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THE DAY BEGINS before the sun has properly risen.
Mist hangs over the fields. Stable doors creak open.
Buckets are filled. Hay is stacked.
Volunteers pull on muddy boots that never seem to dry. Someone puts the kettle on, hoping for five quiet minutes before today’s numerous chores kick off.
But the phone always rings.
A horse has collapsed in a field.
A frightened pony is wandering along a busy road.
A donkey has been standing for days, tethered so tightly it can barely lower its head to eat.
A foal is lying beside its exhausted mother, too weak to stand.
Sometimes the caller is crying.
Sometimes they’re angry.
Sometimes they whisper because they don’t want neighbours to hear.
Every call begins the same way.
“Can you help?”
And somehow, despite already being full, despite wondering where the next bale of hay or veterinary bill will come from, the answer is almost always…
“We’ll find a way.”
These are not stories from another country.
They are not black-and-white photographs from another generation.
They are happening here.
Today.
In Ireland.
Every rescue begins with an animal that trusted people and was let down. Every rescue begins with suffering that should never have happened.
Every rescue begins with hope that someone will answer the phone.
For over 15 years now, My Lovely Horse Rescue has stood in the gap between cruelty and compassion.
Thousands of horses, ponies, donkeys, dogs, cats and countless other animals have passed through our gates.
Many arrive terrified.
Some arrive starving.
Some arrive so broken that they no longer lift their heads when people approach, as though they have learned that human footsteps bring only fear.
And yet…
Given time.
Given kindness.
Given patience.
They choose to trust again.
Perhaps that is what humbles us most.
As our Co-Founder, Martina Kenny, often says:
“People often tell us we’re doing incredible work, but the truth is we’d love to become unnecessary. Our dream has never been to build the biggest rescue in Ireland. Our dream is that one day there won’t be a need for one.”
Every animal carries a story.
Some are written in scars.
Some in ribs that press through skin.
Some in eyes that refuse to meet yours because experience has taught them that people bring pain.
Then something extraordinary happens.
A gentle touch.
A warm feed.
A quiet stable.
A kind voice.
One day they take a piece of carrot from your hand.
The next day they walk towards you instead of away.
And suddenly you realise you aren’t just watching an animal recover.
You’re watching trust being rebuilt.
As Head of Animal Welfare & Advocacy at My Lovely Horse, I have looked into the eyes of animals that had every reason to fear people, yet somehow they still chose to trust again.
If they can find that courage after everything they have endured, surely we can find the courage to protect them.
Animal welfare is often spoken about as though it’s a niche issue.
It isn’t.
It speaks to who we are.
A society is not measured only by its economy or its achievements.
It is measured by how it treats those with no power.
Those with no voice.
Those who cannot ask for help.
The Irish public has shown us, time and again, that compassion is alive. When we ask for help, people answer.
Children empty their piggy banks. Families foster frightened animals.
Volunteers spend their weekends cleaning stables instead of relaxing at home.
People stop their cars on dangerous roads because they refuse to drive past an animal in distress.
Thousands of people have proved that kindness still exists.
Imagine what could happen if our systems reflected that same compassion. Imagine an Ireland where rescue centres were no longer overwhelmed. Where neglect was the rare exception instead of the daily reality.
Where prevention mattered just as much as rescue.
That future is possible.
But only if we decide it matters.
Our Chairperson, Eoin, often reminds us:
“Our volunteers, supporters and donors remind us every single day that compassion is one of Ireland’s greatest strengths. Imagine what we could achieve if that same compassion was reflected consistently in how we protect animals across our communities.”
If you’ve ever loved a dog…
Stopped to stroke a horse over a gate…
Watched a donkey follow you across a field…
Or known the quiet comfort that only an animal can bring…
Then this story belongs to you too.
Because animals cannot write letters to politicians.
They cannot dial emergency numbers.
They cannot tell us when they’re frightened.
They cannot tell us when they’re in pain.
They only have us.
You don’t have to run a rescue to change an animal’s life.
You can report neglect.
You can volunteer.
You can foster.
You can speak up when others stay silent.
And if you’re able, you can help us answer tomorrow’s phone call.
Every rescue begins with an animal that trusted people and was let down. Every donation helps write a different ending.
One day, we hope our gates won’t need to open to another neglected animal. Until then…
We’ll keep answering the phone.
We’ll keep opening the gates.
We’ll keep believing that kindness is stronger than cruelty.
Because every animal deserves someone willing to say,
“Not this one. Not today.”
Kerry-anne Pollock is Head of Animal Welfare and Advocacy at My Lovely Horse Rescue. To support the work of My Lovely Horse Rescue, volunteer, foster or donate, please visit www.mylovelyhorserescue.com.
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