Creekside Farm and Equine Rescue

A double-edged sword so to speak. Yes, the Mexican border is closed to slaughter transport. No, Canada is not. However we've seen MANY "rescues" pushing for urgent donations for kill pen pulls. Once again - do your due diligence. Know what happens to that horse once you donate. Don't take what they promote at face value. Two VERY well known "rescues" rake in millions of dollars every year, just to turn around and euthanize the horses for fixable issues! Why? Because the initial push for donations is where they pad their pockets. More space = more pulls = more money. They can't pull if they're spending 6+ months rehabbing a horse with neglected hooves or "temperament issues". And look at what they're pulling - the worst. The largest. The ones that get views and shares. It's all a marketing scheme to generate revenue. Many of them work directly with kill buyers.

This is one of the many reasons we decided to step back from the "kill pen" scene and focus on helping locally. Again, we're simply urging everyone to be mindful of where your hard-earned donations are going ❤️❤️

We were able to make a much-needed feed run today. ❤️

This run covered:
10 bags of Ultium Senior
3 bags of Big Red Complete
2 bags of Flock Maker
Total paid: $428.05

Before making this purchase, we personally contributed into the rescue account to cover the dog food and half of the flock feed. All of our dogs are rescues — every single one — and when we took them in, we made a personal commitment to their care.

The horse grain was the largest need today, and recent donations helped make that possible. Even with our personal contribution added in, this feed run used the full balance we had available.

Our next urgent need is hay within the next couple of days. A hay run is $225, and that’s what we need to cover next.

This is the honest side of rescue. Feed and hay disappear fast, and the needs keep coming whether donations do or not. We are doing everything we can on our end, and every bit of help truly matters.

If anyone is able to help toward the $225 hay run, we would be so grateful. Every dollar, every share, and every direct feed store donation helps.

We know everyone is stretched thin, and we never take help for granted. Thank you for continuing to show up for them with us.

Linktr.ee/CreeksideFER

BREAKING NEWS:

Doodle Duck has undergone a dramatic career change.

More details tomorrow. 🦆😂

Thursday morning update...

A few kind people helped us earlier this week, and we’re incredibly thankful for that support. It truly helped us catch our breath for a moment.

But rescue life moves fast, and the costs don’t slow down.

Right now, we have $257 left in the rescue account.

One hay run (5 bales) costs $225.
Feed is around $30 a bag, and we go through two bags every 3 days.

The truth is, rescues like ours don’t have large donors quietly covering expenses behind the scenes. We don’t receive grants. We don’t have corporate sponsors. Most of the time, even with over 5,000 followers, we may only receive a handful of donations when we post.

That isn’t meant to make anyone feel bad. It’s just the honest reality of small rescue work.

Everything here survives because ordinary people occasionally step in when they can. A bag of feed. A share. A small donation. A kind word. It all matters more than people realize.

The animals don’t know any of this, of course. They just know breakfast is supposed to happen every morning.

We’ve already closed intake so we can focus on responsibly caring for the animals already here, but even with intake closed, the daily expenses continue nonstop.

Hay.
Feed.
Shavings.
Repairs.
Vet care.

It adds up quickly.

If anyone would like to help:
• Feed donations can be called directly into Roger’s Feed
• Tractor Supply orders can be placed online for pickup in Mauldin or Woodruff, SC
• Hay support is always appreciated
• Even simply sharing this post helps us reach new people

We’ll keep doing what we always do: stretching every dollar, working hard, and making sure the animals here stay safe, fed, and cared for.

Thank you for continuing to stand beside this little rescue.

We’re still closed to intake.

But sometimes a situation lands in front of you and you already know how it ends if nobody steps in.

This sweet Indian Runner duck was found alone at a neighborhood pond after being dumped there. A resident noticed immediately that she wasn’t wild — instead of avoiding people, she walked right up looking for comfort and safety.

They caught her, started searching for help, and refused to just turn her loose again. After multiple places couldn’t take her, they reached out to us.

And now, less than 24 hours later… this is her.

Curled up indoors in her duck diaper, wrapped in blankets, completely relaxed and asleep with her tiny head tucked under her wing like she’s finally able to rest.

That’s what makes this so heartbreaking.

Domestic ducks are not wild animals just because someone abandons them outside. Most struggle terribly once dumped. They face predators, injuries, stress, hunger, bullying from other waterfowl, and a very lonely, confusing existence. Female ducks especially can end up severely injured when left alone without a flock or protection.

People often buy ducklings because they’re adorable and tiny at feed stores this time of year. But they grow quickly. They become messy. Loud. Expensive. Time consuming.

And too many end up abandoned when they stop being “cute.”

This girl was lucky.

Lucky someone noticed her.
Lucky someone cared enough to catch her.
Lucky someone kept searching for help instead of walking away.

Because of that, she’s safe, warm, sleepy, and finally able to relax.

Welcome to Creekside, sweet girl. 🖤

Some days at the rescue feel a lot like this pond on a rainy day.

The storm shows up whether you’re ready for it or not. The water gets rougher, the sky gets heavier, and all you can really do is keep floating and hope you make it through it.

That’s kind of where we are right now.

I almost didn’t post this because I know everybody is struggling too. Everything feels expensive lately, and I hate even asking for help when I know so many people are already stretched thin. But I also promised myself I’d always be honest about where things stand here — even when things aren’t going great.

Truthfully, we’re stressed.

We’ve had to close intake because we can’t responsibly take on more animals right now. Feed prices keep climbing, hay is disappearing faster than we planned, and we’ve cut back to only the vet visits that absolutely cannot wait.

The latest hay load has been frustrating. It looked fine at first, but it’s loosely baled and we’re going through it way faster than normal. What should’ve lasted much longer… hasn’t.

Earlier this year, people donated toward pasture and fence repairs, and I want everyone to know that money absolutely went where it was supposed to. Supplies were bought, repairs were made, and work got done. We just couldn’t fully finish everything before regular rescue expenses started piling back up again.

Usually we somehow figure it out quietly behind the scenes.

This month has just been harder.

The same few people keep stepping in again and again to help keep this place going, and I honestly don’t know what we’d do without them. They’ve carried more of this than they should have to, and I’ll always be grateful for them.

We’ve been covering the gaps ourselves however we can, but savings only stretch so far. And if I’m being real, it’s getting scary.

One thing we’ve never really figured out is grants. A lot of bigger rescues survive because they have grant funding helping with feed, medical care, and day-to-day costs. We don’t have that. So if anyone has experience writing grants, knows organizations that support equine rescues, or even just knows where to start, we’d truly appreciate the help.

Nobody opens a rescue because it’s easy.

You do it because the animals still need care when it rains. They still need full feed buckets, dry shelter, safe fencing, and somebody willing to keep showing up for them no matter what things look like financially.

And we are still showing up.

But if you’ve ever wanted to help Creekside, now would mean more than I can explain.

A donation. A bag of feed. Hay connections. Sharing our posts. Helping us find grant opportunities. It all matters.

And honestly, thank you for sticking with us through the hard posts too — not just the happy ones. ❤️

If you'd like to help: Linktr.ee/CreeksideFER

Memorial Day is not a celebration.

It is appreciation.
It is honor.
It is gratitude carried in heavy hearts and quiet moments.

It is a folded flag handed to a trembling family.
An empty chair that no one can bear to move.
Dog tags tucked safely in a drawer.
A photograph held a little tighter today.
A name traced carefully with your finger so time never dares erase it.

It is the sound of freedom wrapped in sacrifice.
The silence after the final goodbye.
The ache left behind for spouses, parents, children, friends, and brothers-in-arms who kept living after part of them never came home.

Today is for the heroes who gave everything they had for people they would never meet.
For those who missed birthdays, first steps, graduations, anniversaries, and ordinary mornings so the rest of us could have them.

Before the cookouts, the sales, the lake trips, and the long weekend — pause.
Remember why this day exists.

Because somewhere, for someone, Memorial Day is deeply personal.
And freedom was purchased at a cost far greater than words can ever repay.

We remember them.
We honor them.
We thank them. 🇺🇸