Saints Blog - May 1st 2024

Rupert (Donkey) has been on a journey this past week, heading to the vet for a scope to investigate his symptoms: weight loss, bad breath, and weakness. It turns out he had a gastric impaction, necessitating a six-day stay at the vet. We were on edge about Rupert's future; worry was abundant. Ziggy (Donkey), normally inseparable from Rupert, was unsettled by his absence and intermittently refused food during Rupert's time at the vet, which is very unlike him! However, we're grateful to Horizon Vet Clinic for successfully resolving the gastric impaction and giving Rupert the all-clear. He returned home yesterday! Walter (Horse) and Ziggy were both thrilled. Ziggy wouldn’t leave Rupert alone, demonstrating their strong bond.

Wang's (Dog) recovery is progressing well, thanks to the enrichment and stimuli provided by staff and volunteers, including scent enrichment, grooming, and more. We even installed a TV in his room so he could watch "doggie TV"! We want to express our gratitude to the volunteers for their time dedicated to Wang. Though he's not fully recovered, we're optimistic about his prospects for playing and running again soon.

Exciting news for Sammi the dog – she has gone to a foster home! While we aim to create a home-like setting for our residents at Saints, nothing quite compares to an actual home. We hope the trial period goes well for Sammi!

Sadly, we lost Maurice (Cat) last week, which is never easy, especially with a long-term resident like Maurice. He will be sorely missed not only by the people at Saints but also by his feline family, as evidenced by their behavior indicating they know he is no longer with us.

As the weather warms, we're noticing signs of shedding among our animals, including Beanie the goat and some of the dogs and horses. Beanie has been rubbing against the fence, leaving hair everywhere! Her new coat is looking good!

Moose (Cow) seems to be growing again! He was a similar height to Jolene (Cow), but now he's definitely taller! Jolene had an interesting day last Thursday when she decided to push through a fence and got stuck between the hay shed and the old feed room. Luckily, staff and volunteers were quick to act and got her out without harm. Naughty Jolene!

We've also begun painting the barn in preparation for the summer open house on June 22 and 23! We're finalizing some details beforehand but will announce more specifics mid-month.