ESTEVAN - Since it was established in 2019, the Happy Little Hooves sanctuary has been providing care for small animals in need of love.
The sanctuary, located southwest of Estevan, is now home to 43 animals, including five mules, four donkeys, a goat and 33 miniature horses and ponies. It has been at capacity for about a year, although they would consider bringing in another animal if it was an "absolute, definite need" in which it was a "life or death" situation, said Laura Stock, who operates the sanctuary with her sister Rhonda.
"They are all healthy, happy and doing very well," said Laura Stock.
Since Happy Little Hooves is a sanctuary, it doesn't provide adoption services, so the animals that are in their care have found their fur-ever home. If someone contacts the Stocks to see if Happy Little Hooves can take an animal in, Happy Little Hooves would try to find a home for the little.
"They are all animals with special needs, so whether it's behavioural or medical, they have some sort of special need that we have to care for and look after," said Stock.
"Last chance, last stop is what we say," she added later.
A lot of their animals are older and developed issues over time that their previous owners couldn't care for, so they turned to Happy Little Hooves to provide the life the littles deserve.
Stock said there is a definite need for the services that Happy Little Hooves provides. Sadly, she said a lot of miniature horses don't get fed properly, causing them to become fat and develop foot problems. The organization is the only one of its kind in the region.
It would be nice if they could have a second area, Stock said, or if somebody stepped forward to provide similar services and a level of care. She cautioned that running a sanctuary is a lot of work.
Happy Little Hooves has been hosting a book sale near the Power Dodge Curling Centre in Estevan. The first day was July 27 and it will resume on July 28 from noon-6 p.m. Stock said they had a lot of books at home they were willing to sell, and a lot of people donated books.
Money raised through the book sale will go towards repairs at their facilities and preparations for winter. It will also help the Stocks to purchase feed, especially since some of their animals have lung problems or don't have teeth, and hay for the winter.
Happy Little Hooves has a sponsorship program for those looking to help out their animals.
"They can sponsor a little for a certain amount of money. For $60, they get a little vile of the hair of the little that they choose, and then they get a little certificate, and a picture and a bio."
The sanctuary will have an open house in Sept. 21 at their facility to mark its five-year anniversary. There will be demonstrations, tours and a dedication of its new shelter, which was made possible through a donation by the Rotary Club of Estevan.
