Friends & supporters,
We're elated to share with you a pivotal moment in the history of The Dorset Equine Rescue. For nearly 12 years, we've been saving abused and neglected horses, interrupting the slaughter pipeline, supporting horse owners in crisis & partnering with law enforcement on animal welfare investigations and seizures throughout Vermont and beyond.
400 saved-lives later, after operating on just 5 acres of leased land (and foster placements), we have purchased land to develop a forever farm of our own! In January, we closed on 178 acres of safe, secluded land which will sustain our growth, outcomes & legacy for generations to come.
A few factors aligned in a small window of time to make this marvel possible. First, we received a substantial gift from a private Trust, designated to spearhead this goal. Within a year a chance connection was made for the off-market purchase of this property. Lastly - in response to this wild momentum - a small number of our key and long-time supporters came forward with enough added funding to get us to the finish line on time! Our deepest, heartfelt gratitude goes out to our generous land campaign donors, not just for your fiscal support, but for your unwavering faith in our mission and vision. Your backing in this miracle moment has changed our work forever.
We're still dazzled by this dream come true. At the same time, we're grounded in the extensive work of planning & development that lies ahead. Over the next several months we'll be fine-tuning a plan for the next big frontier: The Dorset Equine Rescue’s Forever Farm Development. Once we do, we will unveil the complete plan as we launch a capital campaign later this year. We are eager, already hard at work planning and we cannot wait to share the whole picture with you.
In the meantime, you’ll find updates on our budding plans & avenues to offer early support at the new ‘Legacy’ page of our website. We invite you to share in the moment-to-moment journey with us via social media as we add “Forever Farm Friday” shares to our weekly connection lineup!
If you know the Dorset Equine Rescue already, you know that we're visionary leaders in the field of equine rescue and to expect great things from us. If you don't know us, come learn more about this exciting season of our growth at: