By P.A. Geddie
The Pegasus Project has rescued, rehabilitated, retrained, and re-homed hundreds of mistreated horses, donkeys, and mules since its founding in 2009. Owners Allyson and Mike DeCanio — an attorney and pilot respectively — made it their mission to nurse back to health as many neglected equines as possible, guiding them through the process of learning to trust humans again from their ranch on 95 acres between Ben Wheeler and Murchison, Texas.
While they will maintain the Pegasus presence in Texas with their core rescue programs, this summer they are moving the herd to Cerrillos, New Mexico, just minutes south of Santa Fe.
“As Mike and I age, we are looking for sunnier, drier weather,” Allyson says. “We chose Santa Fe for its fantastic climate, proximity to Texas, and multiple friends and Pegasus supporters in the area. As a Texas nonprofit, we will maintain a strong presence in Texas through our safety net program and our long-term rescue partnerships with other Texas nonprofits. We will also continue our partnerships with Texas law enforcement in providing legal support for seizure operations. Basically, nothing will change other than our rescue herd will reside in the high desert of New Mexico rather than the grassy pastures of Northeast Texas.”
The DeCanios and a team of trainers and ranch staff care for up to 50 rescued animals at a time. They work with law enforcement and animal welfare groups to rescue the horses, and once rehabilitated, their goal is to adopt them out to carefully chosen homes. Several special needs horses stay with The Pegasus Project for life.
Allyson, as president of the nonprofit, says their motto “We Give Horses Wings” has multiple layers — besides being a symbol of good triumphing over evil, Pegasus is a constellation, a horse that lives forever in the sky.
“We picked Pegasus because we think of it as regeneration, a rebirth — and giving these horses wings and allowing them to fly,” she says.
Tragic situations abound, and there’s always a new case that tests the nonprofit’s resources. One year, The Pegasus Project was heavily involved in the rescue of an abandoned and severely malnourished equine herd in Wood County. It started when the DeCanios got word about a yearling foal with an untreated, necrotic wound on the side of its face. The Pegasus Project attempted treatment, but the horse died from malnutrition, parasite overload, and the severity of the wound.
Investigation into the foal’s abandonment led the organization to the rest of the horse’s herd and the discovery of four skeletons of other dead horses and 14 remaining equines. The Pegasus Project took in the remainder of the herd, working with the court to assess the penalties for the herd’s owner.
Since the rescue, all six of the miniature donkeys in the herd were adopted, two more were born, and eight horses and a mule were rehabilitated and adopted.
“You know, the demand and the need for rescuing neglected and abandoned, abused horses — it’s daily,” Allyson says. “It’s such a constant thing.”
While the organization faces an equal number of challenges in the summer, the winter months sometimes pose more difficulties. Several years ago, during a particularly cold winter, the automatic waterers in every horse pasture froze.
“We lost power and our generator failed, so we had to pump water out of our pond into a tank and drive our truck around and fill water troughs. And as soon as we’d get done with it, we’d have to do it again,” Allyson says.
It’s tough work, she notes. “You can’t be a baby or you couldn’t do it,” she says. “Because they need to be fed every day and hayed every day and cleaned up after every day. “
Funded entirely through donations and the sale of project-related merchandise, the charity depends on the generosity of its supporters and volunteers during its two annual fundraising events: Wings Over Pegasus in April and North Texas Giving Day in September.
Because of the move, time is limited this year, so instead of the more elaborate Wings Over Pegasus, they are doing a Cowboy Poetry Gathering on April 25 featuring singer-songwriter and cowboy poet Richard Elloyan at Villa Montez in Tyler. Guests are invited to write and recite their poetry as well at this VIP sponsor-only event.
For more info about the fundraiser and The Pegasus Project, visit PegasusRescue.org.
