Niagara horse rescue at capacity as operating costs soar

A horse and pony rescue in Niagara is one of the many businesses struggling in the current economic climate.

The charity says the costs to run the rescue are skyrocketing and they simply can’t take in any more animals in need.

Sharon Wallace runs Last Chance Horse and Pony Rescue and Sanctuary in Crystal Beach near Fort Erie. She says costs have increased by over $30,000 compared to last year.

“The need right now is so great because everything has gone up financially and we’re getting phoned all the time to help and we can’t help no more because we’re full.”

“Things are on the rise both for humans and animals and it could be the fact they couldn’t afford to keep them,” says Jennifer Navarrolli, a volunteer for this organization.

Currently, there are 42 animals at the sanctuary, including several goats, donkeys and horses of all sizes.

“It just breaks my heart because even though they’re older, they all deserve a chance in life,” Navarrolli says.

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One of the goats is Romeo, who is in a wheelchair made by one of the volunteers. Romeo has a degenerative knee issue.

“He loves it [the wheelchair]. He can back it up. He can keep up with all of them,” Navarrolli says.

Many of these animals have been dropped off to this sanctuary or tied to posts and the costs of raising and caring for these animals continues to climb.

“These two little guys were tied to the post here, very tightly together. And there a note with their names, Kate and Ruby, and that’s all we know. We have no idea where they came from. But they were in really rough shape,” Navarrolli says about two horses they found.

She says two more animals found wandering on a road nearby three weeks. Nobody claimed them and the pony is pregnant.

“We do not know exactly when she’ll have the foal and we do not know if she has had any previous complications and maybe that’s why they dropped them off,” Wallace says.

Last Chance Horse and Pony Rescue and Sanctuary is holding a Hooves and Harvest fundraiser on Saturday at 4269 Rebstock Rd., Crystal Beach. 

The event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., featuring games, a petting zoo and horse and pony rides.

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