MSSPA dedicates new intake barn in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Abused and neglected horses now have a “Safe Place to Land” to heal and recover as the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals has officially opened and dedicated a new 2,400-square-foot intake and quarantine barn on its farm in Windham.

Guests tour the new 'McCulloch Family Barn' during a 
dedication for the new equine intake barn and facility at
the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals
in Windham on Sunday, May 31.
PHOTO BY RICHARD SAWYER

MSSPA Advancement Director Peg Keyser said as the number of horses arriving at MSSPA has surged in recent years with many coming from cases of severe neglect, abuse, or with significant medical challenges, the urgency for a dedicated space where incoming horses can receive care they desperately need continues to grow.

She said the new intake and quarantine barn is designed to offer every horse a safe and supportive beginning to their journey of healing.

“The horses coming into this new barn are in quarantine and as you can imagine, many horses come to us with challenging health concerns, and often with no medical records or medical history,” Keyser said. “Many have not had much,if any, vet care. All horses are quarantined for 28 days while they receive an intake exam, do necessary bloodwork, receive vaccines, and begin their journey to rehabilitation.”

A horse will not be integrated into MSSPA’s resident herd until staff there have a thorough understanding of its health challenges and have begun the process of re-feeding, caring for, and returning the horse to optimum health.

“Even after quarantining for 28 days, some horses will stay in the McCulloch Family Barn if they have medical challenges that keep them from joining the resident herd,” Keyser said. “Some need more time simply to get strong and gain weight.”

A $1.5 million fundraising campaign was created last spring to build the new intake barn and facility under the leadership of Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director and it immediately got a huge boost when MSSPA received a matching gift of $500,000 from the McCullouch Family of Southern Maine who were extended the opportunity to name the new barn as the “McCulloch Family Barn.”

Dave McCulloch and other members of his family were on hand Sunday, May 31 as the new barn and intake facility was dedicated. During that event, MSSPA staff, volunteers and community supporters got a chance to tour the barn and explore what it has to offer.

The barn and its paddocks and adjacent pastures sit on seven acres at the farm. It has eight stalls, with two stalls each opening into one of four corner paddocks. Each corner paddock also has two run-in enclosures – three sided, covered open enclosures, so that while horses are out in a paddock, they have a place to go into to get out of the elements, sun, rain, and snow.

“Many of the horses that come to us have lived outside 24/7, so unless they are critically compromised or ill, they do well outside with a run-in shed for protection around-the-clock,” Keyser said. “This barn gives us amazing flexibility to accommodate horses in all stages of health and to also receive larger groups of horses. Now we can do that safely and efficiently.”

She said that the fencing was designed and installed so there is no nose-to-nose contact between paddocks.

“We even re-did much of the pasture fencing so that those large pastures also feature no nose-to-nose contact,” Keyser said. “That entire corner of the farm gives us many options to receive small and large herds of horses in varying stages of health.”

According to Keyser, the MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

During the dedication ceremony, Keyser said MSSPA has teamed up with the Safe Voices Domestic Violence Program of Lewiston to create a “Safe Shelter” program to offer respite care to the horses of domestic violence survivors who need to house their horse somewhere while they flee an abusive situation.

“We are very proud of this program, and we have already welcomed one horse whose owner was able to leave her abusive situation and work to re-establish a new residency,” Keyser said. “That horse left the farm last week to re-join his mom. Those incoming Safe Shelter horses will also be housed at the McCulloch Family Barn.” 

Along with the Safe Voices program, MSSPA teamed with RedRover and Greater Good Charities for grants to secure funding and support of the “Safe Shelter” program.

For 154 years, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) has been a sanctuary for Maine’s most vulnerable horses including those rescued from abuse, neglect, and heartbreaking circumstances. Its mission is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.

The new intake barn was funded thanks to 269 donations and gifts, Woodbrey said.

J.M. Brown was the contractor, sitework was done by Shaw Brothers Construction and fencing completed by Main Line Fence. The site plan was done by Andy Johnston at Atlantic Resource Consulting, and the Owners Representative was Blaine Buck at Cordjia Capital Investments. <

MSSPA donkey foal’s name fits fiery personality

By Erin Rose

After more than 400 votes and many comments on Facebook, the newest donkey at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) has a spicy name to match a fiery personality.

The donkey foal born in April at the Maine
State Society for the Protection of Animals 
in Windham has been named 'Pepperjack'
following a vote by the public on social 
media. The foal's mother, Diane, was
part of a group of donkeys and miniature
horses that were surrendered last fall
to the MSSPA. COURTESY PHOTO 

The public chose “Pepperjack” from a list of five names, which were selected by the MSSPA staff from names proposed by the organization’s Horse Heroes, monthly donors who support their work and receive special updates from the MSSPA. Members of the public were asked to vote via a link on the MSSPA’s Facebook page.

“’Pepperjack’ was by and large the runaway winner,” said Peg Keyser, MSSPA Advancement Director. “It also means we get to call them ‘Jack and Diane,’ which will be meaningful to music fans.”

The foal’s adorable features, including oversized ears, and impish personality have enraptured the staff at the MSSPA.

“He is the cutest thing in the whole world,” Keyser said. “His ears are adult sized and the rest of him is just catching up.”

Diane delivered the male foal (also called a “jack”) in the early hours of Monday, April 20. She is part of a group of five donkeys and two miniature horses known as the “Thanksgiving Angels” who were surrendered to the MSSPA in November 2025.

The staff suspected the 15-year-old donkey was expecting but had been waiting for a blood test to confirm the news when Pepperjack arrived in the night.

“When donkeys get close to delivery, they typically get a little uneasy, dribble a little water from their udders, they get a little waxy on their udders, and none of that happened,” Keyser said. “She was completely chill with no indication of any uneasiness or anything like that.”

When staff came in to start the morning routine and feed the animals in the outdoor paddock, they were shocked to find an extra inhabitant in the pen.

“Kenny, one of our staff members, came around the corner to begin to deliver the morning breakfast, and did a rub-your-eyes double take as there was little Pepperjack,” Keyser explained, saying that the staff have a group text chat, which exploded with talk of how many speeding tickets would be issued to the team that morning as everyone raced to the facility to get a look at the new baby, who was already walking around and nursing.

“The vet said he was born probably very early morning, likely 1 or 2 a.m., just like they’ve been doing since time eternal,” she said. “By the grace of God, everything went seamlessly.”

In the winter, staff started noticing Diane growing in unexpected ways and suspicions began to grow that the herd would soon expand.

“Around February or March, Diane started getting quite round and everyone noticed,” Keyser said. “She was round in a way that looked like she was carrying a baby and wasn’t just her putting on weight.”

Determining when donkeys are pregnant is challenging, as they carry babies for 11 to 14 months, meaning Diane was likely pregnant when she was surrendered to the care of MSSPA last fall.

“We had zero idea when she got pregnant, so this could have been in April or even maybe July,” Keyser said.

Prior to being surrendered, the two intact males of the farm’s Thanksgiving Angels, Kevin and Finn, were able to freely mingle with the two intact females. While Olive, the other female donkey of the group, arrived with a six-month-old baby named Yahtzee, Keyser explained that “a week after having that baby, she’s available to get pregnant again.”

The staff are now watching Olive even more closely, as they suspect she may be expecting a new baby.

“It’s too early to say for sure, but we’re hoping for a Christmas donkey,” Keyser added, noting that the MSSPA is waiting for the results of a blood test to confirm the pregnancy.

From information received by the MSSPA, they believe this may be Diane’s third baby meaning she was well-versed in the process of delivering the foal.

“She is an amazing mom. He was checking things out, nursing well, and she would push him in the right direction to guide him,” Keyser said. “We reveled in the sight of the paddock, but Diane, God love her, was just saying ‘it’s no big deal.’”

One of the biggest struggles for the Thanksgiving Angels has been developing a positive and healthy relationship with humans, including trusting their caregivers to halter and lead them. None of the equines were handled much prior to their surrender, so the staff at MSSPA have worked hard to build bonds to allow for easier handling.

“Diane was so unhandled and un-handleable that two staff members would each have a lead and try to lead her from the paddock to the barn, and she would drag them,” Keyser said, adding that she wanted nothing to do with humans.

Hours of work from the staff and from Chris Lombard, a professional horse trainer who donates his time to the MSSPA when able, and their limitless patience, helped show Diane how to trust the people around her.

“Diane was such a dramatic transformation,” Keyser said. “She became affectionate, curious, gentle; she began to trust humans.”

“When you have the gift of time to spend with these horses, and they begin to realize that they’re in a different place, a place where they can start to trust that the humans here are nice to them, you can really see the difference,” she said. “Their eyes start to brighten, they become curious. They come to the fence as opposed to standing in the back corner of the paddock and making very clear they don’t want to have anything to do with you.” 

“It’s inside all of these horses; it just takes time, patience, love and skill to peel those layers back,” Keyser said.

Diane has regressed slightly in her amazing progress from becoming a mother, but Keyser said it is to be expected.

“That’s because she’s a protective mom,” she said. “She’s not as interested in engaging, but now she’s allowing staff to be with her and be with the baby.”

“All of that training, we had no idea how important it was. Had she had this baby and she hadn’t been handled, it would have been very different,” Keyser said. 

Interest is high in donkeys, but none of the now six donkeys from the Thanksgiving Angels have been adopted yet, due to each of their own unique situations and needs. Olive was only recently weened from Yahtzee, and if she’s expecting again, she will remain under the care of the MSSPA until delivered. While there has been some interest in adopting her, Diane also will remain with the center until Pepperjack is weened and the two can be separated. Finn and Kevin have been gelded and are working to recover from that procedure before being considered for adoption.

The two mini horses from the group have found a new home together after spending some time at the MSSPA to lose some weight.

“It was unusual for us, as they were quite overweight,” Keyser said. “They were like meatballs with legs. They lost a good amount of weight and have been adopted together.

The 501(c) (3) charitable organization uses a combination of donations, bequests, grants and fundraising to provide care and support for equines that have been abused or neglected. Volunteers provided more than 10,700 hours of service to the MSSPA last year. Visitors are welcome to the MSSPA’s facility on River Road in Windham on “Summer Sundays”, which run from May through October from 11 a.m.-2p.m.

For more details about Pepperjack or Diane, or about donating to the MSSPA to support the duo or its other equines, visit www.msspa.org <

Surrendered herd of donkeys adjusting to new surroundings at MSSPA in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Five donkeys and two miniature horses have a new lease on life after being surrendered to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham in November.

Surrendered donkeys Kevin and Diane are all ears as they
settle into their new paddock at the Maine State Society for
the Protection of Animals in Windham. The animals were
part of a group of seven equines who arrived for care
and rehabilitation at MSSPA in November.
COURTESY  PHOTO 

Three of the five donkeys went immediately into veterinary care before coming to the MSSPA farm with two of them gelded and one had her hooves worked on while under sedation. All seven of the equines were part of a surrender from a location in Maine and were dubbed by MSSPA staff as “The Thanksgiving Angels.”

Peg Keyser, MSSPA Advancement Director, said that the donkeys and miniature horses had not had veterinary care in a very long time.

“Two donkeys, a mother and son, Olive and Yahtzee, and two miniature horses, Harry and Marv, came directly to the MSSPA and three donkeys, Finn, Kevin and Diane, all traveled directly from the site of the surrender to a nearby vet for immediate care,” Keyser said. “Diane is 15 years old and had terribly overgrown feet. She had not been handled much, and initial foot care needed to be done under sedation at a veterinary hospital. Diane also needed extensive dental care which was also done under sedation.”

Keyser said that Kevin, also 15, needed to be gelded which is something that is more of a major surgery when an equine is older. Finn, only 18 months old, was gelded as well. Both Kevin and Finn had their feet done under sedation as well.

“About five days after the first influx of these angels, Finn, Kevin and Diane also came to the MSSPA from the vet hospital,” she said. “They were officially the first residents of the MSSPA’s new McCulloch Family Barn, A Safe Place to Land, and their arrival marked all seven angels being in residence here at the farm.”

Since their arrival, the little herd is adjusting to life at the MSSPA farm having finished a quarantine period and are being integrated into the MSSPA larger herd. Each equine in the group has their own rehabilitative plan, such as the miniature horses were quite overweight and needed to lose some weight which is not typical of MSSPA’s incoming equines.

“Olive and Yahtzee were weaned, a routine process of separating mother and offspring, and Yahtzee joined Finn together in a paddock,” Keyser said. “They are like two brothers. And they act like two brothers and happily greet visitors at the fence. There is little that is cuter than a ‘baby’ donkey like Yahtzee, and we are pretty sure he knows it.”

She said that Olive is enjoying her new space and is doing well. She now shares a paddock with Kevin and Diane.

“Diane had substantially corrective trimming on her feet, and when she arrived, you could tell it felt different, and good, to be walking normally. However, you can imagine that it will take time for her legs and muscles to adjust which is what is happening,” Keyser said. “Diane, who wanted very little to do with humans when she got here, is slowly warming up to staff and volunteers and quietly shows interest in interacting with humans. Kevin had a more difficult time healing from his gelding surgery as an older equine, and this surgery is harder to heal from. It took him a while, but with patient care, he is now doing beautifully and has fully recovered. Finn and Yahtzee are soaking up whatever sun appears in this cold weather and enjoying each other’s company.”

Keyser said that the donkeys are smart and strong.

“Since this little herd had not been handled much, MSSPA’s staff has worked to halter and lead them which at times has taken two staffers,” she said. “They are all so loveable and staff have wasted no time enjoying their company. They each have lovely personalities. So far, they have settled right into life at the MSSPA. There is a great deal of interest in these donkeys. Their adoption timelines will be different for each one, based on the care and rehabilitation that they will still need.”

According to Keyser, Harry the miniature horse weighed 375 pounds when he arrived, nearly 100 pounds more than he should weigh.

“While most of our arrivals present in various stages of starvation, these two miniature horses needed to lose weight. They both also needed immediate farrier care as their feet had not been attended to in years,” she said. “Both Harry and Marv settled right in, have had their feet done, and are slowly shedding the pounds, although it is hard to tell this with their very thick winter coats currently in place. They have also been moved into the bigger herd and joined matriarchs Cherry and Autumn in their paddock.”

Based in Windham, the mission of the MSSPA is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected. The MSSPA’s goal for each horse or equine is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director, said taking in the surrendered donkeys and miniature horses demonstrates the organization’s commitment to preserving equine lives.

“The MSSPA exists to protect equines from abuse and neglect, and this case is a powerful reminder of why that work matters,” Woodbrey said. “Today, these donkeys and miniature horses are safe, receiving the care, training, and patience they need to heal and thrive. Now, that comes with extensive rehabilitative costs – both at the outset and going forward – but because of the generosity of our supporters these equines will have a second chance at futures they deserve. All of us at the MSSPA are deeply grateful to the compassionate community that makes this life-saving work possible.”

She said that if the public wants to help support the rehabilitation of this herd, they can make a donation through the MSSPA website at https://www.msspa.org/give/. <

MSSPA takes in four severely neglected horses from New York state surrender case

By Ed Pierce

Four seriously endangered and neglected horses have found a safe place to land and recover at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) in Windham.

Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals staffers
Tina Cormier and Danette McGee welcome Gibson, a
16-year-old gelding as he arrives in Windham on
Tuesday, Jan. 6 after being transported from Rood &
Riddle Veterinary Hospital in Saratoga, New York.
COURTESY PHOTO MSSPA 

The Standardbred horses – three mares and a stallion – arrived in Windham during the past week after being surrendered in Rensselaer County, New York by an elderly owner who had become overwhelmed and could no longer provide the care for a group of nine horses that they desperately needed. Four of the nine had been trapped in stalls for years, standing in as much as 5 feet of manure.

Dorset Equine Rescue of Vermont agreed to keep two of the surrendered stallions, a mare and its filly, and another facility, Tomten Farm and Sanctuary of Vermont, is caring for another stallion. MSSPA received three mares on Saturday, Jan. 3 and a stallion named Gibson arrived Tuesday.

“Receiving a horse that has been severely neglected means that horse will likely have profound, expensive medical needs,” said Peg Keyser, MSSPA Advancement Director. “This can strain a single rescue, so when several rescues work together, those costs can be spread out a bit.”

She said the three unnamed mares arrived looking thin and needing attention to their hooves and teeth. One has an eye injury that went untreated and is in desperate need of care.

“Her eye might sadly need to be removed.” Keyser said. “The four stallions were housed in a barn at the location that was some of the most deplorable conditions we have ever seen. They were each standing in stalls, in their own manure that had grown to a level of 5 or 6 feet. They were quite literally standing above the stall walls, on their own manure, which was compacted to the point of being like cement. They had not been taken out of these stalls, possibly for years. The local fire department there had to be called in to use their 'jaws of life' to cut through the stall walls to give rescuers the ability to make an exit the horses could navigate. The stallions were terrified. Imagine the discomfort of standing atop your own manure for years. Imagine that barn in the summer, with all the flies. It was like standing on cement.”

Before arriving in Windham, Gibson was gelded and he also had his hooves and teeth worked on while he was at the veterinarian. He was filthy with an extensively matted mane and technicians at the vet groomed him and got those mats out, Keyser said.

When the mares arrived at MSSPA, they were put into a paddock together at MSSPA’s new McCulloch Family Barn, A Safe Place To Land intake facility for abused and neglected horses and they immediately began to explore. Keyser said that one of them took a good roll in the snow, a sign that she was relaxed enough to enjoy a roll.

“Hopefully they know they have found their way to this safe place to land.” she said.

Based in Windham, the mission of the MSSPA is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected. The MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director, says each of the horses under MSSPA’s care will receive the care and vital treatment that they need to recover.

"For the past five years, MSSPA has partnered with equine shelters across New England to rescue horses from severe neglect,” Woodbrey said. “Horses that come to the MSSPA find safety, compassionate care, and the time they need to heal. Because of these regional partnerships, hundreds of horses have regained their strength and moved into futures defined not by past suffering, but by the bright promise that lies ahead for each and every one."

The three surrendered mares are estimated to be ages 7, 11, and 18, and Gibson, the gelded stallion, is 16.

“All horses coming to the farm receive an intake exam with one of our veterinarians,” Keyser said. “The vet does an overall assessment of each horse's body condition, will often draw blood, look at eyes, skin, listen to the heart, lungs, look at the coat, feet – all outward indications of the horses' health. Based on those observations, the vet will help staff create a re-feeding program and advise about care going forward. Most horses coming in have external and internal parasites, those will be treated. They also require routine vaccinations, and these can only be administered when the horse is strong enough. Based on this vet exam, our staff then oversees the care and feeding of each individual horse, for however long it takes to return that horse to optimum health. This can take months or even years. Then, when a horse is healthy, staff will begin assessing and training that horse with an eye to adoption. As you might imagine, each horse presents with different health challenges. Some horses are simply underweight and require hoof and teeth care, and they begin to recover beautifully. Other horses might have chronic conditions that will require supplements and medication – all of that is determined when the vet does the initial exam.”

All horses that come to the MSSPA farm are quarantined for a month for many reasons.

“We want to be sure the horse has had the necessary vaccines, etc. before integrating it with the resident herd,” Keyser said. “Staff are the only ones handling horses in quarantine, visitors do not pet or interact with them so as to not spread any disease. Generally, most horses are done with quarantine after 28 days. Horses for which we have title to/ownership of, those horses that have been surrendered to us, can then be integrated into the resident herd. Horses that are still part of an ongoing court case do not get folded into the herd, in an effort to be sure they are not injured in the normal paddock behavior of horses. So, even when a horse that was seized by law enforcement has completed quarantine, it is still kept separate from the resident herd. These horses can be housed with other horses from their own court case, and certainly in an adjacent paddock to horses in the MSSPA herd.”

Intake exams on the surrendered horses were conducted Thursday to reveal more, but one mare presented with a serious eye injury that has been untreated.

“We will certainly be paying close attention to that, and it might require that the eye be removed. That remains to be determined,” Keyser said. “That might delay her joining the resident herd. Also, Gibson was recently gelded so there will be some healing time for him after that surgery. That might delay his joining the herd, but likely he will be able to do so when his quarantine is completed.”

According to Keyser, the surrendered mares seem to be adjusting beautifully to their new surroundings at MSSPA.

“They are friendly, waiting at the gate when staff attends them, and they seem to be enjoying their new home,” she said. <

MSSPA breaks ground on new intake barn in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Tuesday morning was a dream realized for everyone associated with the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham as the non-profit organization officially broke ground a new intake barn for abused and neglected horses.

Donors Laurie Hooker, left, and her father, Dave McCulloch,
center, join Kathy Woodbrey, Executive Director of the
Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals during
a groundbreaking at the Windham facility for a new intake barn
for abused and neglected horses on Tuesday. The McCulloch
Family donated $500,000 to the 'A Safe Place to Land'
campaign to help build a new barn at the site.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

For 152 years, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) has been a sanctuary for Maine’s most vulnerable horses including those rescued from abuse, neglect, and heartbreaking circumstances. Its mission is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines and the idea to build a new intake barn at the facility on River Road in Windham was proposed more than three years ago.

Over the past five years, the number of horses arriving at MSSPA has grown with many coming from cases of severe neglect, abuse, or with significant medical challenges. As the complexity of these cases surged, so did the urgency for a dedicated space where incoming horses can receive the care they desperately need.

Earlier this year, MSSPA announced a $1.5 million fundraising campaign for a new “A Safe Place to Land” intake barn and with more than four-fifths of the way toward that goal now accomplished, staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and board members gathered at the site to celebrate starting construction for the new facility.

“It’s taken a group of individuals who have come together to make this barn possible, and it’s been a group effort,” said Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director.

The 3,000-square-foot intake barn will be situated on the other side of the MSSPA property from where other MSSPA horses are being cared for. It will include dedicated stalls for each new equine arrival, reducing potential disease transmission and offering a dry, warm space for horses to heal. Its secure paddock areas and improved footing will allow horses to slowly acclimate to their new surroundings and room for veterinarians to perform health assessments.

Because of its location away from the MSSPA herd, the new barn also will have separate grain and medication stations to prevent cross-contamination of food and medicine and help to streamline operations for MSSPA staff. The new barn will feature additional space for equipment and the project includes the installation of an electronic security gate at the MSSPA property.

Donors attending Tuesday’s groundbreaking festivities included members of the McCulloch family who provided a gift to MSSPA of $500,000 for the new “Safe Place to Land” intake barn. As a result of their generosity, the barn will be known as the “McCulloch Family Barn, A Safe Place to Land.”

Dave McCulloch of Scarborough and his daughter, Laurie Hooker of Alton, New Hampshire, each spoke during the groundbreaking event and they both expressed what a great and caring organization that MSSPA is.

“MSSPA has found a way to rescue horses who had nowhere to go,” McCulloch said. “It shows their devotion and that people do choose to care. And it says a lot about the resilience of horses.”

Hooker said that after visiting MSSPA in Windham for the first time, she knew this is a great cause to contribute to.

“The work they do here truly moved me deeply,” she said. “It’s more than a facility, it’s a sanctuary.”

MSSPA Board Chair John Lescure told the gathering that the new barn has been carefully planned and will provide the foundation for recovery of every new horse placed into the care of the organization.

“All around it’s such a great thing,” Lescure said.

The MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.

Peg Keyser, MSSPA Advancement Director, said MSSPA also wishes to thank all donors of the “Safe Place to Land” campaign and that the society also is grateful to receive thousands of feet of donated fencing and run-in sheds from the Dyke Horse Farm site in Windham and RSU 14 now that the school district is building the new Windham Raymond Middle School at the old Dyke farm site.

She said MSSPA’s goal for each horse they take in is rehabilitation and to find them a new home, but emphasized that if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

The new intake barn site will be located on 7 acres of MSSPA’s 124-acre property.

To make a donation online, visit msspa.org/asafeplace or in person at MSSPA, 279 River Road in Windham. <

MSSPA launches campaign to build new intake barn

By Ed Pierce

The future is now for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham and a new $1.5 million fundraising campaign will help the organization build a new intake barn for abused and neglected horses to heal and recover.

The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals is
conducting 'A Safe Place to Land' fundraising campaign to
raise $1.5 million to build a new eight-stall intake barn
at their facility on River Road in Windham. The project
includes improved paddocks and better footing for healing
horses. Shown is an artist's depiction of the new barn.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director, said that plans for the “Safe Place to Land” intake barn have been carefully weighed and discussed for the past two years, and the fundraising campaign has already reached more than halfway toward its $1.5 million goal.

“This will such a huge upgrade for us,” Woodbrey said. “Our current facilities, while functional, no longer meet the needs of our mission. This new barn is so much more than a barn, it’s a promise. A promise to every horse that has a safe place to land, to recover and to start life anew. Everything about the new barn has been discussed, from how the stall doors open to how the fencing is to be configured.”

MSSPA Advancement Director Peg Keyser said that in the last five years, the number of horses arriving at MSSPA has surged with many coming from cases of severe neglect, abuse, or with significant medical challenges. As the complexity of these cases grows, so does the urgency for a dedicated space where incoming horses can receive the care they desperately need.

Keyser says that the “Safe Place to Land” Capital Campaign is an opportunity to create that space, an intake and quarantine barn designed to offer every horse a safe and supportive beginning to their journey of healing.

“This vital facility, along with secure paddocks and necessary footing improvements, will provide the foundation for every horse’s recovery,” she said. “By working together, we can ensure that incoming horses are cared for in an environment that protects their health and wellbeing from the moment they arrive.”

For 152 years, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) has been a sanctuary for Maine’s most vulnerable horses including those rescued from abuse, neglect, and heartbreaking circumstances. Its mission is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.

According to Keyser, the MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

The “Safe Place to Land” campaign has already a matching gift of $500,000 from the McCulloch Family of Southern Maine who will be extended the opportunity to name the new barn. MSSPA also has been fortunate to receive donated thousands of feet of fencing and run-in sheds from the Dyke Horse Farm site in Windham, and RSU 14 now that the school district is building the new Windham Raymond Middle School at the Dyke farm site.

The site for the new intake barn sits on 7 acres of MSSPA’s 124-acre property on River Road in Windham. Plans call for the intake barn to be open-air with eight wooden stalls. The contractor for the intake barn project will be J.M. Brown and sitework will be completed by Shaw Brothers Construction.

Keyser said that the 3,000-square-foot barn will be built on the other side of the MSSPA property from where other horses being cared for are kept. The new barn will feature space for equipment and the project also will include the installation of an electronic security gate at the property.

The new barn will feature dedicated stalls for each equine arrival, reducing potential disease transmission and offering a dry, warm space for horses to heal. Its secure paddock areas and improved footing will allow horses to slowly acclimate to their new surroundings and room for veterinarians to perform health assessments. Because of its location away from the MSSPA herd, the new barn also will have separate grain and medication stations to prevent cross-contamination of food and medicine and streamlines operations for MSSPA staff.

Woodbrey said there is tremendous interest in this project and MSSPA’s engaged donor base consists of horse lovers willing to help.

“We welcome people to make a donation of any size,” she said. “We’re happy to give donors a tour and we really want to make it easy to support this project. The tens of thousands of dollars and donations we’ve received so far represents the best of this community and we could not be more grateful.”

To make a donation online, visit msspa.org/asafeplace or in person at MSSPA, 279 River Road in Windham.

Donations may also be made using the QR code: