R2RB Podcast - Women Entrepreneurs and Indie Artists Series

Kara and Christian Sabo: Second Chance Ranch Rescue

• Deb LaMotta

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Kare, together with her husband Christian, this dynamic duo's love story flourished amidst the kennels of an animal shelter, guiding them through the whirlwind of family life and the bold step of taking on Second Chance Ranch Rescue in Felton, Delaware. Our latest episode travels through the heart of their mission: to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals, a journey that has woven together the fabric of their family and community.

Kara recounts the emotional rollercoaster of purchasing their dream property, the joy of welcoming their second child amidst the chaos, and the daily dance of managing a bustling rescue farm. With stories that both warm the heart and shed light on tougher realities, we celebrate the transformative journeys of their rescued animals—like Sparkles who's touched many lives, and Gunner, the visually impaired gelding seeking his special forever home. It's a tale of compassion, community, and the kind of determination that sees fences mended and pastures built, ensuring each animal's tale has a hopeful chapter ahead.

Our conversation also recognizes the unsung heroes of animal rescue: the community. Volunteers, donors, and friends—they're the lifeblood that allows Second Chance Ranch Rescue to thrive. From firsthand accounts of the emotional challenges rescuers face to the joyous outcomes of their hard work, we unpack the essence of what keeps the ranch's heart beating. Looking forward to the open house and other fundraising events, we invite listeners to step into this world where every act of kindness matters, and where the peace brought by these second chances echoes far beyond the rescue's boundaries.

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Speaker 1:

Thank you, hi, and welcome to the R2RB Women Entrepreneur Spotlight Podcast Series. And today I have with me Cara Sabo, part owner of the Second Chance Ranch Rescue in Felton, delaware. Hi, cara, how are in?

Speaker 2:

Felton, delaware. Hi Kara, how are you? Hi Deb, I'm well. I'm well. I'm excited that we are here to do this. We've been talking about this for a while, so here we are to make it happen.

Speaker 1:

Oh my God. I know I'm so excited too, so I like to ask two questions to get us warmed up, and the first one is what's your favorite app on your phone and why?

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, that would probably be a tie between Instagram and Pinterest, because Instagram is definitely my creative outlet now. It's like where I go to share the pictures that I take. It's like where I go to share the pictures that I take. I just love to see other inspirational posts and accounts, and especially with the rescue there are so many other rescues out there, so it's really like inspirational. But I also really like Pinterest for ideas of all the projects I don't have time to do. But, yeah, it's also inspirational. It's just a good reminder of all the things that I don't have time for right now, but those are probably my top faves, okay.

Speaker 1:

All right, I like it All right. So if you could have one superpower, which one would you have, and why?

Speaker 2:

That one. That's definitely tough. But I think if I could have a superpower it would be super strength because it would be really handy around the farm. You know, stacking hay and moving the big heavy stuff that I'm like I gotta go get the tractor for this. Nope, I'll just. I'll just grab it, no problem. I get myself in trouble already, like trying to lift things. I probably shouldn't because I'm impatient, but I think that would be pretty cool, I think that would be a good, a very useful superpower.

Speaker 1:

And knowing you and knowing the rescue, absolutely All right. So you are initially from Wyoming and so is your husband, Christian. How did the two of you meet and how did you end up in Delaware? Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

So your typical love story college kids working at the local animal shelter fall in love. I was going to college in Casper, wyoming and that is where Christian is originally from, and we were both working at the local animal shelter, the Casper Humane Society, and we just hit it off. We had a lot in common. We loved the outdoors, we loved our job and what we did, he loved his family, I loved mine and it was just. It was meant to be. And it happened quickly because Christian was going into the Air Force.

Speaker 2:

So, also your typical military love story. He was going to basic training and so we dated long distance and when he was coming back, both of our families were like okay, you guys, like we think this is it, we think you should get married. So I think that his family and my family had like proposed before he did Like everyone was like okay, you guys, like this needs to happen, you need to get married.

Speaker 2:

And it wasn't like we hadn't already talked about it because we had but it was just really cool, like we've had such a huge support system, and so we ended up getting married in his grandma's backyard and it was absolute perfection and we moved to California after that. We were stationed there for almost six years it was a little over five years. Then we went to Germany for four years, which was absolute heaven. We loved every second. But we were also excited to get back stateside, um, so we could buy a house and start, you know, a new life, and that's how we ended up in Delaware. He's stationed at the base in Dover and we just are embracing it fully. If we've learned anything traveling, it's you embrace it fully. So here we are.

Speaker 1:

There you go and you had your son in.

Speaker 2:

Germany. Yes, we did Right in the middle of COVID, which was great in 2020. We had him. He was eight months old when we got back stateside, so he hadn't met any family or anything until we got back. Well, actually, I should say, christian's mom and grandma were able to make it over to Germany for a short, quick, short visit, but it was all really restricted still, and then, when we got back, it was time to just fully jump in.

Speaker 1:

Wow, and so you get ready. You get word that you're going to be stationed in Dover, delaware. Is that you start looking for a house? And so you found a house in a very unique, unique way that I don't know if everybody would be comfortable in doing it the way that you and Christian did it. Tell us about that.

Speaker 2:

So when we found out that we were coming to Delaware, we started looking for houses right away, because we were a new family of three. We had three dogs and a cat. We had been living renting, you know over in Germany and we were ready to just put down some roots and get a house and we didn't want to go through looking for an apartment or somewhere to rent and then looking for a house, and so we just started looking online, got a realtor and two of our best friends were living here and so they were kind of like our little proxies. They would go and look at houses for us and then, when we found the house we're in now, we had them sign for the house for us. So we were going in blind. We hadn't seen it except through videos and pictures and we didn't sign for it. We had our good friend sign all the papers for us and they brought us here after we landed in Delaware and we just never looked back after that. We were like, okay, let's make this work.

Speaker 1:

Did you have any idea of what type of house you wanted or the area you wanted to be in? You had some experience with horses growing up.

Speaker 2:

Yes. So when we were looking at houses we knew we wanted to be out of town. We knew we wanted to be out of town. We wanted to have like a little hobby farm, homestead type, you know potential for a hobby farm or a little homestead. We wanted to be able to have chickens and a garden. And when we were looking at houses, this house was only on a one acre plot and we just happened to notice in the background that there was a pasture bumped up to the back of the property and we saw some horses standing out there. And all of my creeping through Google earth and everything, I saw that there was a barn and a hayfield and some horses. So we thought how bad can it be Like?

Speaker 2:

we're out you know, out of town have a little bit of space and you can see horses, so really like, how bad could that be?

Speaker 1:

Right, exactly, you know, and you might have thought about, you know, having the hobby farm and everything. But having somebody else have your hobby farm for you in the beginning to get your you know feet and your roots planted, you have the best of both worlds. And now you ended up coming here with with Christian and the baby and three dogs and a cat. You packed it up all yourself. You land it in a house you had never really set your own feet two feet, four feet, six feet into. I mean that must've been such a stressful time.

Speaker 2:

It was definitely stressful, especially like being in the middle of the pandemic. Everything was really weird. You know, just having a baby, everything is really weird, he was our first, so you know any any parents out there can appreciate what that's like. And traveling across, you know, across the pond to come back stateside from living in a foreign country and everything we all, the hoops we had to jump through just to get our animals back was that's like I could do a whole other conversation on that. Yeah, that was crazy so yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So in the midst of finally getting here, getting unpacked, having having neighbors that had horses, did you know it was a rescue?

Speaker 2:

I think and I'd have to ask my one friend, I think I had kind of looked on like google earth and saw maybe that there was like a pinpoint of it being a rescue. Or maybe when I was creeping like the street view I saw the sign like at the end of the driveway. But but I had not done any research, I hadn't like really looked into it much, maybe just at the Facebook page Right, but past that I was just it was kind of like a blur, like a passing, like oh, that's really cool.

Speaker 1:

And then you know, yeah, and then that was it.

Speaker 2:

Like you know oh my gosh, we have to like fly, you know, 13 hours with an eight month old. Oh my God.

Speaker 1:

No, crazy, crazy, and up to that point, had you and Christian even thought about a rescue?

Speaker 2:

So we had talked when we were very first married, like you know, long you said long term goals we wanted to have an animal rescue but our thought was like a small animal, you know, because we had met working at this shelter. We were like, oh we could, you know, like rescue the older dogs that you know don't have anywhere to go. Maybe someday we'll have some property and they can have somewhere to run. And you know we had talked about that for a while. But then a large, a large animal rescue like that was not anywhere on our radar.

Speaker 1:

Like not at all, not at all. All right. So you're in the house, you have the horses, you have the pasture and you finally get to meet your neighbor.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so it's really funny because we yes, so it's really funny because we the first time I met Cindy I think our dogs had escaped went to meet her dogs, so that was like a quick interaction. And then after that, chris and I took over a little basket of German goodies that we made for all of our neighbors because we really wanted to make a good impression on them since we had no idea who we were moving in next to. So we get to have a proper introduction. And that was when I got to start talking to Cindy about the horses and my horse background and who we were and where we came from, being from Wyoming, and I remember walking away from her house and just feeling so much love and excitement.

Speaker 2:

So many fears were washed away because we were like, oh my gosh, we have this house, this fixer upper, we are surrounded by amazing people. Like the opportunities are just swelling. Like we, you know, get to walk around and show our kid. Like the outside, the outdoors, there's horses, there's goats, there's nature, it's just beautiful. Here we were very excited and a lot of those fears we had moving into a house sight unseen, we're just washing away.

Speaker 1:

And during that discussion did Cindy then tell you that it was a rescue that she had?

Speaker 2:

Yes, so she mentioned it, that she had started it. She told us a lot of her background story, why she wanted to start a rescue. That was kind of when we started like, oh well, you know, if you have some free time when you want to come over and help work with the, well, you know, if you have some free time when you want to come over and help work with the horses, you know, like, that was when it really got rolling. Or like, oh, if you need help with this project, like please reach out to us, because we were also, like you know, new to the area, so having that connection with a local person was also really exciting. And then the fact that she had these horses and the fact that they were rescues and needed, you know, extra attention and the volunteering opportunity and stuff like that, like was really exciting.

Speaker 1:

So at that point did she tell you all about Second Chance Ranch Rescue or did you gradually learn all the ins and outs of the rescue?

Speaker 2:

We got a lot of information then like her and her sister and their family had actually finished building the barn that we have now put the stalls in it. I mean so much unbelievable work that they put towards it, getting the well put in, getting like funding to do this and putting pastures up, and like she gave us so many details of all that really hard work. And of course we could talk horses all day.

Speaker 2:

Like every time we got together it was like, okay, tell me more about Sphinx. Like tell me more about him and where he came from, and she would just light up Like we could sit and talk about those horses until the cows came home. And so it was kind of like gradually over time that we got the full in and out and it was really just getting to know her as a person and being around the farm, you know little things pop up here and there. So it was always like a little treat, like anytime we were going out for a walk and Cindy was over there, we always made sure to swing over and say hi, and there was always a little like a little you know fun fact that we got to learn as we got to know her that's cool, all right.

Speaker 1:

So then tell us about second chance rescue. What was it all about then and what it's still all about now? How much time do we have now? Well, we could do this in two parts, so go we got.

Speaker 2:

We got a lot of information. No, I'm, I'm just kidding. Second Chance Ranch is just like the name a second chance at life. The goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals that those animals may come from unwanted or neglected or abused animals or simply animals that are in a situation that's not ideal for them or their owner. A lot of times, those are the people that we hear from. You know, and that's a hard choice to make making the decision to surrender your animal, and also it's. It's brave because in the world of the internet, we can find a lot of different avenues to go down, and so we really appreciate when people take the steps to make sure their animals are going to a really, you know, safe place that they can get rehabilitated in. Yeah, there are people out there that abuse the system, that just want, you know, to give up, like an older horse that's not benefiting them anymore, so that can be a little bit tougher, but we're here to try and help anyone. You know that we can. Yeah, that's a whole other conversation.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely it is, and it's one that needs to be talked about, and we definitely, we can definitely do that.

Speaker 2:

The bailout programs and what we see from the auction is a whole other topic. And then you know we have our local people that really are genuinely needing help and wanting to do the right thing by their animal. And then you have the ones who are it's more of an inconvenience and so they're trying to find. You know, the whole point is to try and rehome these animals with people who are looking for, you know, a specific, whatever their little heart needs, or desires.

Speaker 2:

But that's after they're rehabilitated. Once they're healthy, we start a training program with them. That's where they'll go through a six-step program or an adoption exam that helps us know the potential, specifically the horses. That way we can give as much information as possible so that they're not getting sent, you know, back out into the world or sent to the auction house. We do groundwork work on manners, grooming, like for the farrier vet, rideability, if they are rideable, socializing with humans and animals and being used to. You know, feral three-year-old running around or a farm cart, the old golf cart buzzing by. You know we work on trailering and other desensitization for safety, really just trying to get to know them, their personalities, as much as we can to help them find you know, their happy ever after.

Speaker 1:

Right. So you just don't take the rescue in, make them feel a little bit better and then you know, find somebody, like you know, as soon as possible you go through this whole rehabilitation, this whole step program to make sure, like you said, that for the next person, for their forever home, they know exactly what the circumstance was, what it is, because on that side, when they're going to be rehomed, then you can, once they, the rehomer, tells you about them, then you know that it's going to be a good fit.

Speaker 2:

Exactly. Yeah, the point is like trying to catch the ones that are falling through the cracks, because a lot of times there are people out there seeking you know, when you, when you look at the grand scheme of things, it's like there's absolutely no way that there's enough people to like take in all of these animals that are just getting, you know, turned away. But there are, there are people out there and our job is to kind of help get them pieced together and give them the chance to get back up on their feet and kind of like giving them more time as people come into the realization of what they're seeking and got something. And then you have like buyer's remorse or like oh, my gosh, that like happened really fast.

Speaker 2:

Like going in and getting an animal is such a huge commitment, absolutely. And to give people the opportunity like, hey, come and meet them, see if it feels right. You know, you're not like in the auction pen, oh, now it's yours which happens a lot. And then they get home and they don't work out and then they get turned back. We don't want to rush that. We want to make sure that we know them as well as we can. We want to make sure they're safe, because it's little misunderstandings that happen that you know that's how animals get taken to the shelter, or. You know Absolutely. So we want to try to eliminate as much as we can in regards to helping them. You know. So we want to try and eliminate as much as we can in regards to helping them. You know, be as successful as possible.

Speaker 1:

That's right. It's the education of the whole process on both sides. And I've talked to other you know, rescue people in the field as well and they say the same thing. It's the education on both sides those who are rehoming on the rescues and those who are going to adopt the rescues. It's just total education on both sides. It is yeah right.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot, and there's also another side to running a rescue that's not just based on the animals, but it's how we have to interact with the community and working with other people, which, I'm not going to lie, sometimes it would be easier to just work with animals you know as an animal person.

Speaker 2:

It can be a little intimidating working with people, but this is so important for the success of the rescue for the animals. You know we have volunteers that come out and work with the animals. They help us with fundraising. They are probably one of the most important parts to keeping the day-to-day work. We couldn't do it without volunteers. We couldn't do all of that by ourselves, especially with our young family. But that part can be a little bit complicated, and we have to. We really. It's so important, though, like we really have to learn the in and out of working with people the same as we do working with the animals.

Speaker 2:

And let me tell you what when it comes together, it's absolutely beautiful and like irreplaceable and we have just met so many people that it's just really makes us appreciate, you know, putting yourselves out there and being vulnerable and then and having people come into your life, that is. That's a side to the rescue that we weren't quite, you know, ready for. And look at you now yeah, we have so many amazing people, you know out there helping us. But so I would say just to wrap up that that whole long spill, the rescue is really about helping as many animals as we can, but it's also about our community and working with people and kind of finding that like relationship on both sides, absolutely animal and the human.

Speaker 1:

It takes a village to run the rescue work with the community and bringing it all together for a successful rescue to re-home all those beautiful animals, absolutely. So let me ask you this how long were you in your home before Cindy did come to you and mentioned that she was looking to sell her?

Speaker 2:

She was selling her home and the rescue at that point, like we can sell our house and we'll buy the proper property you know separately. And Christian and I were daydreaming, like from the moment we moved in, about the possibilities, like, oh man, if, if we had, you know, that pasture back there, if we had the barn, like, oh my gosh, how perfect. Yeah, that never in a million years. But it was literally, I think, months later it was quick that you know, cindy she came to us and she was like hey, I have an amazing job offer. It was closer to her family. She asked if we would be interested. There was a lot of moving pieces and of course we said yes, like we, we knew Did you?

Speaker 1:

did you think about it?

Speaker 2:

No, I don't think we did Like. We just instantly when, when she called us. I'll never forget when she called and said would you guys be interested? Like if we can make this work, are you interested? And we're like, absolutely, because this never, you know, this never would. It's like insane. Yeah, I tell people and they're like oh my gosh, you, how, how in the world? And we're like it. Just, it was like such a huge blessing, we just never you know, yeah, it was everything we ever wanted.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so it was a quick decision, but then all the conversations started to how to make it happen, though.

Speaker 2:

That was a lot. We just jumped in headfirst. There was a lot of moving pieces because she was going to have to separate the property and in order for the property to be separated, there had to be, you know, buyers of the property, and that's. That's a lot, because you're getting three families together. And then it was how big the property sections were going to be, not based on what everybody wanted, but, you know, by the state, by the county it had to be.

Speaker 2:

You know, it had to be a specific size to be added on to our existing property. I mean, there was complicated, it was a huge you know undertaking for Cindy and she just was so amazing and just supportive of everyone that was coming together to make this happen. So it was. It was a lot, it was complicated on so many ends that we just didn't anticipate, but everyone came together, made it happen and we were patient as we could be. When they were doing the lot line adjustments, we'd sit and watch for those little pink flags to be out there. We'd see the guys coming and then get papers back and forth. And it was a lot to do but it was beyond worth it.

Speaker 1:

And it was. I've been there, it was. It's just worked out so beautifully.

Speaker 2:

It was definitely not, for you know the faint of heart and Cindy was so amazing helping us through that whole process and the and the other neighbors too. So, like I said, it was split into three and so we gained, you know, two more people, two more neighbors that we absolutely adore it really just worked out so that's amazing, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

All right, so you got through that. You get through the purchase, you now have your rescue and sometime during all that, oh, you had your second child, Kaylee.

Speaker 2:

Yeah right after, right after. Yeah, we took it over in May and Kaylee came in June.

Speaker 1:

Oh, my gosh. So now you have a two-year-old, a newborn and a rescue. And was there ever a time that you and Christian looked at each other and said, oh, what the heck have we done there ever a?

Speaker 2:

time that you and Christian looked at each other and said, oh, what the heck have we done? Absolutely, probably every day for months, and still now we look at each other and we're like what have we done? Like this is insane. Then you know, 5pm rolls around, it's chore time and we look at each other and we get to say look what we've done, look at this. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

It's been an emotional roller coaster for you, and both you and Christian have done such an amazing job. From you know buying the house on, you know your acre plot to taking over a rescue, and these beautiful animals that you know need need somebody like you and Christian to take care of them and know what's going to be best for them.

Speaker 2:

It's so. It's so rewarding and amazing, and there are a lot of times that it's overwhelming. You know, you look around, you're like, oh my gosh, we got to do this, we got to do that. But then, as the day rolls out or, you know, we get to the end of a long weekend, we get to watch our kids playing, our dogs living the life we always wanted, the ones that we had when we were traveling. They went through so much with us traveling all over the world and like flying on airplanes in all these different countries, being able to give them like their little retirement, was such such an amazing feeling. And then we got to share this with our family and friends right, which was a huge part of you know how I grew up, and getting to do that for our kids was such an amazing feeling. And then we get to meet all these amazing new people. That's when it really is like, oh my gosh, look at this. Like, look what we've done.

Speaker 1:

Yeah exactly, and so the dust finally settles. You finally get that dust to settle and you and Christian start running the rescue along with your board members. So Cindy has moved to Florida and Lynn, her sister, is still here in Delaware and she's on the board and she's been with you since you and Christian took over Second Chance Ranch.

Speaker 2:

And so we could not do it without her. She's amazing, there's no way. When all the everything was coming up, and and they asked us if we would be interested in taking it over. And and they asked us if we would be interested in taking it over, which is terrifying because there is so much that you don't see that happens behind the scenes. We would have been lost without one.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and she's been there with you ever since and, like you said, it's great to have somebody who has the knowledge and the background of the rescue already. And it's a 501 3C and even in that can be daunting if you don't have any experience with a nonprofit. So having Lynn on board for that as well has been a tremendous help to you and to Christian.

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, absolutely. She, the fundraising, the nonprofit, the community involvement, I mean she has done so much for us and she has guided us. It just it took away so many fears and stresses and, yeah, she's just been a huge blessing to us Absolutely, and so we get to the rescues themselves.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, so I?

Speaker 2:

have so much. This is where I get in trouble, Deb. This is where I can talk, like you know.

Speaker 1:

It's okay, it's a story to be told, it's a beautiful story to be told, and the rescues that are there and that have been there have passed over the Rainbow Bridge, and those you have now presently. So tell us about them.

Speaker 2:

We took over the rescue, we had four residents. We had Sparkles who is still here, gunner, and he is visually impaired, beautiful paint gilding. And we had Sphinx and Kiotti. Unfortunately, sphinx and Kiotti have since crossed Rainbow Bridge. They were just amazing and I'm so thankful that we got to know them and have them and enjoy them, because they were beautiful, beautiful souls. But with Sparkles and Gunner Sparkles, we have accomplished so much, you know, deb you know, deb, she's your girl, she is, she's beautiful.

Speaker 1:

Um, and, yeah, I, I ride sparkles. I got back in the saddle after many, many years and, uh, kara has been an absolute wonderful, uh, giving lessons to me and so patient, and sparkles has just been a beauty well you guys.

Speaker 2:

That was really, you know, rewarding for me to get to see you start riding again and it was also kind of her reintroduction into being a riding horse and getting ridden often. So that was really cool and we learned a lot about each other and that was what helped us get her to the Delaware state fair. I mean, she did amazingly there. She didn't love the trailer ride, no, but she did so amazing, handling the commotion, the excitement, being in town on pavement, like so many factors that people might not think about. You know, when you go to the fair you see all the pretty animals and everything, but let me tell you what it's stressful and it's hard on them and they usually handle it so gracefully and Sparkles did. She was a star.

Speaker 1:

She was oh my gosh, I'm so, so proud of her, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And that was something, you know, that was kind of out there and we just went for it, and she sparkles. I also have to do a shout out because she gave a beautiful ride to a cancer patient whose final request was to be near horses again. She had ridden in the past, um, and with the help of our amazing neighbor, we ended up getting her on sparkles, and it was a very emotional, beautiful ride, um, and that was. It's just a huge sign to the possibility of what this mare can do. You know, she's amazing, she.

Speaker 2:

She has so much potential left, and I we're always on the lookout for a forever home for her, um, unfortunately, I think my family is a little too big for her, but she has so much to give and so much potential, and we'll keep we'll keep building on that until we find the right person, but if anyone's out there looking for a spicy redhead, I've got one for you. She is it. She's so amazing, though, and she actually came from the Quantico hoarding. Situation in Maryland situation in Maryland Um, so you know, a lot of times I kind of forget about that, because you would never know no, you would not look at her now.

Speaker 2:

No, like she, she's come so far and from them thinking she was feral. When Cindy and Lynn took they took three horses from that hoarding situation they teamed up with the SPCA and were a soft landing for three of those poor horses and they said I don't know, she's probably feral, you know this and that. And she turned into such an amazing horse and Cindy got to enjoy her so much and loves her so much and for us to get to ride her and for you, deb, for everyone that gets to enjoy her you know, you just

Speaker 2:

you forget about some of that, yeah, absolutely and then we have Gunnar, still, um, he is visually impaired. He has cataracts on both of his eyes. He was probably born with them or they developed at a young age. So he would need a special situation.

Speaker 2:

We've actually discussed the possibility of a blind horse sanctuary for him Right, of a blind horse sanctuary for him right, so he could receive constant care that he needs to thrive and be in a constant, you know, have the same animals around him, um, the same settings like he's had here, yes, um, but for us I'd love to see him go, where he could go and live out his life with, you know, the same friends. But he's, he's, he's a very special soul. He has such a big personality and he has also come a long ways just in the two years that we've had him, with being around kids and equipment and other horses, and he's had a few other friends come and go. He's, he's a really special guy and we want to find a really perfect situation for him and he'll stay here until until that day, come you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you have. You have worked with with Gunnar because for not being able to see what's around him and only can hear he doesn't spook very easily, yeah.

Speaker 2:

No, no, no, he does really well and like with his grooming and things like that, like he's come a long ways to having been bathed and having his precious maiden tail brushed out for anything, um, but he really has, and he he has acclimated well to having people come to the farm and visit and getting treats and you know, like all the things that, yeah, that he gets to enjoy. So he's been.

Speaker 1:

He's such a neat guy he is oh my gosh, and then and then, you had Falkenberry oh my baby, yes, yes, he, oh my gosh, I miss that silly donkey.

Speaker 2:

such a cool guy and he what. He came a long ways too, and it's funny because when we were talking about pulling him out of the kill pin we were like, oh my gosh, we've never had a donkey before. What, what does this look like? But at that time Christian and I had both, because we got to do everything together had just torn our ACLs and he was in, like Georgia for school, tore his ACL two weeks after I was here and tore mine, and we were kind of on the back end of recovering from that. We had, unfortunately said goodbye to Sphinxie and we had an open spot and Falconberry popped up in the bailout pen and I was like you know what? I think this is it, and so we got Falconberry, had no idea what to do with the donkey, but we just tried to work with him on everything we could, getting him used to being around kids and other animals and leading, which is a whole other story with donkeys but, it was really cool.

Speaker 2:

And then all of the all the little surprises that popped up along the way, like they thought he was gilded but he wasn't. Wasn't surprise, oh my gosh. Yeah, he was so much fun and he was christian and i's first full circle adoption, and to the most lovely family so that was really exciting and he opened the door for Reba exactly.

Speaker 1:

So then Reba comes along.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, reba last year she came out of the kill pin also, and she was. They thought she was 17 years old.

Speaker 2:

They failed to mention a few other things, but that's how it goes when you're when you're doing it like that, and that's fine, but we did it through when you're doing it like that, and that's fine, but we did it through a bailout program because of our, you know, not being able to go to the auctions and be there in person. Um, that was our option, which I am grateful for, because it did bring us to Reba, who is such a special girl and oh she's just so, how old is she?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, how, how old did you?

Speaker 2:

how old is she? They, the vet, aged her at 28. Yes, yeah, 28 years young. Um, she had a few blemishes, a few things going on with her that were signs of hard use. She had some joints kind of fused up, probably from just being used every day of her life. And then somebody thought it was fair to her to take her and dump her off at the auction and let her go into the kill pen. And we said not today, you're coming home with us girlfriend.

Speaker 1:

That's right.

Speaker 2:

And until until she finds a home, or until the day that she crosses Rainbow Bridge, she'll be here and she'll be loved, and we are going to start a little program for her. She has gained enough weight that we can start seeing what she can do, start walking her through you know little obstacle courses and maybe get some kids around her and see how she does with that Cause maybe she'd make someone a really nice little trail horse.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, she's absolutely beautiful.

Speaker 1:

So it was the 4th of July week that you went and picked Miss Reba up when my business partner, ron and I came to see Miss Reba broke our hearts, let me tell you so, looking from the outside, in coming to see Reba, who was just oh, you could see her ribs. She was so malnourished. If her head hung any lower it would hit the ground. It looked like she had given up. She was barely standing, barely standing to see Reba. Now, to see Reba now with her head held high. Her coat is just so glossy red. She has gained the weight. She is the happiest mare out in that pasture. She loves to be groomed. She is like the happy horse of the house. If you ever feel down, go see Miss Reba and you will feel, oh my gosh, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

And this is what the rescue is about. The rescue is about Kara and Christian, who care so immensely about these animals that they're able to go pick them up from a kill pen or go pick them up from hoarding situations or wherever these animals have come from, and to be able to go full circle and yes, I'm on my soapbox to be able to do what you guys have done is absolutely amazing. And so, people, if you're listening and you're going to be listening, and you have to go and you have to do something. I don't care if it's volunteer an hour a month or to do the donation, and I speak from my heart, and if you can't tell that then there's something wrong with me. So just to interrupt, because it is so, so important what you and Christian do, and it takes everybody to help you get through it. And that's just my two cents.

Speaker 2:

Well, I appreciate that because, let me tell you, when you are running something like a rescue and any of my other, you know, rescue families out there listening it's hard to ask for help.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And when you have to ask so many times, you know you feel it it's hard for us to reach out and say, hey, you know we need the extra help with chores, or we need the extra help cleaning this up, or you know like the labor that goes behind it, the financial part of it is. You know it's immense without doing you know like Lynn has been amazing with fundraising we push on social media and even doing that I'm not going to lie, it's hard Sometimes. It's hard to be like, okay, you got to do it, you got to put it out there. If you don't ask, they can't help.

Speaker 1:

No, no and so so why don't you tell everybody where they can, where they can go to donate on the website or Facebook?

Speaker 2:

Facebook is a great resource for that. They have the birthday fundraiser that you can do and that money Facebook yourself just on your page Instagram as well. But if you want to make a donation straight to us, the website has multiple options. We have the PayPal, which takes debit and credit cards. We have Venmo Cash App mailing a check. Do it the old-fashioned way and you know what.

Speaker 2:

You can also just call me and say hey, I want to come out and I'll say all right when works for you, come on out and can show you around, and if you feel inclined to donate, then I absolutely appreciate that as well. So there's a lot of ways, a lot of ways to get ahold of us, a lot of ways to help and honestly I know everyone says this, but there is no amount that is too small, because at the end of the day, you know, a bag of shavings costs $5. A bale of hay is $6. I mean, seriously, there is no amount too small. However, works for you, we can make it, we can make it happen.

Speaker 1:

That's right, and that's what I say when I talk about donating. It's like a dollar adds up. You know a dollar here and a dollar there and it adds up, because then you take all these donations and what are the projects that you either have already accomplished or projects that are coming up?

Speaker 2:

Probably our biggest accomplishment after we took over the rescue was getting the second pasture put in. It was a hayfield before the rescue was getting the second pasture put in. It was a hayfield before and then, when we had the lot lines adjusted with the sale of the property, it turned into a pasture. That way we had somewhere for the horses to go. That we accomplished with GoFundMe and a lot of social media pushing. That was great, and now we want to expand once again with what we have been lovingly referring to as runs.

Speaker 2:

These are definitely our biggest expense, our biggest push. Right now. They are 40 foot by 14 foot pens that would go under the overhang that already exists on the side of the barn, would go under the overhang that already exists on the side of the barn. It is literally perfect for four animals because it's warm, it's out of the wind, it's protected. It would give them somewhere they could go so that we could rotate off of our pastures to increase the health of the pastures. It's also a great way to monitor what goes in the horse, what comes out. They're still close to the other horses so it's not stressful. They are. It's able to dry a lot without having to go into the stall, because going into the stall smaller, obviously more confinement. But it also uses resources. You know we have to clean with and put new shavings in and things like that. So as far as cost efficiency and better, you know, movement for the animal oh right, these runs are where it's at and we are.

Speaker 2:

We're fully pushing for that because it would allow us to take a couple more horses in. It would give us somewhere to put them. You know when it's time for the grass to start growing and when they need. You know if they're on medication or anything like that. It would just open up so many possibilities. With that comes the fencing which we have reached out to, cameo Fencing. They're out of Georgia. They have an amazing fence that is super safe. They're willing to work with us, which is very exciting. We need to get the ground right. You know your gravel, sand everything to make sure it stays drained. The drainage is proper.

Speaker 2:

That's Christian's area of expertise, really but, that is probably probably costs as much as the fencing does. That is probably probably cost as much as the fencing does so it's a big, it's a big push, but I think it's going to be a huge, huge improvement once we can get it done, oh my God. And with that we're going to have some events and some fundraising and fun things like that, so we can try and get this project moving forward.

Speaker 1:

That's right. So you're going to have an open house in the fall, which I'm looking forward to, oh my gosh, Deb, this is your baby too.

Speaker 2:

Deb is the one who put this bug in my ear and she has been such a huge help. And we're so excited because it gives people the chance to come out and meet us, see the animals, see the property and spread the word. We can meet face to face, which is always better, and we're thinking about having some vendors come out. People can also. Other small businesses can have the chance to grow Having live music, having food, maybe some baked goods. I mean, there's so many possibilities. We're just beyond excited to do it.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh. Yes, just to bring the whole community together. I just want to give a shout out to Christian because I've been able to watch the two of you together. I've been able to this because I've been there a year. It's you together. I've been able to this because I've been there a year. It's like, where did this year go to? I know it's crazy, but I watched the two of you together. You're just awesome. You balance each other out. But Christian is such a great dad and such a great husband. I mean he picks up the kids and, gosh, you know, he grabs Kacen and on the tractor they go to cut the grass. Or you're down at the barn with me with Kacen. He's up at the house with Kaylee. I mean he's just, he's nonstop too. And you go to school. He works. It's like, okay, well, when do you sleep?

Speaker 2:

He's awesome, that's a good question, Deb yeah.

Speaker 1:

I would also like to know that. No, I'm just kidding, right, it's a lot. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, he is, he's been, and Christian didn't come from a big agriculture background. You know he was always outdoorsy, always wanted to have land and to be able to have kind of that homestead lifestyle. I'm like, okay, here we go, you can have, you know, the hobby farm, the homestead and the garden and the chickens. Also, we're going to save some horses and goats turns out. Yeah, I was just going to.

Speaker 1:

I was getting to that too. It's like wait, what else besides horses is on that farm?

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, it's been. It's been amazing. The goats and the chickens and the ducks definitely. We didn't exactly plan on that, but we like to keep our options open because you really never know who's going to be knocking looking for a second chance. Some of the chickens came from the local auction house. I think he went and picked them picked up just the rattiest girls out there doctored them up, fed them up and they look so much better. Their egg production has picked up tenfold and they are some of the sweetest hens ever. You know the ducks were surrendered to us. We were not expecting to have rescue ducks. Absolutely love them and we have adapted to having them.

Speaker 1:

And I think they're very happy Goaty boys.

Speaker 2:

They were surrendered to us and before we got that call we had discussed getting goats. But we were like you know what, let's just wait, it'll happen when it's supposed to happen, we'll know when it's time, and then we're on like the flight from you know where and I get this phone call.

Speaker 2:

And it's the nicest guy and he's like you know what. It would be better for them, you know, not in a good situation, would love to see them go somewhere. And I looked at Christian and I was like someone you know just called they need to surrender their goats. And he was like all right, as soon as we get home I'll put up that bottom strand, I'll build them a house. We have goats now. It just was. It was so cool because we were just waiting for it to happen and then it happened.

Speaker 1:

And that's how it was supposed to happen.

Speaker 2:

You talk about it and there they are, and I just have to say I never know what I'm going to find when I arrive at the rescue, never know what's going to be in that stall.

Speaker 1:

It's like I never know.

Speaker 2:

It's like oh, what do I hear now? It really, it really can be like that sometimes you know we get some interesting calls and we try and help guide them in direction.

Speaker 2:

Like you know, baby calves and and other farm animals that you know we haven't quite got there yet, so but we try and try and help everyone that we can and then it just it's so funny. You just have to trust the process. You know, let go and let God, and pretty soon you you get some, some awesome little goatees and ducks and chickens and a donkey, and that's right and everybody.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and everybody can go to the website at 2crdeorg to see all the uh. You can see the pictures of the horses and uh falconberries on there. If you are interested in um becoming or adopting from the second Chance Ranch, they can contact you through the website, correct?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. There is a contact form on the front page that goes directly into the inbox and then we reach out to you, usually via email or you know, if you're messaging on the Facebook or shoot me a text message, my phone number is also on there we will get in contact with you, and all the information about adopting, sponsoring donations and not just monetary donations but other things, other supplies that we can use are on there. We have a list of projects that we would like to accomplish. We have our past projects and our past donors pictures. I try and keep pictures up to date as much as possible, but social media is probably the best that creative outlet. You can usually find a lot of good pictures on the social media, but yeah, the website we try and keep everything up to date.

Speaker 2:

That has been has been a good resource.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, so you can. You can go there, you can sign up for volunteering, you can make the donation, you can sign up to just to come see the rescue, and you can also sign up to take writing lessons.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely yeah. There's a list of services that we offer riding lessons for every level, being one of them farm visits. I actually just had someone reach out to me about coming out on Mother's Day with her mom, and we're setting up a really fun little picnic for them right now. That will also include getting on a horse. So there are endless options, and we also probably don't talk about it enough, but hosting events is something that we're very interested in and love to do, and it's something that we do for ourselves with our family and with you know, like our kids' birthday parties and things like that.

Speaker 2:

But you know what, if you have a kid that loves animals or farms or something like that, shoot me a message, Cause I love to collaborate and I want to, you know, make that a possibility. I grew up with that in my backyard, having a barn and having animals, and then I moved away and it was really hard and I wish I would have known of an outlet for that and having small kids. Now, you know, when they say I want a farm birthday, like you're going to do anything to make that possible. There's the contact card right there, Just just it can't hurt to ask.

Speaker 1:

No, not at all, and we've talked about having other people do events at the barn. So there are a lot of different opportunities, absolutely. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you want to touch upon?

Speaker 2:

Oh my, gosh, you know what? Deb Not off the top of my head because like I could talk all day and all night about this rescue, because it really is such a such a huge part of our life and such a blessing. I hope that it brings joy to other people and that it gives them somewhere to find peace. We love sharing it. We look forward to doing more things with it. We look forward to saving more animals. It comes in all different shapes and forms.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think we've talked about a lot, but I could definitely go on.

Speaker 1:

No, it is all good, kara, I appreciate you taking the time and talking about Second Chance Rescue in Felton, delaware. I look forward to a long time at the rescue with you.

Speaker 2:

Well, deb, we really couldn't do a lot of this without you, and I want to say thank you, because you have just opened so many doors for us and you are a huge bright spot in my life and I look forward to you coming out every week and I look forward to your pictures that you send me. When I'm not there. It's peace of mind. We love having you. I feel like I've known you forever. I feel like we've, like gone through such a journey together and so I really really appreciate.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Thank you, I appreciate you coming out. Thank you, it's been so much fun.

Speaker 2:

We have so much more to do. We have a lot more to do and I look forward to it. I'm excited.

Speaker 1:

I am too. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you and Christian and the kids.

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Debra LaMotta

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