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    Must love horses: Volunteers needed for horse sanctuary

    Must love horses: Volunteers needed for horse sanctuary

    Courtesy Photo | A child takes a pony ride during one of several educational programs and field trip...... read more read more

    HI, UNITED STATES

    09.16.2015

    Story by Christine Cabalo 

    Marine Corps Base Hawaii

    KUNIA, Hawaii - Civilian and military volunteers are harnessing their time and effort to make a difference for abused and abandoned horses in Kunia, Hawaii.

    Equine 808, a local nonprofit organization, is recruiting help to care for horses and other animals in need of shelter. A total of 45 donkeys and horses have been rescued since the organization began caring for animals in 2008. The group welcomes everyone, but the organization may offer a unique volunteering experience for service members and their families, said Diane Cornish, the organization’s volunteer executive director.

    “Marines and Sailors are very able bodied,” she said. “We do need help doing physical work. In return, here at the shelter you [have open space]. This is a perfect opportunity for people who are animal lovers but due to their commitments may not be able to maintain animal ownership.”

    When Amanda Forbes has time off from her job as an active-duty Sailor with Navy Region Hawaii, she spends those days of leave at the shelter.

    “I grew up on a small farm,” said Forbes, a native of Woodburn, Ore. “I wanted to get back to working with animals. Working at the horse rescue, I can do that and get volunteer hours.”

    The shelter is located in central Oahu on a ranch stretching out with an unobstructed back vista of the island’s Koolau Mountains.

    “This is such a peaceful and quiet place to get away from city and relax,” Forbes said. “There’s a beautiful view. [Working today] there was a long rainbow that stretched from the North Shore to Ford Island. It’s a great place to relax you [too]. You can do physical work and get out some frustrations.”

    Whenever she’s had a bad day, Forbes said she looks forward to how the animals show their affection for her volunteering. Cornish and Forbes said many of the shelter’s animals have been abandoned or abused. With a history of mistreatment, the animals are not used to human kindness.

    “For one of the horses here that has bad feet, every time we get that horse’s feet in a bucket to soothe, the horse shows how much it appreciates the help,” she said. “Once, the horse even nuzzled me in for a hug.”

    The nonprofit organization is looking for volunteers to help maintain the horses, assist with administration work and reach out to the community. Volunteer assistance to repair the shelter’s infrastructure, including the ranch’s fencing, is especially needed.

    “We have a ton of damage from recent rain and increased mud,” Cornish said. “We could use material for fencing and help putting it up. With the heavy rains, the ground here is so saturated.”

    Volunteers can assist individually or in larger groups. The shelter hosts a volunteer orientation on the first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. Cornish said units or groups of volunteers can call ahead of time to coordinate. Volunteers 18 or older may individually volunteer. Children ages 7 to 17 may enroll in the shelter’s Equine Education Program and volunteer as part of their learning curriculum. Volunteers are required to wear close-toed shoes, and Cornish also recommends wearing long pants.

    “[The shelter] is a peaceful place,” Cornish said. “People who volunteer can really see the fruits of their labor. If they have a stressful job, this is a place to unwind. Volunteers will be working hard, but in many ways it’s a way for their mind to relax.”

    For details, call 808-590-1210 or email info@equine808.com. The organization’s website is www.equine808.com.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.16.2015
    Date Posted: 09.16.2015 23:20
    Story ID: 176309
    Location: HI, US
    Hometown: WOODBURN, OR, US

    Web Views: 438
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN