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A SAFE HOME FOR HORSES IN NEED WPMVOUFFST UPàYVQUIFCVJMEJOHTGPSTUPSBHF PGIBZGPSXJOUFSGFFEJOH BOEDSFBUFSPPNZ stalls and common holding areas for the horses who found their way to the shelter. There is an assignment schedule for volunteers about horses that they are res- ponsible for feed and care. Lavigne herself deals with each and every one of her equine DIBSHFT+VMJF-FMJFWSF POFPGUIFWPMVOUFFST noted that often Lavigne will get up in the middle of the night to check on a particular horse that is recovering from a past injury or some sickness.
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Everyone needs somewhere they can call home when they’re sick or alone with no one to care for them or who cares about them. That is the reason for Refuge: Les chevaux d’espoir, the Horses of Hope Shelter. The former farm on Pattée Road between both Hawkesbury and Champlain Township provides a home now for more than a dozen IPSTFT/ÍWF-BWJHOF BQSPGFTTJPOBMIPSTF UIFSBQJTU DSFBUFEUIFTIFMUFSBCPVUUXP years ago. It felt like the right thing to do. i*WFBMXBZTMPWFEIPSTFT u-BWJHOFTBJE iFWFSTJODF*XBTàWF8IFO*XBTZPVOH *E BMXBZTXBOUFEUPPQFSBUFBTIFMUFSu 0SJHJOBMMZGSPN$IBUIBN#SPXOTCVSH BDSPTTUIF0UUBXB3JWFSJO2VÊCFD -BWJHOF now lives in Hawkesbury and travels around 0OUBSJPBOEQBSUTPG2VÊCFD XPSLJOHXJUI clients whose horses need special treatment to help get over injuries or else recover from some diseases that have left them physically weakened. Her work over the past five years as a physical therapist for horses helped fuel her desire to set up a shelter. She has seen cases where some horses were neglected or not getting the proper care and treatment needed when they were sick or hurt. She’s also seen how increasing expenses forced some former horse owners to give up their animals because they can no longer afford them. Lavigne looked around and found an old farm that had become dilapidated but had a good 20 acres of open pasture and a barn BOEPVUCVJMEJOHTUIBUXFSFCVJMUTPMJE FWFO if their wooden exteriors were weathered BOEXPSO4IFCFHBO XJUIIFMQMBUFSGSPN
i5IJTSFBMMZBHSFBUDBVTF u-FMJFWSFTBJE BCPVUUIFTIFMUFSi8FHFUUPTBWFUIFNu Some of the horses at the shelter are tem- porary residents. Lavigne and her volunteers run an adoption program to help find suitable new homes for horses that are young and healthy enough to become someone’s new GSJFOE'PSTPNFIPSTFT UIPVHI UIFTIFMUFS TFSWFTBTCPUIIPTQJDFBOEIPNFUIFN someplace they can spend their final years in comfort and care. “There’s a connection with horses and QFPQMF uTBJE-BWJHOFi8IFOZPVTBWFB IPSTF UIFOUIFSFTBEJGGFSFOUDPOOFDUJPO than with a horse that’s always had a good MJGFu The biggest challenge to operating a shelter for horses is financial. Lavigne’s PQFSBUJPOEFQFOETPOEPOBUJPOTBOEHSBOUT XIFOBWBJMBCMF UPDPWFSTJNQMFFYQFOTFTMJLF buying hay for winter feed and dealing with any veterinary costs for some of the horses. A corn roast-and-music fundraiser over the August long weekend has provided at least $2000 towards shelter costs. Anyone wishing to donate to the shelter or become a volunteer can email refuge- leschevauxdespoir@gmail.com.
Julie Lelievre, l’une des bénévoles dévouées du Refuge : Les chevaux d’espoir. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
L’épluchette de maïs et la musique du dimanche permettent de récolter des fonds de soutien pour le Refuge : Les chevaux d’espoir. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
Flash, one of the horses staying at the Refuge: Les chevaux d’espoir horse shelter, enjoys attention from visitors. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
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