WEBER COUNTY, Utah — On a small ranch in Weber County, a young couple is doing big things to try and save as many horses, donkeys, rabbits, and goats as they can. At the Lazy B Equine Rescue, they’re trying to ensure those animals are either adopted by the right families or, potentially, live out the rest of their lives with dignity.
The Lazy B is a labor of love for Gunnar Bjorklund, his wife Kelsey, and their three young daughters. Gunnar Bjorklund says their goal is simple: “So we take in any horse, no matter the situation. Our primary mission is to save horses from neglect, going to auction, pain, and suffering, right?”
They recently took in more than three dozen horses, donkeys, goats, and rabbits, and are expecting additional surrenders throughout the rest of the summer.
Gunnar says they mostly come from owners who are either aging, ill, or simply can’t take care of their animal any longer. “So not going to auction, not going to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. We strongly believe that horses can live out their lives here and be happy and not have to go through all that.”
But that takes money, mostly from donations and fundraisers. They also rely on volunteers like Crystal Woytko, “I had been wanting to find a horse rescue, and I just didn’t know where to look. So there you go, I found them on Facebook and messaged them, and started volunteering.”
Four years later, Crystal now oversees the ranch riding and equine education program. “And they’re learning not just how to ride, they’re learning how to care for the horse, how to pick the hooves, how to do all the things on top of the riding.”
Last year, Gunnar and Kelsey were able to move from three separate rental properties and purchase their current 15-acre ranch. But Gunnar says that’s now presenting additional challenges. “Ever since we moved up here, we get 10 to 15 requests to take horses per month, so we really rely on those donations.”
The Lazy B Equine Rescue is a non-profit, and they will take all the help they can get.
Whether that’s financial donations or supplies and feed from other horse owners, they’ll also take likes and shares on their social media pages, just to get the word out about what they’re trying to do to ensure the animals on their ranch live out the rest of their lives in dignity.
