Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue (BHHR) is an all-volunteer organization, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of abused, neglected, and abandoned horses and farmed animals. BHHR was founded in 1997 in Marlin, Texas, by Sue Chapman, named in honor of the first horse it rescued, Becky. In 2014, BHHR relocated to 120 beautiful acres in Frisco, TX, near Dallas.
The story of Becky is heartbreaking and moving. Her story is available on the BHHR website and recounts how this amazing creature was rescued and given the care she needed. Becky was spotted for the first time on a hot summer day in 1997. She was severely malnourished and was described as a “walking skeleton with weeping wounds and severe hair loss.” She wasn’t even in a proper pasture, just a yard full of junk and weeds with no shelter and no water. The rescuers notified authorities immediately and her ‘owners’ were ordered to provide the proper care for her. The next day, the rescuers saw that her conditions were unchanged, so they took legal action and won, and were awarded custody in just two days.
Because her condition was so deteriorated, Becky was transported to Texas A&M University where she had to undergo several life-saving surgeries. Her recovery was long, but after several months of constant care, she made a full recovery. She lived out the rest of her days in love and comfort, and was the matriarch of this rescue organization, as well as to the many animals who were rescued in her name.
Another star of BHHR is an unlikely horse named Bubbles. Bubbles took it upon himself to escape from a kill pen. BHHR heard about a group of mini donkeys who were scheduled to be sent to Mexico for slaughter. They arranged to buy the herd and headed for the kill pens to collect them. When they arrived and started loading the donkeys on the truck, this old horse, with ears lost to frostbite, walked straight towards the trailer and “blended in” with the donkeys. He went past the gates and ignored the shouts from the kill pen employees. It was as if he knew this was his last chance and his only way to freedom. Sue and her team of rescuers realized they couldn’t leave him behind. They approached the manager at the kill pen, bought him on the spot, and transferred him to BHHR along with the mini donkeys. Bubbles now has his own Facebook page, and spends his days in love and care with his donkey buddies.
“A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered.”
Becky’s Hope rescues not only horses, mules, and donkeys, but also farmed animals, including goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and cattle, and even a few cats and dogs. Everyone is welcome! Here, there is a small herd of cows that belonged to one woman. She loved them so much that she refused to let them be sold to slaughter, and she kept them as her companions. Before she passed away, she asked her children to save them and keep them all together. When BHHR heard about this, they gladly accepted her herd and gave them a forever home.
At BHHR there are several donkeys and mules. Jedi, a donkey, was rescued along with a group of starving horses. He was not doing very well, but with the help of authorities, the ‘owner’ surrendered the horses and donkeys to BHHR, and Jedi and the horses were nursed back to health. Jedi is very shy and not yet trusting of his human caretakers, but is slowly coming around to them. He shares his pasture with four other donkeys and three horses with plenty of room to roam.
BHHR is fully funded by generous donations from the public. Donors can also become sponsors of an animal in order to help meet that animal’s needs, for anything from hoof care to vet care, feed, hay, bedding, shelter, or any other needs the animal requires. It was the vision of one woman to provide lives of hope and safety for abandoned animals in need of love. At Becky’s Hope, her vision has been realized.
To learn more, visit Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue.
FROM THE FOUNDERS
Volunteering at Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue
Becky’s Hope is a 100% volunteer-run rescue! So we appreciate the important contributions that our volunteers make to the improvement and ongoing maintenance of our beautiful Frisco facility. Volunteers support our mission by performing many of the chores in and around the barn, thereby freeing us to devote our energies and talents to the rehabilitation of the horses we all love.
We are first and foremost a working ranch and the care and maintenance of our animals is our top priority.
The safety of our animals, volunteers and visitors is also a top priority. Anyone interested in volunteering with us should note: we are not a public park, a riding stable, or a daycare. The volunteer jobs at the rescue are all manual labor and include such tasks as mucking, water trough cleaning and refilling, bucket pick up and cleaning, litter pick up, and other barn and facility maintenance chores that arise on an as-needed basis. In the winter months it can be cold and muddy and in the summer months we deal with heat, humidity and—of course—insects.
Volunteers should be prepared to get dirty and all volunteers should be current on tetanus vaccinations. We require that all volunteers sign our liability release waiver and parents or legal guardians must sign for minors. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times.
Volunteers who don’t find manual labor appealing are always needed to help with fundraising, community outreach and/or onsite events planning and execution.
