09/20/2026
💔Today we lost Superman.💔
Even typing those words doesn't feel real.
Six years ago, a broken horse walked into our lives. A horse with a past so horrific that most people would never fully understand what he'd endured. He arrived carrying trauma, fear, physical scars, and the weight of a life that had been anything but kind.
And somehow, he became the heart of our rescue.
Today, we had to make the decision every rescuer dreads. The decision no one wants to talk about. The decision that keeps you awake at night.
Today, we let him go.
People often see rescue as the happy stories. The before and after photos. The emaciated animal that gains weight. The neglected horse that learns to trust again. The victories.
What people don't see are the moments like this.
The endless nights lying awake wondering if you're making the right choice. The conversations that start with "maybe we should..." and end with tears. The constant battle between your heart and your head.
Because no matter how many years you've done this, no matter how many animals you've loved, there is never a moment when you're ready to decide when someone you love should die.
For months, we questioned ourselves.
Maybe one more summer.
Maybe one more season.
Maybe one more treatment.
Maybe one more week.
The "what ifs" become deafening.
What if we're giving up too soon?
What if tomorrow is a good day?
What if we're wrong?
But then the other questions start creeping in.
What if something happens when we're not there?
What if his next time is a severe colic?
What if he suffers?
What if we wait too long?
And somewhere between all those questions, you realize there is no perfect answer. No sign from the sky. No guarantee that you've chosen the exact right day.
Just love.
Love so deep that eventually you have to be willing to carry the pain yourself so they don't have to.
We have always said that we would rather say goodbye on a good day, one day early, than one day too late. We've always believed that the greatest gift we can give the animals in our care is a peaceful ending before suffering writes the final chapter.
Today was Superman's good day.
And God, that almost makes it harder.
Because he still greeted us. He still wanted his treats. He still looked like Superman.
But we could see what was coming.
We could see the slow decline. We could see the struggles becoming more frequent. We could see the road ahead, and we knew where it led.
So we made the choice our hearts were begging us not to make.
The choice he deserved us to make.
As tears streamed down our faces, we held onto the things that mattered most…
That for the last six years, he never knew another cruel hand.
He never knew hunger.
He never knew fear.
He was loved fiercely, every single day.
We could not change the beginning of his story. We couldn't erase the abuse, the neglect, or the trauma.
But we changed the ending.
His final years were filled with soft voices, full feed tubs, safe pastures, and people who adored him.
People often tell us how lucky these rescue animals are.
The truth is, we're the lucky ones.
Because Superman trusted us.
Because he allowed us to love him.
Because he taught us more about resilience, forgiveness, and strength than we could ever teach him.
Today our hearts are shattered.
Today there is an empty space in the pasture and an even bigger one in our hearts.
But if love could have saved him, he would have lived forever.
Run free, sweet Superman.
Thank you for starting it all.
Thank you for trusting us with your story.
You were loved beyond words, and you will be missed beyond measure.
❤️ Forever our namesake. Forever our why. Forever our Superman. ❤️
❤️🩹Big thank you’s to Marie Heppner for always being there on the hardest days and sharing the heartache and burden we carry. Sam Perez for (always) stepping up to do the hard job of digging the grave and compassionately laying him to rest. Paisley Thompson for hugging me the entire time while I cried. Spencer Steinmetz for always offering his steadfast support. Norberto Perez for always loving us and supporting us through all of our rescue ups and downs. ❤️🩹
