Hillside Sanctuary takes on ponies rescued from another rescue

[HuntingPink]

Just seen this on Facebook http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=4c95cca2af7aa16d5d44b5a9e&id=28cb9385aa&e=[UNIQID]

These poor ponies were rescued from one rescue and have now had to be rescued from the rescue who rescued them. Look at the letter at the bottom Be careful who you loan or sign your horses over to

 

[Fairynuff]

why did Hillside take them on if they themselves have to beg for hay? Sooner or later someone will have to rescue Hillsides rescues Bloody mess the whole scene. The only way to sort it out and remove all suffering is to stop breeding and in the meantime....OPEN UP MORE SLAUGHTER HOUSES!!!

 

[*hic*]

I have to say that my first thought was "Out of the frying pan, into the fire".

 

[Norfolk Pie]

Oh for gods sake.
"the proprietor of the sanctuary was then, astonishingly, told she must sign over some of the surviving animals, including these ten ponies, to a meat dealer in order to avoid being prosecuted"

"Amazingly, this catalogue of events wasn’t the beginning of these ponies’ tormented lives. Before all this, they had PREVIOUSLY been rescued from slaughter by ANOTHER Welsh sanctuary who had also been closed down after animals there were found neglected and dying. After being so badly let down so many times in the past, for these ponies, and thanks to your support, Hillside is their third and final rescue home"

Now they get to live at Hillside, where a few months ago they couldn't even afford hay for what they've got.

The whole situation in the uk is tragic. It doesn't matter how many are saved, until a substantial number are culled, the cycle will just keep going round and round. Rehome them by all means, or if no future PTS. Don't just "save" them to drain resources from other animals that are suffering.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Why what's the background on hillside? Isn't it normal for rescue centres to ask for donations etc to help run, don't see it begging for hay more a general appeal for anybody wishing to donate, unless there's more going on that I don't know about

 

[thatsmygirl]

After reading Norfolk pie post it's sounds like there is problems regarding money with hillside

 

[Amaranta]

It seems that Hillside have 750 animals and no policy of rehoming

I feel their intentions are good but worry that they will reach breaking point soon.

 

[*hic*]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...99669076.27083.135561519840094&type=1&theater

Taken from their FB page

They hold very strong views on animal welfare but it seems that sometimes these views get in the way of animal welfare.

 

[OWLIE185]

I would suggest that with the amount of animals that they care for they require very serious financial resources to pay for them on a day to day bases. Many charities are finding that the present economic climate has resulted in a reduction of charitable gifts to them and they are having to take great care to balance their books. This could well mean that many animal charities are unable to take on any more needy animals which is a great shame. The only people that can help them out of this dilemma are those who are prepared to give them a charitable gift. However the charities themselves need to be seen to be running in a sensible manner and not taking on more animals than they can afford to cope with. Sadly it is the animals that suffer.

 

[leah_x]

I don't know how Hillside finds the room for them. (If my memory is correct) I think they own about 200 acres of land, on that land is around 2000 animals. 700 odd being horses (according to website)
Surely 200 acres is not enough for all that?
They need to trust people & put more effort into rehoming these animals. But then they have very blinkered views on everything, when I was desperate for a job, they told me they wouldn't employ me because I had worked in racing, which obviously makes me a horse abuser.

 

[Norfolk Pie]

There are some "policies" which in my opinion are questionable, the refusal to rehome being a large part of this. They also did themselves no favours in my eyes when, at the time of the appeal for funds, I believe the vets suggested it would be sensible to PTS those that are in need of considerable treatment /TLC, and they branded it "unthinkable"

IMO, it's not unthinkable, its good common sense, and a part of livestock ownership.

I also understand that they believe eating any animal is wrong, and therefore the dogs are fed a vegetarian diet. Whilst I can understand and respect this point of view, personally I don't think feel there is a particularly good grasp of what might, perhaps, be a better welfare policy in the long term.

Both a local vet and farrier are of the same opinion, to the point I encouraged an owner to have her horse PTS rather than take up the place available there. I dont personally feel that horse would have had a happy life by being given to them.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I could take a picture of a Hillside field that would sum up the whole problem they are facing.

20+ horses on a field that is probably only just 2 acres in the middle of winter is not a good example of horse husbandry. They have access to enough land that if they managed their numbers properly would mean they wouldn't have to spend so much in extra hay & feed.

What they have is amounting to hoarding and before anyone button pushes me for being libellous I have to pass said field above twice a day and I ride/run past jsut a small fraction of their other horses.

 

[Natch]

Very sad situation.

As an aside, I think they do rehome dogs - there is usually an advert in the local paper. No idea if they only rehome dogs and if so why.

 

[competitiondiva]

Eyes roll..... How many times must a horse have to be rescued???

 

[jinglejoys]

Most rescues and "Sanctuary's" seem to be people indulging their tendancy to collect animals and expecting other people to pay for it

 

[Dobiegirl]

I could take a picture of a Hillside field that would sum up the whole problem they are facing.

20+ horses on a field that is probably only just 2 acres in the middle of winter is not a good example of horse husbandry. They have access to enough land that if they managed their numbers properly would mean they wouldn't have to spend so much in extra hay & feed.

What they have is amounting to hoarding and before anyone button pushes me for being libellous I have to pass said field above twice a day and I ride/run past jsut a small fraction of their other horses.

I absolutely agree with you, in all honesty I cant see for the life of me how they can check every animal daily given the numbers they have.

 

[wallykissmas]

I could take a picture of a Hillside field that would sum up the whole problem they are facing.

20+ horses on a field that is probably only just 2 acres in the middle of winter is not a good example of horse husbandry. They have access to enough land that if they managed their numbers properly would mean they wouldn't have to spend so much in extra hay & feed.

What they have is amounting to hoarding and before anyone button pushes me for being libellous I have to pass said field above twice a day and I ride/run past jsut a small fraction of their other horses.

Spot on !! I too have to pass their many fields of horses standing knee deep in mud during the winter,but that's ok because its not the ones outside the sanctuary so no one sees them !

Their fields are still bare and hilly since winter, they won't recover for winter grass.

They are not a charity its ran as a business

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk//compdetails

 

[polerue]

Having been duped by SANCTUARY'S in the past and this thread is about just that, how many people believe the word SANCTUARY actually means CHARITY.
Because Hillside is NOT a Registered Charity, they are a company with shareholders if you do the homework.
If they are TRULY dedicated to animal welfare as a charitable organisation then WHY not register with the Charity Commission and become legit for all to see.
This makes my blood boil to see so called Sanctuary's begging for money and the REAL charities are struggling.
They have exposed some dreadful animal abuse with undercover investigations, BUT who is paying for this and the HUGE campaigns they run, is it the donations that they are begging for to pay for hay from the gullible people who believe all they read.

 

[Moomin1]

Disaster all round.

 

[Ladydragon]

If anyone is interested, the 'story' of how this supposed rescue place was exposed is on a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ThePhoenixPonies

The seven on that page brought everything about this place out into the open - four ponies plus a foal have gone to SWHP and some other people organised securing the ones that went to Hillside... The number that died in their care before anyone knew what was going on is harrowing...

 

[Tinypony]

Oh no, I didn't know much about Hillside. I thought that the poor QUOLAS equines (an earlier "sanctuary" bail-out) had found a safe haven. Now it looks as if they didn't. :-(

 

[ridefast]

So moral of the story is, if a horse is about to be slaughtered, don't try to rescue it.

 

[Tinypony]

So moral of the story is, if a horse is about to be slaughtered, don't try to rescue it.

Agreed.

And - there's no point in "rescuing" horses from one horse collector if they just go to another.

:-(