An Orphaned Foal Called Nibbs
Compassion for animals.
It’s something we all feel strongly about at the Alberta SPCA… And we know you have compassion for animals too.
The generosity of our supporters is so vital to our work helping animals in distress… animals like Nibbs, a newborn foal.
Nibbs was only a few days old when our Peace Officer first saw her on a rural property.
You see, while Nibbs was healthy, her mom was not, and that’s why our Animal Protection Services team received a call asking us to check on the pair.
Nibbs’ birth had not gone well, and when the owner refused to call a veterinarian to help the mare, our Peace Officer made the call and had a vet assess Nibbs’ mom right away.
Unfortunately, there was little that could be done to save the horse. It was a heart-breaking situation for young Nibbs. At six days old, she was now an orphan.
Our Peace Officer immediately arranged for transportation and had Nibbs moved off the property.
The foal was sent to a nearby vet clinic for ongoing care. However, this was only a short-term solution. Foals normally nurse from their mothers for about nine months… Nibbs needed a surrogate.
Fortunately, a solution was close by. A horse owner had a mare who had successfully taken on orphaned foals in the past.
And the AMAZING part of this story… the mare, named Palomino, had been an Alberta SPCA rescue horse 15 years earlier.
What an extraordinary connection!
Nibbs and Palomino were introduced a few days later… and we are so happy to let you know they took to each other immediately.
Both horses are doing great!
Connections are critical and we rely on partners in the animal welfare community to help animals like Nibbs and Palamino each day. And donors are our most important partner of all! They’re generosity ensures we can step up and help animals when they’re most vulnerable.
Without the compassion of Albertans, we could not do this important work.