Brentwood Group Rescues Miniature Horses From North Dakota Ranch; To Be Placed For Adoption
WALNUT CREEK (KPIX 5) -- A group of miniature horses needing care on a ranch in North Dakota have been brought to the Bay Area by a rescue group dedicated to rehabilitating and finding new homes for the horses.
Brentwood-based Angels for Minis brought the horses to a Walnut Creek facility to be put up for adoption because the owner has developed cancer and could not care for them.
"We pulled in nineteen horses," said Angels for Minis founder Mary Stewart. "Five moms and babies and some wild geldings."
Angels for Minis says it doesn't have a central facility and relies on foster homes and ranches to help house the animals.
Even fully-grown they are half the size of standard horses but still need full-size care. "They're horses. Small horses but they still have the same needs as the big horses," said Andrea Rogers, who is adopting two of the horses.
Angels for Minis says these horses are not pets and are not for riding. As herd animals they need to be with or around another mini.
Horse owners and potential owners from across Northern California have been coming to see the horses this week.
Angels for Minis said before the recession, a mini horse sold for $3,000. Today they are being adopted for $350 simply to cover expenses. The trip to North Dakota cost the rescue group more than $9,000, about $3,000 more than it had.
Volunteers charged the rest of the expenses on their personal credit cards.
Angels for Minis said there's already another group of mini horses that needs to be rescued. But that rescue has to be put on hold until they can pay for this rescue.