Well, Clare from Skydog contacted me this morning and asked if we could redirect the Bucket Fund donations for the remainder of the month towards the CA wild fires which are so devastating right now.
I said, “Sure! if that is what you’d like.”
She said: “Yes, I would like to help during this devastation in Southern California.”
Skydog is a very, very honorable and generous Rescue.
So, for the rest of this month, we will be collecting for the horses injured in the So CA Wild fires happening right now. There are 5 fires extending from Oxnard down to San Diego county. It is horrible.
I did distribute the funds we had already collected for Skydog to them today, so we could start fresh with the fire victims.
HEARTBREAKING… I WANT TO HELP SAN LUIS REY DOWNS HORSES.
I would like to hear anything about San Luis Rey Downs, if you know… I have a vet who is gong to let me know what happens here… my gut is turning. I’m so sick about this. I want to HELP any horses that are injured here. I can barely stand to report this, but I also want to help.
Television pictures showed a herd of about 50 horses running freely on the track’s infield, Jerkens said. Later in the afternoon, Jerkens said television pictures showed some vans leaving the property and stable staff trying to reach the horses on the infield.
Steve Rothblum, who works closely with trainer Doug O’Neill, said their stable got “six to 15” horses off the property before sheriff’s officials put a halt to traffic because of the flames.
“We had vans ready but they wouldn’t let them in,” Rothblum said. “We turned a lot loose on the infield of the training track in hope.”
Rothblum and O’Neill were traveling to San Luis Rey Downs from the Los Angeles area in late afternoon.
Rothblum was in touch with assistant trainer Leandro Mora, who was on the San Luis Rey Downs property and said the fire moved into the area at a terrifying pace.
“He said it was like an end-of-the-world scene,” Rothblum said.
We will be helping fire victims. If you ‘d like to help, all donations are 100% tax deductible.

These are heartbreaking photos from San Luis Rey Downs Track. They had to release 500 horses because no trailers were allowed in.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP UP ON THE EVACUATION EFFORTS, HERE are FB PAGES
The evacuation efforts have been outstanding! Unfortunately, some wind shifts have created situations that are unbearable… San Luis Rey Downs, for example. I have heard that they had to let loose 500 horses because fire crews would not let evacuation trailers on the roads. So very sad. I will try to get the details.
There are two FB pages that I’m watching regarding equine fire evacuation:
Southern CA Equine Emergency Evacuation
National Equine Resource Network
IF YOU KNOW OF A VET TAKING CARE OF HORRIBLY INJURED HORSES due to the Southern CA fires, email me!

So many people coming together to evacuate horses. Amazing network in Southern CA.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE GOOD NEWS…
I felt it would be good to continue to do the Horses of Christmas! So I am continuing in case anyone would like to sponsor or help support the Skydog horses, even though Clare wants to help others!
So, here is the horse of the day! ANSELM
From Clare at Skydog:
If you would like to become a monthly sponsor for Anselm, click here! If you would like to donate for Anselm’s continued care, click here (100% tax deductible). If you’d like a donor gift certificate, email me!

Thank you, Clare!
Thank you so so much for your incredible donations to help us take care of the horses of Skydog – your readers have been so supportive and generous we love you guys. We hope that you manage to get donations for some of the many organizations working so incredibly hard to take these horses in and care for them, I know that Del Mar has hundreds of displaced horses and need donations and supplies. SO many people being selfless and risking their lives to get horses safe is going to be my lasting memory of this disaster. Many thanks again. Clare