A Heartbreaking Update on Make It Kate
There’s no easy way to say this. Kate peacefully passed away at our Willow Hope Farm on Friday afternoon surrounded by staff and volunteers who loved her.
What was supposed to be a routine vet visit to address Kate’s plateaued weight and eyesight quickly progressed when our veterinarian took ultrasounds of Kate’s belly. They found her GI track pushed forward by an extremely large mass in her abdomen, along with a large cavity of fluid. A belly tap revealed that Kate was bleeding internally and that’s when we knew a difficult decision needed to be made.
Due to the condition she was in, further diagnostics were not an option. Though Kate’s spirit was strong, her body was fragile. Her kindness has blown us away from the moment we met her, and we owed it to Kate to return that kindness tenfold by helping her peacefully cross over.
To say our team is heartbroken would be a severe understatement. To us, Kate was more than a skinny mare abandoned on a mountain. She was a gentle soul who taught us just how forgiving, resilient and patient horses can be, despite their circumstances. We count ourselves as the lucky ones because we got to bask in Kate’s love, even for a short amount of time, and will forever be grateful that she knew happiness for a short while.
You’ve Made It, Kate. Run free in green pastures, sweet girl.