Published on Global News Heroes in 2022.

Article published on Horse Canada June 22, 2022.

We’re all struggling to make ends meet in the current economy. Inflation, rising interest rates, soaring fuel costs … add in other factors such as climate change affecting crops and water tables and it’s a recipe for disaster for many.

Horse owners aren’t immune, and neither are the various non-profit organizations who work to help rescue equines in distress. A recent story from CBC news highlights the issue facing owners that has caused an increase in horse surrenders from people who can no longer afford the feed and care for them.

Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue Centre (WHHRC) in Hagersville, Ontario, currently cares for over 80 horses and are a critical care facility that takes owner surrenders and also seized animals through the Provincial Animal Welfare Service. Brenda Thompson, founder and president of WHHRC (and Horse Canada’s 2020 Heroes of the Horse award winner), agrees that rising costs are impacting owners everywhere, including her farm.

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Article published in the Hamilton Spectator Feb 7, 2022.

Brenda Thompson is all too familiar with what animal neglect and cruelty looks like.

As president and CEO of Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue in Hagersville, she has provided care for countless suffering animals over the years. Some of their stories have ended in triumph, while others have ended in tears.

However, since the province took over responsibility for animal cruelty investigations from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), Thompson said she is seeing more of those responsible held to account.

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Article published on Horse Canada Dec 3, 2020

Brenda Thompson admits running her Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue in Hagersville, Ontario, is a ton of labour, stress and worry. But seeing horses return from the brink of death to lead healthy, happy lives makes everything worthwhile. “I thrive on watching the horses come back. Fourteen years later and it’s still the ‘wow’ factor,” she said.

Brenda is the 2020 Horse Canada Heroes of the Horse award winner. She’s lauded not only for her rescue and rehabilitation work at Whispering Hearts, but also her significant animal welfare advocacy efforts in recent years.

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Article and Video published on CBC Jan 16, 2019.

Brenda Thompson always dreamt of spending her life caring for horses and that dream was realised in 2007 when together, with her husband Dave, she opened Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue. Since then, the two have saved hundreds of neglected and abused horses by providing proper care and  restoring the animals' trust in humans. "You can't change the world," Brenda says, "but you can change the world for one horse, one at a time, and that's what we do here."

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Published in Equine Wellness Magazine in 2018

Too many horses live in dire straights. You may not be in a position to adopt, but you can still help rescue a horse from a life of neglect. Horse rescues rely on the public to 'keep the doors open'. Many people believe the only way to help is to adopt a horse, but that is not the sole option. In fact, if someone takes on a horse without being in a position to meet the animal's needs, it can be detrimental to the horses's well-being. A lack of finances, space and especially education can make a bad situation worse. But here's the good news- there are many other ways to support horse rescues!

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