Bruno's happy ending
Among the six horses that arrived at Footprints of Joy last November was Bruno.
When we rescued him from the abandoned farm, his condition was the most critical. In addition to being severely malnourished and suffering from a severe case of laminitis, he had lost his left eye – perhaps while fighting with the other stallions for food, or by bumping into the fences while trying to escape.
During his first months in quarantine at the sanctuary, Bruno received constant care.
His hooves, deformed by laminitis, began to regenerate thanks to sessions with the farrier, and an ophthalmologist treated him with specialized eye drops. To permanently resolve the issue with his left eye, however, it was decided to proceed with surgery.
Bruno thus took his final major step: he was transported to a specialized veterinary clinic in Bucharest, where he underwent surgery to remove not only what remained of the eyeball but also every trace of pain.
A few days after the surgery, Bruno returned home to Footprints of Joy. He is still in isolation, in a large space near the other stalls, but he will soon be reunited with the other horses and able to enjoy their company, because in the meantime we have had him gelded.
His journey is not yet over, but we are getting closer and closer to the finish line.
Bruno has taught us that no challenge is impossible when there is an entire community of people supporting you. Bruno’s rescue and recovery were only possible thanks to you, who supported the specialist consultations, his surgery, and his hospital stay.
