Dewey

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We want to introduce you to a very special soul, Dewey. At nearly 30 years old, after a lifetime of service, he should have been retiring in comfort. Instead, he was discarded.

Dewey spent his life working as a leased camp horse. When age caught up with him and he could no longer keep up with the work, the "thanks" he received was starvation. His owner stopped feeding him and hauled him to an auction a few hours away. But Dewey was in such horrific condition—so incredibly thin—that even the meat buyers refused to take him.

Rather than bringing him home to care for him, the owner drove halfway back, stopped on the side of a highway, and shoved him out of the trailer to fend for himself.

Thankfully, Dewey was found before it was too late. Polk County Animal Control stepped in and transported him to a quarantine facility. While he rested there for two weeks, officers worked diligently to track down the person responsible. They successfully located the owner and have pressed charges for his abandonment. Once that process was underway, they contacted Wandering Hearts Rescue to ask if we could take over his rehabilitation and provide the care he so desperately needed.

We brought him into our program, placed him in our own quarantine for a few weeks to be safe, and immediately started the work of healing his broken body.

Today, Dewey is finally safe. He has gained significant weight and has received overdue dental and vet care. While his feet are still a work in progress due to severe neglect, our farrier team is working wonders. For the first time in a long time, this 30-year-old grand old man knows peace, a full belly, and the joy of being loved just for being himself.

Welcome home, Dewey.