I will go hungry first!

First, I want to wish you a spectacular Fourth of July! It is this holiday that we all take some time to reflect on our nation's history and revel in our American pride. If you celebrate with fireworks, please be mindful of those who become terrified and reactive to the noise - veterans and active military, pets, and livestock.

I need to tell you that our horse rescue organization is suffering right now. We are right alongside everyone else who is feeling the pressure of high fuel prices, groceries, and for us, hay. The cost of hay has not come down this year and it's likely it will keep rising. With 400 horses eating about 2400 bales of hay each month and the bales costing about $23 each (as opposed to $16 last year) - we are spending more than $55,000 per month on hay. This is not sustainable for us because our donations have dropped off to dangerous levels.

We are now dipping into our emergency funds, and they are going fast.

I want you to know that I am doing everything I can to keep Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue going. I have just taken a substantial pay cut of 16% to give it back to the horses. And I'll do it again if I need to! I'm telling you this so you know I am all in for the horses. I will never let them go hungry - I will go hungry first!

Please join me in cutting back a little something to help feed the horses. For me - I'll be cutting back on a lot of things - but one is my guilty pleasure of sushi. My favorite meal to treat myself can wait.

Any donation you can afford to share with Lifesavers will be a gift that we are desperate for. I honestly don't know how we are going to survive this downturn. But it's not the first time in the 25-year history of Lifesavers that we've had to cinch our belts a few notches tighter. We got through it then and we'll do it again - but only if you are with us.

Thank you so much for being part of the Lifesavers' family. On behalf of all the horses and myself, THANK YOU!