Located in the small village of Lee, Maine, surrounded by
fir, pine and white birch trees, 4R came to life in January of 2010 when
several determined friends decided they could make a difference in the lives of
abused and neglected animals. There
were no deep pocket financial supports, just a home grown belief that the
support would come if the work was done.
4R began at a kitchen table with several determined ladies
and gentlemen ready to work hard to help it grow. The 4 “R’s” stand for Rescue, Rehabilitate, Retrain and Rehome.
When a dear friend
passed from a horse riding accident, the family requested donations be made to
4R in lieu of sending flowers. The
resulting donations enabled 4R to pay the fee to submit their 501.c.3
application. With help from First Light Farm Equine shelter, another 501.c.3 non profit, as a mentor, 4R flew through the process and received
their status in June of 2011.
The first horse to come to 4R was AJ, a yearling colt with
medical issues. He was with 4R for a
year, until it was determined his medical issues were too much to overcome and
he was peacefully and lovingly laid to rest.
The second horse to come was Bert, an older gelding, whose owner was
hurt in a home accident. This remarkable
owner, as she was in horrid pain, crawled to her house and called a friend to
ask them to have 4R come handle her horse for her. She then called for help for herself, yet,
terribly she died later that day from the injuries. She, to 4R, represents all of us; we hold our
animals in trust, accountable for their welfare above our own. Bert
was with 4R several years, until he quietly passed in his sleep.
Charley, a 40 year old mini stallion, is our mascot and represents well
all that we do. From a body score of .5
( on a scale from 0(dead) to 5(obese)) to his current body score of 4, Charley
has made wonderful strides in life and is always ready to greet and meet
guests. Charley is not available for
adoption as guaranteed to his prior owner when she surrendered him. He will live out his life with 4R.
4R adopts out horses and other livestock
animals to new homes. 4R keeps track of
them all and visits them when possible.
4R is humbled by the support we receive and it often comes
from the least expected directions.
Our
Horse Head Wreaths represent our giving back to those who are willing to
support 4R. Each wreath sold represents several bales of hay to feed horses or
at least 2 bags of grain.
Each wreath
leaves with a heartfelt “Thank YOU”. As
we build them by hand at the home of 4R Animal Shelter, a small stable called
KD Stable, we think of the places they
will travel to and how each and every person not only has the pleasure of such
a unique wreath, but also the pleasure that comes from helping 4R help the
animals in our care.
Sincerely,
Deb McKay, Manager of 4R Animal Shelter and Owner
of KD Stable
AJ Bert Charley |
