Shilo’s Steady host donor appreciation evening for his or her assist in direction of horse rescue

SANDS TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WLUC) – A Marquette County organization for neglected or abused horses has made a “toast” to donors who support their mission.

Sally’s Fund and the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (UPAWS) hosted an appreciation event Thursday evening at Shilo’s Stable – at the UPAWS shelter in Sands Township.

It was a wine-and-food get-together where donors met with Sally’s Fund and UPAWS members – and they learned more about the horse rescue program from the picture albums and memorabilia on display.

The stable was built in October 2019 for Sally’s Fund, a program named after the founder’s late friend and horse owner, Sally Paajanen.

Sally’s Fund is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of neglected or abused horses, and Shilo’s Stable serves as a safe haven for horse welfare.

“Since the stable opened in 2019, we have ten horses here that we have been able to successfully care for and adopt. It has given us the ability to move animals much faster, to be able to intervene more quickly when there is a case of neglect, faster than in the past. We don’t just have to rely on the grace of the people and their farms now, ”said Cheri Johnson, co-founder of Sally’s Fund.

The program also focuses on training horse owners – a preliminary effort before the organization deems it necessary to find new homes for neglected or abused horses.

“Luckily we don’t have any horses in the house at the moment. Last year at that time we had four here. We’re also ready whenever law enforcement needs us, we’re here and can get animals to safety as soon as possible, ”said Johnson.

And the co-founder of the horse rescue program and everyone involved in the mission took full advantage of Thursday evening to thank everyone who has provided and continues to give the support.

“We would like to thank the donors very much, because this facility has been a dream for 19 years. It was amazing to see it finally come true, ”said Cheri Johnson, co-founder of Sally’s Fund.

The family of the late Sally Paajanen also took part in the donation evening.

The program’s next big fundraiser is the 19th Annual Sally’s Ride on September 25th from 1pm to 4pm Eastern at the Marquette County Fairgrounds in Sands Township.

The ride fee is $ 25 and booths can be reserved for $ 10 in advance of the event – contact Andi at 906-361-4655 for more information.

Shilo’s stable is maintained exclusively through donations. To donate to the program, you can visit Sally’s Fund Facebook page or the UPAWS website.

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