While baby horses weigh between 100-200 pounds when born, they still need to spend a considerable amount of time with their mother or a caretaker. So when this days-old baby horse was left all alone in the Morrison Canyon in Fremont, California, he quickly got himself into some trouble.
After spotting the weak and injured baby at the bottom of a steep ravine, firefighters immediately rappelled to the bottom to rescue him. The baby, which the first responders later named ‘Valentine‘ because he was rescued on the holiday, discovered the horse had been there for about two days and had broken his pelvis.
At first, the Fremont Police and Tri-City Animal Shelter believed Valentine’s severe injuries, which included a broken pelvis and rib, would require surgery. In order to raise the money, someone started a Go Fund Me page to fund the surgery to begin Valentine’s long rehabilitation journey.
But after the UC Davis team examined Valentine, they determined surgery would not be needed, but would still need to stay at the hospital as he is susceptible to other infections and still needs time to heal.
“We are very appreciative to everyone who donated via Go Fund Me for Valentine’s hospital bills. In total, more than 200 donations were received and almost $16,000 was raised. We were told by UC Davis that the total cost for his care will be about that amount,” The Fremont Police Department wrote in an update to their Facebook.
Can you believe how lucky this baby horse was to be found after spending two days injured at the bottom of a steep ravine? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and please SHARE this incredible rescue with an animal lover on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: Facebook/Fremont Police Department]