https://www.facebook.com/100559744719664/

Phoenix Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation LLC, Almond, Almond, WI (2025)

05/24/2025

This is not going to be a post I would typically make on the rescue's page. Howerever, the last few weeks there's been more downs than ups, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
🚫 I'll warn you in advance that some of the photos are graphic 🚫 But it will put into perspective why updates have been lagging but also why I'm reaching out to Phoenix Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation LLC community for help.
This is a difficult post to make but even more difficult finding words to describe the mental, emotional, and physical toll it's taking on me on a daily basis to keep things balanced out and moving in a forward direction.
Some of you know me on a personal level and are aware of the situation I've been going through with one of my own horses, Cisco, and also the struggles and set backs I've been going through with the newest addition to the rescue family, Delta. It's been a balancing act between the 2 and neither situation is good. My priorities and main focus have shifted greatly in the last few weeks and I'm reaching out to all of you for help in hopes of balancing out the scale to be able to move forward in a positive direction. My main focus at the present time has shifted to Cisco due to the urgency of the situation. To be clear, this does NOT mean Delta is receiving less care, love, or support. The promise I made to her will not be broken and she will continue to receive the best of the best on all levels. However, Cisco has moved into the #1 priority spot.
Some of you know that just shy of a year ago Cisco was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma that presented itself as a large mass on his upper left eyelid. Wisconsin Equine Clinic & Hospital removed the mass and Cisco received chemo following that surgery. They were able to save the eye when removing the mass and some of the surrounding tissues of his outer eyelid. All was well for a time but over the winter months a small mass began to form and would come and go. In early spring this year it came again but this time did not go and continued to grow and change at an alarming rate.
Cisco has been by my side for 20 years. He's been my go to for everything and my rock. When God made this horse he designed him differently and he's shown his loyalty and value on so many levels and not just on a personal level. For me he's been a therapist, a bestfriend, and my sunshine on very dark days. But also he is the reason how Phoenix Rescue came to be. He's played a huge role in every single horse that has come through the gates at Phoenix by becoming a first friend, a protector, a confidence builder, and a mentor. Especially for the babies that came in over the years. Each horse and each baby that has called phoenix their home have always seemed to gravitate towards Cisco and he's taken so many under his wing and helped them transition into their new life here at the rescue. His value with that alone is immeasurable. To say I was devistated and more heartbroken than one could imagine doesn't even begin to sum it up. Due to aggressive behavior of the tumor I had made a decision that I thought was in the best interest of my sweet boy so I placed a call to the vet and scheduled and appointment for Cisco to be put to rest. It was the most difficult decision I've had to make and I questioned that decision heavily. The day came where the vet was on her way to address Cisco but to also evaluate Delta. It was a double whammy and I was emotionally coming unglued. Delta did not receive a good prognosis so there were alot if tears and then the tears became uncontrollable when we moved over to Cisco. The silence was nothing but pain while the vet examined the mass and the vet knew I was NOT ready to say goodbye. My heart stopped beating when she said "let's hold off and I'm going to touch base with his vet at WI Equine". She wanted to send photos of the tumor and relay to them she believes there may be another option that would allow Cisco to remain with the herd and by my side for a few more years. His condition and health seemed to be uneffected by this growth, other than the fact of it being unsightly and yes, cancerous, she felt as though this is very localized and there may be hope for him.
I received a call the following week from Wisconsin Equine and they explained their thoughts based on the photos and the vet assessment. They said they wanted to see him as, soon as possible for a CT Scan and based on what the scan shows they would take him into surgery right away the next morning. I'd this cancer has not spread, Cisco will have the mass removed along with the surrounding effected tissues and infortunaly since the inner and putter eye lids will need to be removed Cisco will also lose the eye itself even though it still appears vital. The vet was confident he will adjust perfectly fine post surgery and will have many years left. However, there is that possibility that the cancer has spread to areas that woukd make Cisco untreatable and a decision woukd again have to be made at that time. I don't want to think of that but I have to remain realistic in this situation.
I know this has been a long winded post but to try and sum this all up in short could really be done and I do apologize for that.
Wisconsin Equine Clinic & Hospital wants to see Cisco for his scan on Wednesday 5/28/25 and surgery will follow the next morning, God willing. I'm asking for the Phoenix Rescue family to please come together to help make this possible. To put it bluntly I'm spread to thin right now between Delta's ongoing cares and now to add Cisco's upcoming appointments. I honestly did not see this coming and I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to balance out the financials. I'm in need of help and asking for this kind of help and support did not come easy for me. The estimate for Cisco from begining to end is around 4🙏0🙏0🙏0.
I've tried to figure than one out in the short amount of time given and I can't. Simply put, I can't and this is why I'm reaching out to all of you for help. Any amount is truly a blessing and makes the world of difference. It's literally life changing.
2 links have been listed below. One link is for his PayPal Money Pool and the other link is for his Spot.fund fundraiser. These 2 options keep things as transparent as possible and I've also posted photos of the estimates received from his vet.
Cisco is not only my heart but he's also the heart of this rescue. Please help if you can. Prayers, shares, and help is needed and more appreciated than what words can describe.

https://www.paypal.com/pool/9f2DV6hIKq?sr=ancr

http://spot.fund/r66vsxcsc

05/17/2025

I'm very behind on posting updates in regards to how the visit with our vet went on Friday the 9th. There was alot to consider and alot to mentally and emotionally digest regarding Delta.
I've taken a bit of time to do some research on my own, in addition to the information and professional recommendations given.
Updates will follow as to what direction things will go that are in Delta's best interest.
Thank you all for hanging in there and for reaching out to check in and also for keeping Miss Delta in your thoughts and prayers.

05/04/2025

Delta spent most of her day Friday and Saturday down (hence her being horribly dirty). Saturday she chose to lay outside in the sun because the last few days prior to, it was miserable and raining. Again, excuse her being dirty but, she chose to flop down in the mud and nap yesterday afternoon.
Today is very warm and sunny with a nice breeze and Delta is just gonna enjoy being a yard horse. She's got free reign and that seems to give her some incentive to move around. She needs to move around and if her body is able to let her and her mind says go for it, then I'm all for it.
Friday the 9th the vet will be here as I say Good Bye to my life long best friend Cisco 😢 but she will also address Delta's issues that day as well and try to determine what else could be going on with her.
It's going to be a tough day mentally and emotionally already so I'm praying something positive comes from Delta's visit. 2 heartbreaks in one day is something I'm not prepared for. I'm not a real spiritual person but been talking alot to the man upstairs lately and asking him to help me be at peace with the situations I'm faced with and choices that may have to be made.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

04/29/2025

Farrier day wasn't a total bust for Delta. A little more work was done on her fronts. She's seeing the Farrier at 2 week intervals but it's going to take time and attention to get her hooves back to a more "normal" and functional condition. Her back hooves still need alot of attention but the last 2 attempts made proved that Delta is still feeling alot of discomfort and can not balance well enough to allow the farrier to do what he needs to do. Sedation at this time is not an option because of her balance issue.
From watching Delta move and function, there may be other contributing factors to her instability and discomfort. This goes well beyond the condition of her feet and I believe having the vet do a blood draw and runs labs could paint a better picture of what could be going on and hopefully confirm my suspicions. X-rays are also not out of the question at this point either.
Id like to give Delta every benefit of the doubt and do what is needed to try and figure out what else coukd possibly be going on with her. I'm going to be very honest, Delta is in pain and very uncomfortable. With that said, her pleasant mood and loving personality has shown bright since the day she arrived. She spent the day all day Sunday an a lawn ornament laying in the sun. She had no urge though to get up and wander around. It took about 20 minutes to get her up, get her land legs working, and to walk about 50 ft back to her paddock. Mobility is something she has ZERO urge for. 80%, if not more, of her day is spent laying down.
I will be reaching out to the vet today to get her appointment scheduled. Once it's scheduled I'm going to be creating a medical fundraiser for her if need be. I know I may be saying that a bit premature but I feel it's owed to Delta to find out what is causing her conditions and pain and to treat it, if that's an option. I'm going to try and remain positive that we can get her turned around but I'm also not going to set extremely high expections and I'll try to prepare myself for the possibility of bad news.
Again, I want Delta to have every benefit of the doubt and be able to try and fix the human failures of her past. She's got the "try" in her and is doing her absolute best. She just needs some helping hands right now.
Prayer go out for you Miss Delta. I hope we can move past this and on to brighter days.

04/23/2025

Still more bad days than good ones for this poor girl. Farrier comes back again this weekend to again address the back hooves.
The severity of her hooves and the tendon and joint issues that stemmed from it was not something that happened over night. They'd been neglected for quite some time and that's in addition to the neglect of other basic cares that go along with being a horse owner. A RESPONSIBLE horse owner! Her teeth are in horrid condition which is most likely a contributing factor to her poor body condition and I can only assume she was not receiving anything close to the proper or substatial feed and nutrition that older horses require.
I don't know the mind set that people have or their justifications for watching a horse decline. Lack of money to afford cares, loss of interest in the animal, higher priorities.... I don't really know. But everyone has choices and the free will to make those choices. Homing the animal to someone else BEFORE it reaches the worst of the worst point is a good one. Contacting a rescue is another good option. Euthanasia in some cases is best and kindest decision to make. But dumping your poor emaciated, crippled, and sick horse off at an auction to become someone else's "problem" or leaving it's fate in the hands of a kill buyer for a few hundred dollars is NOT a good or humane option.
I say this to Delta's former owner, whether you give a s**t or not, I have your horse. She's being loved and cared for. She's getting everything you chose to deprive her of. She will continue to have every need and want met because that's what she deserves. She's found her forever home and has been given sanctuary until she's called to the never ending fields of green across that rainbow bridge. It's a promise that was made to Delta that the broken pieces will be put back together to the very very best of my ability and try to right the wrongs and burdens placed on her shoulders, and do what is in HER best interest despite the challenges that have presented themselves.
Well wishes and prayers to this sweet girl. Hopefully we are going to turn a corner soon and be headed in a forward direction.

04/22/2025

I'm sure most of you remember, just a short time ago, the large herd of unhandled Rez babies that ended up at a feed lot in AZ... 17 of those babies made their way up to Northern WI to a rescue to be safe hubbed and layover until their families could come and pick them up. Well... Some folks backed out last minute. It's unfortunate but it happens more often than not.
Yesterday evening, one of the remaining babies had a baby. Surprise! There was ZERO indications the mare was in foal until a little over a week ago when it was noticed she had a very large bag to her. The poor mare was way to young to begin with. But here it is. One step at a time and the challenges are handled as they present themselves.
Thank you Empath Equine for being boots on the ground and rolling with the punches. Mamma and baby are in the best of hands.
If anyone can show a little support for mamma and foal, it's greatly appreciated. Anything helps, even the smallest amount adds up. Especially when navigating this type of unexpected situation.
Prayers, shares, and cares are needed!
Welcome to the world wee one ❤️

04/13/2025

She's not angry! She likes to keep you guessing her mood though. Lol! 95% she's just pretending and all she really wants is snuggles and neck scratches.
Today marks 3 weeks since Delta arrived at Phoenix Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation LLC. She was very lame and very sick. And to be quite honest, I lost alot of sleep and chewed my nails down to stubbles all the while saying my prayers daily that she turn a corner and start heading in the right direction. She spent more time down, physically, than she did up right. After a course of antibiotic and additional assistance from Herbs of the World (awesome company BTW) Delta finally started to show signs of improvement. Yesterday I felt she was physically stable enough and up right to have the farrier address her feet at a pretty in depth level. Delta has foundered in the past unfortunately and initially it was thought she was going through a pretty horrific episode of laminitis, which indeed could have been a contributing factor of her lameness. However... During her pedicure yesterday the farrier spent a significant amount of time removing layers of fungus that had worked it's way into places in both front hooves. Due to lack of attention and inadequate/improper farrier care the fungus festered as it just sat there. Her feet were a huge concern even prior to her arrival here and they were addressed in Oklahoma, but not to the extent that we were finally able to accomplish yesterday. She was NOT happy with us yesterday but today I can say she trotted up to the gate for her her breakfast instead of not moving at all or walking with almost locked joints.
She's got a long ways to go yet but I'll take this win as there's light at the end of the tunnel. She's got alot of weight to gain yet and her feeding regimen has got to be tailored to not only being pretty underweight, a senior, BUT also the fact she's foundered. It's a balancing act.
All good things take time though. She has a beautiful heart and true grit. She's determined and that's all I can expect from her. But her determination is what will aid in her rehabilitation tremendously. I can only do so much for her and she is certainly doing her part. Sometimes these horses are so mentally and emotionally shut down when they get here and it makes the rehab process a difficult road when there isn't alot if "try" from the horse. Delta is different and her mind was trying even when her body couldn't. Now, the mind and body are working in unison and BIG progress is being made.
A promise was made to Delta before she even got here, that no matter what, she'd get through this even if the "try" was one sided in the begining. It was never one sided with her. She met me half way right from the get go.
Bless your sweet heart Delta and welcome to the family.

04/06/2025

No need to set the alarm clock when the alarm clock is right outside the window letting you know, very vocally, you're late with breakfast.
Thank you Delta ⏰⏰⏰

03/23/2025

At 6 am this morning our Delta girl arrived safely in Wisconsin. Despite the obsticle she's faced and the bouncing around she's done, she's calm, collected, and a genuine kind and loving soul.
With that said, she's got a long road ahead of her. I'm not a vet and certainly not farrier, but I will say for certain that Delta is considered a founder case. Currently she's far from sound on all 4's, very uncomfortable and tender but despite all of that she's is an affectionate girl who craves one on one human interaction. She has kind, soft eyes and I don't think she's got a mean bone in her body.
She's been started immediately on a pain management regimen and once she's settled, the founder/laminitis will be addressed and she'll be started on a regular routine in hopes we can bring her out of it quick and then begin maintenance regimen moving forward.
Right now things are touch and go for her but with her outstanding demeanor and easy going attitude in addition to the treatments being administered, I truly believe we'll be headed in a forward direction in no time.
Welcome home Delta. Better days for you start today and it's my promise to you that your future is nothing but the very best.

03/20/2025

This post is long winded but I encourage all who see it and come across it to please read it.
We are asking that all who see Delta's posts and know her story lend a helping hand and be a part of the next chapter in her life. Support and assistance is needed, and genuinly appreciated, for this sweet senior to catch her freedom ride home.

https://www.paypal.com/pool/9ddpgwrsDi?sr=ancr
https://cash.app/$PhoenixAnimalRehab

For those of you who aren't familiar with Phoenix Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation LLC, we are a small scale, quiet, a peaceful farm located in Central Wisconsin. We are a safe haven for at risk and misunderstood horses that have found themselves moving through the slaughter pipeline waiting for that miracle of a second chance. We open our hearts and our doors to a small number of these horses who've reached the end of the line. We wish it could be more but due to the small scale of our facility we have to keep things manageable so each horse here receives the time, dedication, and one on one attention they deserve while going through the rehabilitation process. The underlying causes of their physical or emotional disabilities are never really known until stepping off the trailer once they arrive here. Sometimes it's a game of chasing shadows and other times it's very apparant. There's never the question of "what's wrong with it" when the decision is being made to bring in a new comer. If the animal is in need, we step up now and ask questions later.
This is the story of tag #3685, who's now been given a voice and also a name, Delta. She'd found herself at an auction barn where a killbuyer placed the winning bid and now held her fate in their hands. She was lame for unknown reasons, a senior in age, no fancy names attached to her breeding, but only her beautiful color at best could she offer anyone.
We, meaning an amazing group of friends, family, like minded advocates, and myself rallied together to make sure Delta did not receive the same fate as so many horses do when they reach the end of the line. Delta has been safely tucked away in Bristow Oklahoma since the end of January where she's been receiving hands on care while she completed her quarentine and the thumbs up to make her way to Wisconsin to begin her rehabilitation. She's ready to make her way to us and we are ready to welcome her home.
If you've read the post all they through, Thank You.
Many do not but I felt I needed to share who we are, what we do, and also the story of Delta and how she came to be.
We've got to try and raise some additional funds to make sure Delta is on the trailer leaving Bristow, OK in a few days. With the amount needed to get settled for her quarantine and boarding and what's left to pay our driver, it's around 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣. No, we do not expect this amount to be gifted and generosity from others is never a guarentee. We could certainly use the help and there's no amount too small. Even the smallest amounts add up. If everyone who saw this post generously gifted 1️⃣0️⃣ towards Delta's freedom ride home this would be a promise to her she'd be on her way. The smallest amounts have the biggest impact. Please become part of Delta's.

https://www.paypal.com/pool/9ddpgwrsDi?sr=ancr
https://cash.app/$PhoenixAnimalRehab

For those that do not feel comfortable sending gifts through the above links, there are other methods. Please reach out and we can prove an alternate method. The paypal money pool is the best form of transparency but again we do understand if you choose to remain anonymous. Phoenix Rescue will glady transfer any gifts over to the pool should you choose to contribute via an alternate route.

Phoenix Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation LLC

05/24/2025

05/17/2025

05/04/2025

04/29/2025

04/23/2025

04/22/2025

04/13/2025

04/06/2025

03/23/2025

03/20/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category