Rescue is Only the Beginning. In rescuing, it is the daily…often the hourly…act of nurturing, caring, and loving our animals that leads to their transformations. Fenton came to us having suffered considerable abuse, and he was starving to death….not just because “they” weren’t feeding him (and they weren’t), but also because his teeth were rotten and missing. We rescued him from the slaughter auction. He was clearly depressed, had zero expectations of us, and had experienced little or no positive interaction with humankind. Over the course of the last 1 1/2 years, loving him and searching to find ways of filling his life with contentment, pleasure, and deep affection, we created a new standard for Fenton, who later began to develop very strong opinions and expectations of us. His feed was soaked and delivered to him initially 5 times, and later (as his round, polka-dot tummy took shape) 4 times a day. Fenton found the joy of eating, and always had a fresh bucket of sweet tea hanging in his beloved stall. Like so many of the previously abused, Fenton loved his stall…he loved everything about it…the safety, the bedding, his misters, and of course, the room service! He only wanted to leave his stall for the joy of a sun bath in our front arena. Like most things, even the sun baths were on Fenton’s terms, and Fenton would nap in all of his glory, polka-dot tummy exposed, eyes tightly shut, enjoying what was most often a very looooooong nap. He would with great regularity shut down our productivity with the screeching brakes of a freight train that stalled on a track…not budging for hours. Fenton would nap, and then stand momentarily …..only to collapse on his opposite side, closing his eyes tightly, hanging a “do not disturb”sign, which of course we all learned to respect. Later, and only when he was ready, he would walk in a straight line back to his airy stall, content…happy…..home. Early this morning, Fenton laid down one last time. He chose the soft bedding of his safe place, and in true Fenton style, said good-bye to us on his terms. We will mourn him deeply, knowing that the raw emotion is honoring him, his life, and his friendship. Fenton mattered to us, and we are grateful to have served him….and re-written the end of his life. As is our tradition, Fenton will be toasted at his stall on Saturday August 30th at 5:00 pm. All of his friends and many fans are welcome.