Tinkabelle’s tale is one that hits you right in the gut, a sad reality of what too many animals go through just to make a buck for their owners.
You could see the chaffing and wounds on her chest and stifles from the rough harness she’d been strapped into, and she was clearly not getting enough to eat. But despite all the pain and hunger, she kept on working, pulling that cart day in and day out.
She was treated like a tool, plain and simple, just a way for her owner to line their pockets. It’s heartbreaking to think about how she was worked to the bone but left wanting for the basics, like a warm place to sleep, decent food, and someone to look out for her health.
Everything changed for Tinkabelle in September 2023, when our inspectors swooped in, following a tip-off from the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement’s Animal Control Unit and rescued her from her miserable life in Mitchell’s Plain.
Can you imagine how she must’ve felt when surrounded by kindness? Fresh oat hay, cool water, gentle hands patching her up – it must’ve felt like a dream compared to her old life tied to that cart.
She’s never pulled a cart again, nor will she ever – and she’s gorgeous!
“Despite of all she’s been through, there isn’t a mean hair in her beautiful mane”, says Inspector Mark Syce, “we can’t understand why nobody has fallen head over heels for her yet. She has an easy-going nature, lovely ground manners and her kindness towards other horses has made her a favourite in the Unit”.
