08/19/2026
This isn't a decision we have made lightly...
For as long as Big Hoof Foundation has existed, our answer has always been yes. Yes to the next call for help, the next horse or donkey who had nowhere else to go. Saying no to that instinct has been one of the hardest things we've had to do. But we've reached a point where loving these animals means pausing new intakes so we can pour everything we have into the herd already here.
We owe them that much. Every one of these lives depends on us feeding them properly, building the shelters and infrastructure they need, and giving them all the care they require. Honestly, that takes everything we have. We'd rather show up fully for the 200+ animals already counting on us than spread ourselves so thin we fail them.
We've applied for grants along the way, hoping for a little help carrying this weight. So far, none have come through. Those dollars seem to find their way to bigger, more established organizations. So we're turning to you, the people who've walked this journey with us and believed in what we're building.
We also get asked a lot why we don't adopt these horses out. The truth is tender: most of them have worked hard their whole lives, and their bodies carry that history old injuries, chronic conditions, things that need daily, careful management. Some of them may have years left in them. Some came to us for a matter of weeks. Some for only hours, so they wouldn't have to face their last moments alone. Every one of them deserves to live out whatever time they have safe, fed, and loved not handed off to an uncertain future.
That's what your support makes possible. Feed. Farrier care. Vet visits. The infrastructure that keeps this whole place standing. None of that stops just because we've paused taking in new lives.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every donation is tax deductible. (EIN # 92-0618011)
We've saved so many lives already. Now we're asking you to help us keep taking care of them.
This pause isn't forever. Once we're caught up, the infrastructure is funded, built and we're standing on solid ground instead of stretched thin we'll open our arms again. There will always be more horses and donkeys who need us, and we intend to be ready for them. For now, our full attention belongs to the ones already here.
None of what we've built would exist without you. Every donation, every share, every kind word left on a post — it all adds up to the safety and care this herd has today. We are endlessly grateful for the people who show up for these animals again and again, especially when the road gets hard. Thank you for standing with us.
All the details to our fundraiser are at www.bighooffoundation.org
