On August 29th, 2005, my home and everything in it was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. On that day, my life, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and animals changed forever. Since then, I have been on the receiving end of government, private, and personal charity. I can't even begin to thank everyone who helped out my family, and yes, even my pets.

Because of the hurricane, I have learned the true value of giving.

Yes, I gave to charities in the past. But usually it was an afterthought. A few coins here, a few used clothing items there. There were times I wanted to do more but didn't know how.

I know there are others like me out there, and now that I truly know how important it is to give, I want to help more than ever, and I want to help those who want to help. (How's that for confusing?)

So every month, on the 29th, I'm going to feature a worth cause in my blog. Starting today. So let's move on to this month's Worthy Cause.

This month belongs to Cowgirl Spirit.

Do you know what happens to horses that are past their prime? To horses that are still in their prime but have been injured and the owners don't want to deal with the expense of nursing the horse back to health? To race horses that no longer run as fast as they used to?

They are auctioned off to meat brokers, who sell them to slaughter houses.

Imagine you're a horse who was treated well. Who trusted humans. Suddenly, you're loaded into a trailer and unloaded into a corral full of other confused horses. You get paraded through a loud, confusing auction house. Someone buys you. Beats you until you load into his scroungy trailer. You're unloaded into a filthy, muddy corral, where the smell of fear, blood, and death permeate the air. You're beaten again, until you load into a chute. Ahead of you, horses scream. The smell of blood grows stronger. The horse in front you you is brutally killed right in front of you. You know it's coming. You can't escape. You're next.

Several undercover news agencies have gone into slaughter houses during investigations. What they have found is sad and shocking. Often animals are cut up while they are still alive. One news station out of Seattle recorded several cattle whose feet were chopped off before the cows were dead.

This is what happens to the horses who were raised with love, and who love and trust humans.

Cowgirl Spirit has rescued eight horses so far, with money they raised from car washes. They go to auction houses and outbuy meat brokers for "worthless" horses, which they have turned into beautiful, healthy, productive horses with great homes and purpose.

From the Cowgirl Spirit website, their mission is:

"To raise awareness of equine slaughter in America, by education and by rescuing “worthless” slaughter-bound horses and, with affection, training and dedication, develop their skill and spirit through equestrian drill competition; then fulfill their promise by placing these horses in new adoptive homes to give them long, happy and productive lives as riding companions."

Check out their success stories, which show "before" and "after" pictures that are simply amazing.

If you have room for a horse adoption, or have a little extra money hanging around, these girls (and a lot of horses) could use your help.

God Bless,

Larissa