(5 October 2013)

While the Colleferro operation is still going on, with some horses still to be taken away and many others still to be rehomed, an IHP team made a first round of visits to the horses already seized over the past few months and now in adoptive homes (see links to articles below) .

Over four days, from 26 to 29 September, we covered close on 2,000 km, as far south as Campobasso and north to Mantova.
We saw only a small percentage of the animals, those rehomed in the Provinces furthest away from us, while a visit to the central provinces is being planned.
It was particularly moving to see again those animals we had met during the critical phases of the seizure (see photo gallery) as starving, wounded and frightened, and now, just a few months later, happy and fit.

So many happy endings, which in a small way compensates the suffering of the many animals who died in terrible circumstances, at the hands of a totally unscrupulous person.

For example, Dakota. She now lives in Termoli, together with Kenia. She saw her foal die in our arms this last April, at the beginning of the second phase of the operation. We had found her foal collapsed on the ground and tried to save her with emergency treatment, but…

 
Or Eywa, who gave birth in March shortly after being rescued: now she and her little Cedric live in a fantastic place in the province of Isernia.





Then there are Sonador and D’Artagnan, two foals seized in the first phase in January and eventually adopted in June; they now live in a herd with other horses and ponies in the National Park of Abruzzo.
       
Sonador e D’Artagnan today (left) and at the time of the seizure





Two other foals, Waira and Niabi, now share a huge pasture with new friends at Assisi: one horse, a donkey, and many sheep, chickens and dogs.



In Urbania we find two pony mares Flicka and Priscilla, mother and daughter, cared for adoringly by two children.










One of the most special moments of this journey was in Città di Castello – we meet once again Maya, the bay mare we sent to Perugia for surgery about 5 months ago, after finding her in terrible condition. It turned out later that she had been stolen when taken to Colleferro, but anyway the owner, once traced, wasn’t interested in her fate. Maya and Bruno, her companion in misadventure during the first phase of the seizure, are now in excellent hands and in the cheerful company of many other animals of various species.
  

Our journey ended in the north, with two visits in the province of Mantova: Sandy the pony with her foal Molly, born here in May after the adoption of the mother. And Dakota, a young four-year-old mare, very debilitated at the time of the seizure, who is now happy together with her gigantic friend, Cookies!
   

 

And to round it all off, Nikita and Fiorella, mother and daughter, in the company of donkeys, sheep and goats in the province of Reggio Emilia, where this challenging but very gratifying tour ended.







As already said, the Colleferro operation is by no means closed: in the coming weeks we will be assisting at the seizure of more animals, and seeking adoptive homes for the remaining horses, plus taking forward the official complaint against the person responsible for this cruel treatment, with the aim of preventing him from ever again acquiring more animals (we have received reports even recently of further acquisitions).
Then of course we need to keep in touch with the over-130 adopted equines, and this will not be a simple matter. Many of the adoptive families need our support, both veterinary and with regard to behavioural issues.

Please continue to support us: your help has been vital for these animals, snatched from a gruesome death – and it will be essential to us in the future. Thank you!