Dreamcatchers Equine Rescue, an admired sanctuary for horses located in Fountain, suffered significant financial loss and property damage due to destructive weather conditions.
Consecutive storms left key areas of the facility underwater, annihilating sections of pastureland and decimating the hay fields intended to provide sustenance for the horses.
Julie DeMuesy, the devoted CEO of the non-profit organization, characterizes their mission as more than a simple rescue operation.
“We function largely as a sanctuary,” she explained.
“Among the horses we rescue, only a select few are suitable for adoption. The rest become lifelong residents here.”
Currently, the property shelters 72 horses saved from dire situations such as feedlots and neglect or sourced from general rescue operations.
The operation of the extensive property relies on the concerted efforts of Julie and her husband, bolstered by a dedicated group of volunteers.
Here’s its video report:
“I was raised in Iowa, but I’ve never witnessed a storm of such intensity,”
DeMuesy confessed, recounting the events of June 12th when an intense rainfall resulted in Fountain Creek flooding.
The creek, which courses through their property, overflowed its banks, washing away a significant area of their hay field.
“That was just the initial hit,” she remarked.
A brief respite of 10 dry days allowed them to prepare for damage control, hopeful of saving what remained of their hay field.
However, another brutal storm struck, dealing a second devastating blow to the already damaged hay field.
“We suffered a loss in the range of $30,000 to $40,000, at the very least, from the first crop of hay alone,” DeMuesy admitted.
The organization’s survival and the horses’ well-being hinge largely on the hay cultivated on their property.
Following the catastrophic events, they’ve launched a fundraiser to offset a fraction of their losses. Those willing to contribute can do so through this link.
“We are in desperate need of your support. We are faced with the mammoth task of reconstructing over 100 acres of fencing, repairing shelters, and owing to the loss of our first hay harvest, we’re compelled to purchase hay for the horses. The total loss is projected to exceed $50,000,”
DeMuesy shared on Facebook.
Emily is a native of Colorado, currently living in Glasgow, Scotland, working as a freelance writer. She is a long-time horsewoman, having started riding at the age of 6, then competing in dressage around Colorado and Massachusetts, where she finished her undergraduate degree in psychology.
Following a move to the UK and a PhD, she worked for a few years as a freelance horse trainer in Central Scotland. She’s interested in holistic horsemanship, fostering better communication and understanding between horses and humans, riding with lightness and softness, and she’s forever seeking out the newest research into equine behavior and psychology. When not writing, she can be found at the barn with her two equine partners, Foinavon, an ex-feral Highland pony, and Hermosa, a young Andalusian.
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