Two ponies named Kate and Ruby were left tied to a fence post at Last Chance Horse & Pony Rescue & Sanctuary late last fall, their hooves so overgrown they could barely walk.
A fundraiser held this weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake raised $6,000 to help the rescue keep taking in unwanted animals like them.
The Community Initiative for Animal Rescue ran the two-day fundraiser for Last Chance, selling spring floral arrangements, baked goods, jams, handmade chocolate, pickles and custom pet bracelets by Coconut Quartz.
Supporters came from as far as Toronto and London, including one couple who drove out after spotting a photo of one of the therapy horses in The Lake Report’s preview story last week.
The animal welfare group’s founder, Tanya Rice, said the group chose to support Last Chance this year partly because 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and partly because the rescue’s financial strain over winter was plain to see on social media.
Frozen barn pipes forced cancellation of a planned Family Day event that would have brought in significant revenue through bake sales and merchandise.
“When that happened to them, we knew it was even more important that they were chosen as our recipient,” she said.
Three of Last Chance’s registered therapy miniature horses, Chewy, Houston and 2%, were on site both days for three hours. Houston is 25 years old and visits hospitals, senior homes and preschools regularly.
Jennifer Navaroli, a volunteer with Last Chance for 15 years, described the reaction patients and residents have when the horses arrive.
“They go crazy. They love it. It brings them so much happiness,” she said.
The horses are insured and certified under Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, which means venues cannot turn them away.
Navaroli has watched the rescue grow from eight animals to 40 and said the calls don’t stop for them to take in even more animals.
“We get calls all the time and it’s sad. Most of the rescues are full, and there’s a huge need for more,” she said.
Horses that are too old to race, too slow to pull carriages or too costly to keep are often shipped to slaughter, she said, a fate she considers a poor return for animals that spent their lives in service.
“Horses were your transportation many, many years ago. Horses fought your war, horses plowed your fields. Horses won you money at the track, so they need some kind of respect,” she said.
Rice suggested that people who cannot attend the animal welfare group’s events can still help by following local rescue groups on social media and donating when they can. A common misconception Rice noted is that humane societies receive government funding — they don’t.
The Community Initiative for Animal Rescue plans to continue making smaller donations to local rescue groups throughout the year between its larger fundraising events.
Last Chance also takes volunteers of all ages with its youngest being seven-years-old and its oldest being in his 70s.
