Dear Editor:
I just came across on the Critteraid website that the wild rescue mare, Avalon, was adopted by Paula Rains.
Wasn’t there a perfectly suitable trainer willing to adopt her?
Janette Damsma fought hard to adopt this special horse and all of a sudden Avalon gets adopted to someone else; a long-standing member on the board of directors of Critteraid — meaning that Avalon will stay on the Critteraid farm.
Janette has worked with horses for years. She is compassionate and maternal towards her own animals and connects with them on an emotional and intellectual level, including her own horse, Padre, who also had a strong bond with Avalon.
Janette worked with Avalon for over two years and they developed the kind of bond that you see in families.
It sickens me to see these bonds torn apart.
Janette does healing work and animal rehab. I’ve seen the way she worked with the animals at Critteraid farm while she was there. She worked hard and understood the animals on a deep level. They were more than just animals to her, they were a part of her life and not just a job that needed doing.
These animals are supposed to be going to their “forever home” to people who truly want to make a difference in their lives and who the animals also feel comfortable with.
To deny an adoption to a perfectly loving home is beyond me. I would love for Critteraid to answer why Avalon wasn’t put in this “forever home.”
Damaya Hoffman
Summerland
