Saving Animals Doesn’t Pause During These Unusual Times

PHOTO: Mikey, a 2000lb, 18+ hand Belgium horse ended up at Live and Let Live Farm in Chichester after having been abandoned and is now thriving. The work at this amazing rescue farm continues despite certain hardships imposed upon it by COVID-19.

by Scott Philbrick
Live and Let Live Farm

It has been seven months since I’ve last updated you on the goings on at Live and Let Live Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary in Chichester, NH.
In many ways it seems like just a few weeks, and in equally as many ways it seems like years. In six short months, it has literally become a whole new world. When I last wrote COVID-19 was little more than a far away threat from distant shores. By March, it seemed society was unraveling before our very eyes.
Much of our nation it seems, has become numb to the recent rioting, looting, burning of city blocks, and brazen attacks on- even murder of- completely innocent civilians as well as law enforcement personnel. We find ourselves reeling; struggling to understand and process all this change.
So how have these changes, either directly or indirectly, impacted Live and Let Live Farm?
To begin with, our Sunday tours, a long held mainstay of our operations, have been discontinued until further notice in order to comply with CDC guidelines. Our usual methods of procuring grants have had to subside considerably, and all our fundraising events, even the highly successful adoption events with our adoption partner, PetSmart, have been canceled. All adoption related activities have been changed to “by appointment only,” and will remain so until further notice.
Despite the tumult of recent months, the rescuing of animals and the subsequent ancillary efforts, has been over-the-top busy. Thus far in 2020, we’ve taken in 40 litters cats, some pregnant, and 31 litters dogs, some also pregnant.
Our phones and emails are being constantly bombarded with individuals needing help with care for their animals, either financially or seeking to turn them over to us. For a period we were experiencing people turning over their pets to us, erroneously believing that their pets were likely carriers of COVID-19.
Exacerbating matters, with no new volunteers being able to be trained, the normal rotation of new volunteers coming in and veteran volunteers leaving, has been disrupted, eliminating new volunteers, while the usual number of veteran volunteers are still leaving, due to age or moving, etc. Add to this a significant percentage of volunteers who have had to self quarantine due to concerns of family member exposure or contamination, and the workload for the remaining volunteers has expanded significantly.
When the virus first hit, a lot of the volunteers were stressed, and hours dropped. But it quickly became apparent that with our optional mask policy (mandatory for working indoors), coming to and working at the farm is actually a stress reducer; a way for many to get out of the house, breathe in long awaited fresh air, and get some exercise. Not to mention it develops and strengthens the camaraderie of our farm friendships; one on one time together, for both people and animals.

Perhaps the most resplendent of unexpected outcomes, if indeed there’s anything positive to be gleaned from this COVID-19 mess, is that our animals are getting much more one on one time with our volunteers, and as a result they are thriving to a significantly higher degree than we’ve seen in past years. One of the more noteworthy accounts of just such a story, is that of the recently arrived, Belgian Draft Horse, Mikey.
Mikey came to LLLF having been abandoned at his home in southeastern NH, likely due to COVID-19 infection. A young girl had agreed to help Mikey temporarily, unaware it was going to devolve in a total abandonment. She did what she could, feeding him what she could for grain and hay, and when that ran out she spent down her savings procuring feed. She brought him leftover salad from her work. She asked for help from the Salem PD, who kindly provided a bag of grain, but that only lasted six days. She reached out for help from various high visibility animal shelter organizations, but could find no one to help poor Mikey as his condition deteriorated exponentially, daily before her eyes.
She knew there was something seriously wrong with his legs, as there was significant swelling and even skin ruptures. Her desperation for Mikey deepened, however her tenacity eventually paid off. She finally connected with LLLF, who, after a week of some rather difficult negotiations, was able to convince the owner to release Mikey to LLLF’s care.
As of this writing Mikey is still in a series of diagnostic assessments by our veterinarian(s). His biggest problem, potentially deadly problem, is coffin bone founder, or that of possible bone infection in his legs, due to steel shoes/plates on his hooves that should have been removed long ago. Over the months mud has worked its way between the steel plates and his hooves, most likely causing the infection, resulting in the swelling in his legs.
Mikey is facing a long, extensive, and costly rehabilitation over the next year or two, and we pray that his resolute spirit will play a big role in seeing this gentle giant through the long rehabilitative journey that awaits him. So much is riding on whether that infection has worked its way up into the bones, or the aforementioned founder. If you find yourself moved to help us with what will certainly be an enormously expensive rehab, please see contribution information at the end of this article.
LLLF has also been driving full loops to Georgia, Tennessee, and some other states’ rescue organizations that normally meet us part way, because southern rescue organizations’ resources are so depleted. This in turn only further depletes our resources. In many ways we need your help now more than ever.

Are you one of the millions restricted to working from home due to the pandemic? Are you saving a lot of money each week in gasoline, and wear & tear items on your vehicle(s)? Maybe even catching a break on your auto insurance due to so many fewer miles being driven? If so, please consider passing on a portion of that unexpected blessing to LLLF. We know money’s tight for so many in today’s uncertain circumstances, and we don’t particularly enjoy having to ask. But these are no ordinary times, so way lay the matter before you, simply and humbly, for your consideration.
Now for some good news. You may remember a couple of years back when the feature length film from our resident filmmaker, Rebecca Howland, “Voices in the Dark,” premiered and had several additional showings at Red River Theatre right here in Concord. The film unraveled the story of our now infamous D-Day rescue from 2014, a rescue that was an unmitigated gut kick to all of us volunteers who saw the depths of horrors kept hidden for so long in that dark and nearly collapsing barn, hidden so diabolically on the gentle hills of a quaint and lush NH farm.
The film is now be available for purchase through our website, for $15. If you want a great first hand picture of what it is we do, the relentless complications and coordination efforts that go into one of these rescues, the legal labyrinth that can be involved, and the overwhelming efforts involved in rehabbing rescued horses, this film is a must have to add to your DVD library. Additionally, our 2021 calendar is printed, looks fantastic as always, and is ready to go, for $12 or two for $20 (plus shipping). As always, see our website (below) for additional details.

Please consider contacting Live and Let Live if you’re considering adopting a loving family companion. Financial contributions are desperately needed and greatly appreciated, as the costs to operate such a facility are staggering. Contributions are fully tax deductible, and 100% allocated to the care and healing of these animals. Contact Teresa by email, at: tehorse@aol.com, or send donations to: Live and Let Live Farm Rescue, 20 Paradise Lane, Chichester NH 03258. Donations can also be made with credit or debit cards, at: www.liveandletlivefarm.org.

IMPORTANT: Due to covid-19 our weekly tours to meet the animals of Live and Let Live Farm, normally held every Sunday at 2:30 pm, have been temporarily suspended, so please check our website above for weekly updates.