Name: Charlotte

    Type: Mule

    Color: Bay

      Markings: Dorsal Stripe

    Sex: Mare

    Birthday: 1/1/2017

Charlotte is one of our younger residents here at Red Bell Run. Her circumstances and the way she came to the Sanctuary is truly a sad story. While she wasn’t technically “abused” she certainly suffered from an uncaring and irresponsible owner who gave her poor mother no training or care. That led to Charlotte and her mother Grace being dumped at an auction and nearly purchased by one of the most notorious kill buyers in the United States.

We were contacted by members of another rescue who were attending the auction and had managed to win the bid for the pair, a stunning grey Quarter Horse mare and a little molly mule who was about four months old, but they didn’t have the facilities to accommodate them since they were unhandleable. The previous owner had let a jack donkey breed the beautiful mare, and while he fed her, never handled the mare or her foal. This meant they received no farrier or vet care and were unvaccinated (so important for foals) and riddled with parasites. The rescue asked that Red Bell Run take them. Because both were unhandled, we sent them to a trainer who specialized in handling wild horses, so they could be halter broke and start receiving the care they needed. 

While Charlotte was able to be handled fairly soon, Grace proved more difficult. They were able to be dewormed (their parasite counts were over 8,000), but to do any other veterinary or farrier care required that Grace be trapped behind a panel and heavily sedated first. The pair were strongly bonded and while Charlotte became accustomed to people, poor Grace never did. Unfortunately, Grace damaged her hoof and before long the infection set up in her coffin bone. Once the trainer realized there was an issue and notified us, Red Bell Run arranged for a vet who was willing to try to go to her to help. Sadly, it was too late and poor Grace had to be humanely euthanized. At this point we arranged for Charlotte to be brought to Red Bell Run. She has settled in and is best friends with Ernest, a huge mammoth donkey who adores her, in our Sunset Ridge barn. Charlotte is turning a beautiful grey like her mother and is quite a character. She loves playing with the water hose and is definitely a mule with all of the quirks of their kind. We love her sassy attitude!