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About Us    

Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue, Inc. is a non-profit, no-kill sanctuary providing safe harbor for abandoned, abused, lame, old, and/or neglected horses. 

The ranch is situated on 28 acres in the southern plains of Southeastern North Dakota, near the small town of Lehr.  

We founded Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue because there are very few legitimate horse rescue and no-kill sanctuary operations in North Dakota. There are, however, many clandestine operations within the state that pose as advocates of animal anti-cruelty programs, but secretly accumulate unwanted horses until they have a full load, then transport them to locations in the southern states where the horses are butchered for human consumption in Europe. The "kill buyers," as they are known, get $1.00 a pound for the horses. At the butchering locations, the horses are dehydrated (no water) and starved for four days before butchering so that they can be skinned easier and their hides sold.

At Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue, we provide a permanent home for these horses to live their final years in peace and comfort.

 
Standard of Care    

Identifying Health and Mental Problems

All but one of our rescued animals suffered both physical and mental neglect or abuse by their previous owners.  Accordingly, we have developed an intake system which evaluates and documents the condition of each animal upon arrival and recommends various courses of action to be taken in order to return the animal to good physical and mental health. Follow-up activities are well-documented and entered into each animal's permanent file.

Physical and Mental Rehabilitation

The rescued horses may have been starved and/or abused.  Subsequently require a tremendous amount of time and patience to establish or re-establish their trust and acceptance of humans while at the same time nursing them back to a healthy state.

Physically, those horses that were starved or nutritionally neglected must be fed a carefully-monitored diet to rebuild muscle mass and bone density.  Physically-abused horses can only be re-socialized with gentle, human love and a lot of personal attention. 

Daily Love and Affection

Each horse is talked to, petted, and brushed every day.  We ensure a high level of love and tenderness is shown each animal. Hand treats such as fresh carrots, corn on the cob, apples, saltines and animal cookies are always provided to help in the bonding and re-socialization processes and help bring the animals back to trusting, and once again, accepting humans into their complex social structure.  Our horses are never worked. They are afforded a life of peace, rest and a whole lot of love.

Our adopted animals are never sold, traded, given away, or slaughtered. They will remain with us until they pass on. Court-ordered foster animals will remain with us until the court's decision is handed down. We are registered with the various sheriffs and police departments for emergency rescue and boarding and may be called on at any time to bring unexpected horses to our sanctuary.

 
Visitors Always Welcome    

We are very pleased that all of our rescued animals are once again people-friendly.  We encourage visitors to the Ranch to establish interaction between the rescued animals and strangers.  Early on, we found that the animals would be relaxed and respond well with the staff because of the constant contact, but would bolt from strangers.

During the past year, we have had approximately 75-100 visitors to the Ranch to touch and otherwise interact and bond with the animals.  Not only have the animals benefited from the visits, but most visitors leave with a new understanding of the animals' need for love and compassion.  We hope that our visitors' experience at Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue may tend to reduce animal cruelty in the future.

Of special note are visits by "special needs" individuals.  These visits not only benefit the animals, but also the people seem to respond well to petting and sitting bareback astride several of the pet and rescued horses.  The Ranch's future plans include interfacing with several specialized schools for mentally and physically handicapped adults and children.

 
News and Announcements    
Please help us help the horses! - Wednesday, January 03, 2007 - Sunday, January 07, 2007

Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue needs your help!

Please help the Ranch continue to save horses.  You can help several ways:

  1. First, and foremost, the Ranch needs sponsors.  Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue operates solely on donations and contributions from the public. We need monthly/yearly monetary sponsorships and we need corporate sponsors (hay/feed/etc.).  Right now the founders/owners of Our Guardian Angels bear almost 100% of the financial burden for the Ranch's residents.  Your tax-deductible donation can make a horse's dream come true.
  2. Visit the website (www.angelshorserescue.com) every day.  The more the site is visited, the higher it will rank when people utilize a search engine. 
 
Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue featured on KFYR TV-5 . - Thursday, July 06, 2006

Joanna Small of our local NBC Station KFYR TV came to the Ranch and did a 2-part story on our rescue and sanctuary operation.

 

A video file of the story will soon be added to the website for everyone to enjoy.

 
It's a Boy!! - May 1, 2006 - Thursday, July 06, 2006

On May 1, 2006, Fancy Dancer gave birth to a beautiful Bucksin stallion named Pride. Mother and baby seem to be very healthy and strong.  Check out "Meet the Horses" for pictures of Pride.   Please also consider sponsoring Pride (click on How You Can Help or Donate at the top of the screen).  Thank you.

 
 
Welcome Revolution Go Tee (aka Jerry) - May 26, 2006 - Thursday, July 06, 2006

Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue would like everyone to welcome Revolution Go Tee (aka Jerry the Horse).  Jerry came to the Ranch on May 26, 2006.  Please visit the "Meet the Horses" page to see a picture of this incredibly beautiful horse. 

 
Dakota Horse Connection Write-up: March/April 2006 issue - Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Near the small town of Lehr, ND is Our Guardian Angels Ranch-Rescue.  It is here that horses who have been abused or neglected or otherwise unwanted, are able to come and live out the remainder of their days in a loving and caring environment.

 read more ...
"Giving Sanctuary" - Bismarck Tribune - Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Lobo was all ribs and jutting hipbones, dangerously underweight by hundreds of pounds...  They are all horses, come together from previous lives, to Our Guadian Angels Ranch-Rescue.

 read more ...
 

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