A horse named Mr. Bojangles changed Casey Montana’s life. She rescued him from a kill pen, but he died just three months later. Still, his story didn’t end there.
How WarAngel Farms Began
Kill pens are holding pens where some horses end up after being bought at auction. Often, they are then sent on to slaughterhouses. About 10 years ago, Montana pulled Mr. Bojangles out of one.
She did everything she could for him. Sadly, it wasn’t enough. “Couldn’t save him,” she told CBS Atlanta in an interview published on Thursday, Oct. 29. “Tried really hard. He was such a big part of my heart.”
Even so, Montana decided to try again. She started rescuing more horses that might otherwise have been slaughtered. Over time, that effort grew into WarAngel Farms, her 100-acre family farm in Canton, Georgia, about 40 miles outside Atlanta.
The farm’s website explains the plan: “While some animals might end up in sanctuary, we plan to rescue and rehabilitate the animals we can, and adopt them out to approved forever homes!”
A Place for People to Heal, Too
WarAngel Farms is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it helps people as well as animals. Volunteers who need to complete community service are welcome. That includes people battling addiction or mental health challenges, veterans, and people convicted of DUI offenses.
According to Montana, the work helps volunteers connect more deeply with the animals. In her words, “It just brings healing to my heart and theirs.”
That idea sits at the center of the farm’s mission. “Our mission is to be good stewards of Gods animals here on earth,” the website reads. “To rescue, rehabilitate, and find forever homes for the animals that come into our care. We are a place of hope, healing, and second chances to people and animals.”
Meet Some of the Rescues
Most of the farm’s horses come from kill pens in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Many arrive in poor health.
Take Birdie, for example. She was just five days old when she came in with her mother. Birdie had respiratory and immune-system problems. She was also born the same night her mother was taken to a kill pen.
Then there’s Rumor, who arrived pregnant and severely malnourished. Later, staff noticed a tattoo on her lip and learned she had been a racing quarter horse. “It just shows you that any kind of horse can end up at a kill pen,” Montana said.
Horses aren’t the only residents, either. The farm is also home to goats, pigs, and donkeys. And then there’s Ringo, an 80-pound African spurred tortoise rescued from New York.
“He’s so smart. He walks around with me,” Montana said. “I do put him in a wheelbarrow to bring him back because he’s like 80 pounds, so heavy.”
A Farm Built With Family
Montana’s father, a Vietnam Marine, was a major supporter of the farm. He built its roads and fences, and he taught her some of the most important lessons about farm life.
“Because this was his heaven on earth,” she shared. “And I think he’d be proud to see how it’s grown.”