In March we received a message from our veterinarian Dr Tomana, who has been taking excellent care of our protégés in Samaria I and II for many years. He had received complaints about a buyer of horses for slaughter who kept the animals in deplorable conditions. He wrote to us that, unusually, these were young but badly mistreated animals that seemed to have lost all will to live.
We had to act fast and on the same day we got the agreement of the foster parents of Samaria I and II to take in some horses. The next morning we sent Peter Janovich (you know him as our photographer) to southern Poland. The first pictures Peter sent us were shocking: a squalid environment full of trash, wrecked cars, cobbled together shacks, dirt and mud everywhere. The operators met us with disdainful grins, just eager to negotiate prices with us for the battered creatures.
Between the horses’ legs we discovered a small calf chained up and outside in a field in front of the property a pathetic pony with an emaciated body, festering sores on its back and flanks. When we ask for the price, the owner turned away disdainfully, leaving us the pony as superfluous garbage free of charge. (Unfortunately, despite the best medical care, we were not able to save the poor creature, and we finally had to put it out of its misery.)
From this hell we were able to free eleven horses, their faces reflecting fear, horror and resignation, and give them a happy and carefree life in Samaria I and II today. The “value” of these saved lives: that day we paid 11.81 zloty (2.60 €) for a kilo of “live meat” …
You can read the whole story of Libelle, Libera, Lorle, Ladislaw, Laertes, Lysander, Lucius, Lawinia, Lorenzo, Leonie, Libero, Lisai and Peterle in the 2020 spring edition of Der Tropfen. (See Frühjahrstropfen 2020 )