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4- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 20, 1998 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" - Making heaven wait a while Local equine rescue effort keeps retired horses from the butcher's block By Heather McCrae Port Perry Star When April Brown and her friend Claire Fletcher attended a horse auc- tion this summer, they were appalled at the number of horses they saw being sold for meat. "I felt sick," said Ms Brown. "After all, these horses were probably retired track or show-pleasure animals, and now their reward was being sold for meat." So the two women started their own equine rescue venture in Cadmus, which they call Heaven Can Wait. Their intent is to save as many horses and ponies as they can from abuse or slaughter. Horse meat is in high demand over- seas, particularly in Asia and some European countries. These countries are paying top dollar for horse meat, as it has become a delicacy in recent years. Much of the information the women received about starting up an equine rescue effort came from the Internet. "There are a lot of equine rescues in the U.S.," said Ms Brown. "They have a big web page, and I was able to get lots of information from it." Already they've acquired three ani- mals: "We outbid the meat man for Winnie, a Welsh pony and Gully, a thoroughbred cross," said Ms Brown. "Their.,personalities are great, and they've settled in really well." Now the two horses graze content- edly on the family's 12 acres with the Brown's other two horses. Gully and Winnie are both in their twenties and are excellent with chil- dren, she says. While Winnie is the oldest one, "she has more spunk than a lot of younger horses." Heaven Can Wait's latest addition is a yearling quarterhorse colt, Monty, which the young women acquired from an owner who couldn't afford the animal anymore. Monty is a play- ful young horse, but needs costly surgery to correct a cleft palate and is a cryptorchid, meaning one testicle has not dropped down and is still retained in his abdomen. "When his former owner phoned to see if we would take him, we couldn't turn him down. He's such a sweetie," sald Ms Brown. "It isn't his fault he has these medical problems. He"s really a gem, a quiet little guy." To help all these horses, Heaven Can Wait is seeking sponsors and€ donations. Assistance in the form of monetary donations, feed, buckets and blankets are welcome. "Horses deserve a fair shake in life," Ms Brown says. "Anything horse related we can use, even the donation of more land as we expand would be welcome." Her father will soon be building a large run-in shed for the horses, which will also be a costly endeavor. With RESOURCE MATERIAL: Laurie Bray, a member of the Durham Region Bremstieeding Coalition, was in Port Perry last week to present Scugog Memorial Library CEO Tom Bonanno with resource material on the subject. I'he coslition made donations of breastfeeding books to libraries throughout the region 10 mark Breastfeeding Week. more horses expected on the farm, there definitely will be a need for shelter this winter, said Ms Brown. Already a lot of money has been paid out of their pockets, but now they need help. "We're not into this to make money, we just want to cover our costs," Ms Brown said. "This entire project is all about saving horses from the slaughterhouse 50 they can have a nice home to live out the rest of their natural lives. We're here for the horses' sake." Animals saved from slaughter are also eligible for adoption. "If someone wants to adopt one and can guarantee the horse a good home, that would be great," said Ms Brown. "But we'll check them out first, to make sure the animals will be kept fit and in good condition. We want to give them a good retirement home." LA ANA ARIAT IIL SOILD 905/986-5603 Ms Brown's parents are behind their daughter's enterprise, too, she says: "Basically, they don't have a say. My parents know how I feel about all animals. We can't save them all, but if we can save a few horses, then it's all worth it." Anyone wishing to assist Ms Brown or Ms Fletcher in their endeavors or want more information can call 986- 5603 or 986-0446, respectively. April Brown, along with friend Claire Fletcher, has begun an equine rescue operation at her family's farm in Cadmus. The women want to save horses from being sold for meat after their careers are over. The women hope the community can help with donations of supplies and cash to help the effort along. Santa seeks helpers for parade Santa Claus is getting set to return to Scugog again, but before he does, his elves would like everyone to know his parade route has changed. The Scugog Chamber of Commerce, which paves the way for his return every year, 1s preparing once again for the Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. This year's event will be a little dif- ferent, with the parade set to start and finish at Port Perry Fairgrounds. That's where the Chamber will create a first-ever "Santa's Village" filled with lots of fun activities for the whole family. But don't look for Santa in his usual spot at the Chamber for photos. After the parade, he'll be at the fairgrounds ready to get started on that Christmas wish list. Because of the extra planning involved, the Chamber is also looking for a few elves of its own to lend a hand. Anyone wishing to volunteer, should contact the Chamber Office at 985-4971 or Committee Chairman Ray Northey at 985-4427. Land Stewards plan meeting on field sludge Thursday night The Brock Land Stewards have finalized plans for a public meeting regarding the spreading of paper mill sludge on local farms. The license which permits this practice was up for renewal at the end of September but the process has been extended for one month by Ontario's environment ministry in order to allow further public input. The public meeting will take place next Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Lions Hall in Cannington beginning at 7:30 p.m. Representatives from Atlantic Packaging, which produces the product and the hauler, Courtice Auto Wreckers, have been invited to take part in the meeting, as have officials from the province's environ- ment and agriculture ministries.