money to cover the many vet bills we have for the special needs littles in our care, as well as bags of feed for the seniors and littles with lung issues,” the campaign page states.

“They can't be on regular hay so [they] have to have hay cubes and beet pulp soaked. We currently are spending upwards of $1,200 a month just on bags of feed and most of that comes out of our own pockets. These little ones mean the world to us and every one of them deserves a chance at a good, healthy life.”

Five of the eight animals on the special feed are old, she said, while the other three have lung issues.

“If they get dust from hay in their lungs, they can’t eat, and then they basically starve,” said Laura Stock.

Happy Little Hooves will also hold its second annual book sale Aug. 23 and 24 in front of the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Stock said it raised good money last year and the shelter is hoping for an even better turnout this year.

The sale will start at noon each day.

Happy Little Hooves is at capacity with 46 animals, including four mules, three donkeys, and 39 miniature horses and ponies. The shelter was established in January 2019 and keeps the sisters busy.

“The animals are doing really well. They’re all fat and happy,” she said with a laugh.

In many cases, Stock said the animals’ former owners reached out to the sisters to have them care for the littles.

“We took them in. A lot of them, it’s because of their feet ... and they can’t be on green grass,” said Stock. “There’s a few that were abused, there’s a few that came from hoarding situations or severe neglect situations and we were contacted by other people. And then we have one little guy in which we were contacted by the RCMP and we picked him up.”

The Stocks meet the animals’ care needs, including medical and behavioural. Rhonda Stock looks after trimming the hooves. Laura Stock added the shelter has a “phenomenal” vet who works with them, since they specialize in special needs animals.

“Every animal that is here has a special need, whether it is medical or behavioural,” she said.

Stock is glad they started Happy Little Hooves six and a half years ago, calling it a “labour of love.”