‘Her eyes told me she had not lost the will to live,’ says Flag Farm animal rescuer

It could be said that coming to the rescue of animals is one of the purest forms of altruism, but for dedicated animal rescuer, Genevieve Chisholm, it is all about second chances.

Genevieve’s story to save rescue horse Tammy-Paige is nothing short of miraculous.

Found severely starved – with bones protruding through her skin – the 5-year-old thoroughbred was brought to Flag Animal Farm on October 30 last year by a good Samaritan.

The horse was so weak she could barely hold herself up.

The animal sanctuary at Sheffield is home to more than 1 000 rescued animals.

“The day she arrived at the farm she was hours from death. The vet gave her 48 hours to live. She was covered in motor oil which had burnt off most of her fur as she was left in the sun and the oil had literally cooked her coat.

“She was skeletal with her head hanging low, her hind legs swollen, her tail a tangled mass of wet hair and manure, and her hooves were long and overgrown. She also had so many ticks on her she faced death from biliary. She smelled of rotten flesh.

“Her internal organs were shutting down and the smell of death was so strong that I had to go and have a cry. It was the worst case of neglect I have ever seen,” said an emotional Genevieve.

“But her eyes told me she had not lost the will to live and that is what I held onto.”

Tammy-Paige had to receive a special food every 3 hours, sponsored by Equi-Feeds, and chemotherapy for cancer she had developed.

After almost 2 weeks under Genevieve’s 24-hour care Tammy-Paige slowly started to regain her strength and put on weight and has since thrived under the attention she has received – she is now unrecognisable from when she arrived at Flag Farm.

Her coat has grown back and she has responded to the chemotherapy she needed for skin cancer.

The horse was named in memory of a 17-year-old North Coast girl who had recently lost her battle to cancer.

For every sad story at Flag Animal Farm, there is one with a happy ending.

The farm is a refuge to 25 other rescue horses, all with their own tale of survival, which are homed in a neighbouring orchard farm and left to graze all day, their freedom and well-being secure.

“Tammy-Paige has made giant leaps forward in her rehabilitation and she deserves a home that will offer kindness that she has not had near enough of in her short life,” said Genevieve.

She appealed to people to take action when they saw an animal being abused.

“If you see an animal that you believe may be neglected, abused or abandoned, call in a complaint to your local law enforcement or animal control agency.

“They can get involved only if someone alerts them to the problem. We do not know the suffering animal is out there until someone cares enough to report it.”

To donate towards the care of rescued animals contact Genevieve at 071 674 1192. Food can also be purchased and left at Lali Foods, Umhlali.