Live and Let Live Farm in Chichester is asking for the community’s support as it tries to rehabilitate a horse rescued in December, as well as several other rescued animals dealing with medical issues.
Dune, who was a year old when he was found starved and wandering in a neighborhood in Acworth, has regained more than 100 pounds but is suffering from a bone infection in his face, said Teresa Paradis, owner and operator of the animal sanctuary.
Paradis said the horse needs a CT scan so veterinarians can better diagnose the problem. She said the scan alone costs $3,000, and he will likely need surgery, which could be another $5,000.
“It will kill him if we don’t get this done,” Paradis said. “We couldn’t have done this surgery a month and a half ago because his body wasn’t strong enough yet.”
The horse showed significant swelling on his face to indicate there was a problem, but x-rays didn’t reveal the issue.
“The local veterinarians that have been overseeing him really thought the x-rays would show an abscess tooth that we would have to pull,” Paradis said. “I had no idea, as the vet had no idea, of the extreme infection that Dune had developed deep in his bone structure on his face.”
The horse was brought to the farm in December after residents in an Acworth neighborhood called police to report a horse wandering the area. Police followed the horse’s footsteps back to a barn where a mini-horse and a quarter-horse were also found suffering from dehydration.
The state Department of Agriculture contacted Paradis about bringing the animals to the sanctuary. Her team has been working to rehabilitate the animals since then.
Paradis said the farm also took in a young goat from Sutton in February who was born on a frigid day earlier this year and was suffering from frostbite on her two rear legs.
Paradis said the vet had to amputate both legs because blood had stopped circulating. They hope to put the goat, named Ruby, on a wheelchair and eventually prosthetic legs after they determine how much of her legs can be saved.
A few weeks ago, the farm took in a dog from Concord named Aubie who is 5 years old and has been living with a torn ACL. Surgery to fix her injury can cost between $1,000 and $2,000, Paradis said. She said the dog has more gray hairs on her face than is typical for a dog that age, which can be indication of stress.
On Friday, an anonymous couple offered the farm a matching donation of up to $10,000 for the farm’s medical fund. Information on how to donate and support the farm can be found at liveandletlivefarm.org.