Community Rallying to Help Rebuild Collapsed Horse Barn

There's an all-out community effort underway to put a new roof over four horses from North Stonington.

Their barn at Rott-N-Horses Farm collapsed a few weeks ago under the intense weight of ice and snow. The horses made it out alive, but now they need a new shelter.

And that's where the community has been stepping up — big time. For starters, a local man has taken the horses in to his barn.

Tracy Cook Boisclair also set up a fundraiser page on the website Go Fund Me and in 17 days, 85 different people have donated a total of $4,936. 

"[I] am absolutely IN AWE of the generosity of our rescue friends, previous adopters, personal friends and family members, and most unbelievable of all, total strangers who have contributed over $4,500 to our fund in less than 2 weeks!" Boisclair writes on the site.

Those funds are being used to order the material for the walls, roof and trusses. But that's a fraction of the overall scope of the project — and the $20,000 fundraising goal. 

Roger and Cathy Whitehead operate the nonprofit rescue farm. And, unfortunately, their insurance policy did not cover roof collapses on the barn.

But, amidst the difficulty of their situation, good news has come to the Whiteheads and their rescue. About two weeks ago, an anonymous donor paid off their vet bill in full.

"Words can not express our gratitude for this amazing and wonderful gift," Boisclair writes. "You have reached out to us in our moment of despair and given us renewed hope! Hope that even though we are being tested by the loss of the barn, the washing machine, the flooding and on and on, we have the most AMAZING SUPPORTERS and we WILL continue our mission to rescue!!

To help with the effort, check out the Go Fund Me page.