08/21/2025
Welcome to the rotary club I know
Barry introduced Audrey Howe who is the head of the California Coastal Horse Rescue (CCHR). Audrey begins by saying that the CCHR is celebrating it's 25th anniversary. She is very proud of this and says the reason for this success is that they are very mission driven. Their mission is to rescue abandoned, abused, neglected and slaughter-bound horses. Every year there are thousands of horses left with uncertain futures. There are various reasons for this. Sometimes owners need to re-home their horses for personal reasons such as financial problems or illness that makes them unable to care for the horse. Sometimes bad owners abuse or neglect their horses. The role of CCHR is to provide immediate safety, care and sanctuary. Their goal is to find new forever homes for some horses or to permanently shelter others. The process usually starts with
a call from Animal Regulation. The horse is then assessed and usually quarantined for a period of time. Because they are interested in healing the whole horse, they start with a visit from the veterinarian (usually Dr. Liskey) who makes a nutritional plan using the 'Davis Protocol' which is a slow increase in food. This is followed by foot care and dental care. Next is training and trust building. They patiently rebuild confidence. The end game is that these horses feel loved and valued. The heart of CCHR are the volunteers. It is a 100% volunteer run organization. Volunteers are the lifeblood of this mission with their commitment to the horses and to the community. The CCHR keeps a community connection by teaching care and share programs and encourages youngsters to respect animals and hopefully become the next generation of volunteers.
The meeting is adjourned with parting words from President Sue; A quote from Charles Glassman: "Kindness and compassion begins with the understanding that we all struggle.”
