Last week we were approached by the SPCA to take in a horse they had recently uplifted from a property. Taking on a mare in her condition in the winter is a daunting challenge but they really didn’t have anywhere else to turn and we could hardly say no to an animal in such need. She was in a pretty sorry state but has a lovely personality and is very gentle. We decided to call her Maggie.

We immediately started documenting her condition with the intention of posting photos and commentary on a blog to show not only the state she was in, but to give people an idea of how much work goes into rehabilitating a horse that has gotten into this state. We wanted to show her progress week by week as she slowly regained her normal condition.

As of yesterday, the blog was built and the first couple of posts (complete with photos) were up. We had sent out a few emails to friends and the horsey network was notified. 100’s of people were visiting the site and it seemed to be gaining a momentum of its own. At that stage people started asking if they could donate money or feed to help so I set up a link to an online fundraising page devoted to Maggie that would provide funds directly to the SPCA.

This afternoon, we were asked by the SPCA to take down the blog and stop any online commentary on her condition. Once I understood the background to their request I realized it was primarily to protect the wellbeing of Maggie, by not muddying the process the SPCA is still going through to secure her future.

This is in no way meant to represent any view or opinion of the SPCA -  I do not suggest that I speak for them, just my view of the situation from talking to them.

As I understand it, when the SPCA uplifts an animal, the owner has two options. They can surrender the animal or they can wait for a court decision on the future of the animal (and any criminal proceedings). Until the either of these outcomes occur, the SPCA has a policy of not publicizing the animal, its situation, or asking for funding specific to the case. I can imagine if they are negotiating with an owner over surrender of the animal, the last thing they want is a storm of publicity confusing the issue.

Until the animal is surrendered or awarded by the court to SPCA, all costs incurred by the SPCA (or their foster carers - us) are passed to the owner. I can imagine this might present some motivation to the owner to speedily resolve the ownership status of the animal but I won’t even pretend to understand what drives someone that has let an animal in their care get into such a state.

I have been told by the SPCA that once the ownership of Maggie is decided, we will be able to share her journey back to health with you. I hope that time is sooner rather than later. In the meantime, she will get all the care and attention she needs to get her back to a healthy condition as soon as possible.