A Portarlington charity is calling for help to support the animals in its care, as every horse celebrates its birthday.
The Winged Horse Equine Welfare has called for donations to help fund the rescue and rehabilitation of the animals in its care, following the increased cost of animal feed and operational expenses.
Founder Carolyn Bischoff said The Winged Horse was a vital sanctuary running for close to 12 years.
“We rescue and rehabilitate neglected and abused horses and ponies, but we also take in other farm animals like chickens, pigs, ducks, alpacas, and goats, along with a couple of cats and dogs,” she said.
“We also do a fair amount of palliative work, so the horses that come in with substantial health issues will often stay with us, and most of them tend to live long lives.
“We are at a critical juncture and the demand for our services is constant, but the resources to meet that demand are dwindling. Every horse we take in represents a life saved and a story of resilience.”
Ms Bischoff said August 1, was recognised as every horse’s birthday in the southern hemisphere, as horse birth records were not always readily available.
“It’s a lovely day to celebrate because a lot of the horses that come in, we don’t know what their true birthday is and often you don’t really know their full history,” she said.
“It takes about $7000 to rehabilitate one horse and then once you’ve got them going, it’s upwards of $50 a week in maintenance and that also depends on whether they’re special needs.”
The charity is also seeking more volunteers to join its feed-out crew and help support animals needing love and care. Visit thewingedhorse.org for more information.
