Tommy (above left) is an older and completely blind horse that was taken in by Ashley DiFelice at the former Twist of Fate "sanctuary". Unfortunately I don't know anything about his backstory - I don't even have a previous photo of Tommy since Ashley didn't post anything about him. However, I do know that he had a very rough time under Ashley's "care". 

Once all of Ashley's crimes were discovered in July of 2022, a short time later she was officially charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty, and one of those charges is for Tommy. According to the court documents, when he was rescued he had a body score of 1.5. One and a half. He was emaciated and was suffering from untreated Cushing's Disease as well. Cushing's Disease (or PPID) is a hormonal condition caused by a disfunction of the pituitary gland and can result in increased coat length and delayed shedding of their winter coat, lethargy, weight loss, increased sweating, excessive drinking and urinating, and laminitis (inflammation of the foot). There is no cure for Cushing's, but the symptoms can be managed with medication. Ashley never bothered to get Tommy the meds that he needed to ease his suffering. 

Tommy was living with other malnourished horses at TOF, as well as the corpses of his friends. You may have previously read about Gatsby's story* that mentioned Tommy. Being blind, Tommy struggled a bit to find his way around, and the body of a horse that was later identified as Gatsby was lying on the floor of the barn where Tommy and a few other horses were being kept on the property. Tommy couldn't see Gatsby's body, but no doubt he could smell him for weeks, maybe longer, and had to accidentally step on him and trip over him whenever he tried to navigate his area as well as anytime he needed to seek shelter from the sun, heat, or rain. In a video of Tommy that was posted to Instagram you can tell that he is very disturbed by what he could sense was in the barn even if he was unable to see why.

I'm often reminded of how the hundred plus animals at Twist of Fate were aware of each other - they may not have always been able to see each other from their different fields, sheds, barns, and stalls, but they could no doubt hear each other calling out for food, water and help, and they could no doubt smell the stench of putrid algae-filled drinking water, festering garbage and rotting food, still sealed in the original bags instead of being distributed to the dying animals. They could also all smell decaying bodies. I am reminded of this even more when talking about the many blind animals that were at TOF, like Tommy. His confusion was probably at a higher level than most of the other animals who had their sight, and this only added to his ever present fear. 

Tommy was taken in by Rancho Relaxo (@boochaces, @ranchorelaxoteam, and @hispees) and given medication for his Cushings, vaccinations, numerous vet visits to get and keep him healthy, visits from the farrier, a meal plan, a rain blanket, a winter blanket - every single thing that he lacked while under Ashley's "care". Tommy wasn't originally going to go to Rancho Relaxo since they were already taking in 3 cows (including Rigel*!), a horse, and a dozen cats, but Caitlin and Len felt a special pull towards Tommy. They walked into the field where Tommy and Moose* were the last two horses waiting for placement, and Moose charged them in an effort to protect his last remaining friend. Moose took care of Tommy when no one else would, helping him find what little there was to eat and any water that may have been around. Not wanting to separate the friends, Caitlin and Len took them both in. Under Rancho Relaxo's care Tommy has gained 150 pounds in the year that he's been with them and has made another great friend in their horse Rocky (above right), who also lovingly looks out for Tommy. 

If you would like to make a donation towards Tommy's care or towards any of the other animals at Rancho Relaxo, you can do so via their website, PayPal (boochaces@aol.com), or Venmo (@boochaces). They also have an Amazon Wishlist, a GoFundMe, and adorable merch on Bonfire! You can also make a monthly donation in any amount by joining their Patreon, and you can also join the Rancho Relaxo Takeover Patreon (formerly the Twist of Fate Patreon but now solely under the control of Rancho Relaxo) - this money goes towards the care of the 6 animals that they took in from the cruelty case as well as additional expenses that they were forced to take on as a result, like the mortgage of the property. Even $1-5 per month goes a long way!

We're so happy that Tommy survived all of Ashley's neglect with the help of Moose and his other friends looking out for him when Ashley wouldn't, and that he was both rescued and taken in by Rancho Relaxo. Please give @boochaces, @hispees, and @ranchorelaxoteam a follow to see Tommy and all his friends happy and finally living the life that they all deserve!

Thank you for being here. 

*You can read Gatsby's story here, and you can read Rigel's story here. Also, the stories of Moose as well as the rescued barn cats will be shared soon! 

Ashley's next court date is October 12th. 

Please continue to share the petition across all channels. (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, NextDoor, YouTube, WeChat, Telegram, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, etc, and please send it directly to people via email and/or text). If you have already shared it, please share it again. 

We are trying to get as many signatures and comments on the petition as possible before then - it would be great to break 15,000!! Thank you!!