Dewey's deliverance story begins with an email received on November 5th, 2016. My friend, Amy Vyskocil of Happy Haven Farm and Sanctuary in Byers, Colorado (http://www.happyhavenfarm.org), sent me an email about a 13.2 hand Welsh Cob gelding that she had found on one of the Colorado kill lots. While walking in amongst the horses at the kill lot this sorrel gelding followed her where ever she went, like he knew she was his "life-line". Amy had known of our search for a small horse for use as a lead line pony in our Literacy Programs and quickly sent me an email with photographs of Dewey on the lot. With some negotiations we were finally able to pay his "bail".
I went with her to the kill lot on November 11th, 2016 (Veterans Day) to pick him up and trailer him to her place for the mandatory 30 day quarantine. It broke my heart to see all the horses that had not been "bailed out"! We had hoped to "bail out" an elderly mule that was the Welsh Cob's friend but by the time we had the money the kill lot owner said the mule was already in the trailer, loaded and ready to go to the Mexico slaughter plant. He said he would take the mule off the trailer for double the bail price he had originally quoted us. We just didn't have the money to do that. I still tear up when I think about the fact that we couldn't save Dewey's mule friend, too.
Not knowing what this pony gelding's name was previously we decided on the name Dewey which means "prized" in the Welsh language. We also chose the name Dewey because of the Dewey Decimal System, a library cataloging system that is still in use by some libraries.
Dewey now has his own story to tell the children who visit Blessing Way Miniatures mini ranch and E.L.L.A. Equine Learning and Literacy Advocates (a 501c3 nonprofit---www.horsesforliteracy.com) book lending library. A story of deliverance and of being given value.
A meaningful quote by Andrew Linzey: "We can't change the world for animals (horses) without changing our ideas about animals (horses). We have to move from the idea that animals (horses) are things, tools, machines, commodities, resources here for our use to the idea that as sentient (able to feel things) beings they have their own inherent value and dignity."
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