Woman Told To Put Down Horse, but She Refuses: 'Look at Him Now'
A black horse is thriving after his owner refused to follow advice to have him put down.
Mandy Helwege, 38, who shares updates on TikTok under the handle @todaywithgus, was devastated when her horse Gusadoo, or Gus, fell seriously ill earlier this year. Many people urged her to consider euthanasia, but she held on to hope.
"I wish I could put words to how much he means to me and how connected I am to him, but there just aren't words. He is the greatest gift life has given me," Helwege told Newsweek.
"I know there are some cases of sleep deprivation that end in euthanasia, and it is the right thing to do, so I did have that in the back of my mind as something I might have to face, and comments from strangers telling me that was the likely outcome were quite devastating to read. A few of them I knew meant well, while others were pretty coldhearted in their delivery, but they all brought me to my knees at the thought."
Helwege said Gus is her first horse after more than 15 years away from the sport. The 13-year-old off-the-track thoroughbred began to collapse from sleep deprivation in February, prompting her to document his condition and share his progress over a three-month journey of rehabilitation.
Split image of Gusadoo the black horse, the first showing him battling deprivation and the second of him galloping through the fields.
Split image of Gusadoo the black horse, the first showing him battling deprivation and the second of him galloping through the fields.
todaywithgus/todaywithgus
Helwege said that the road to recovery was far from simple. Over the course of several months, she tried numerous approaches to help Gus, ranging from alternative therapies such as an animal communicator, to extensive diagnostics and evaluations with veterinary teams.
Helwege spent thousands of dollars on treatments, medications, and supplements, and said she often encountered professionals who downplayed his symptoms. Still, she refused to give up.
"But look at him now," she wrote as the text overlay of his recovery.
The breakthrough came when Helwege found the right team of professionals who could address Gus's physical, mental, and spiritual needs. She credits Dr. Rachel Heart Bellini of Heart Equine, Betsy Vonda of Balanced With Betsy, Martine Groeneveld of Green Animal Osteopathy, Dr. Heather Finn from Equine Performance Integrative Care, and a Reiki practitioner for playing a pivotal role in his recovery.
Today, Gus is thriving. His energy has soared, his body has undergone visible changes, and Helwege said his spirit is "glowing from the inside out." While she isn't certain he is sleeping lying down yet, the signs suggest he is—and, most importantly, the collapsing episodes have stopped.
"Gus has built up quite the fan club," Helwege said, describing how people from around the world have followed his recovery. "Companies who donated products without an expectation of anything in return in the hope they might help him be more comfortable. Thousands of people showed up for us and rallied behind him, gave so many suggestions, offered so much encouragement and I could never thank them enough."
Helwege added: "It amazes me how they can all see the physical and emotional changes in him as well these past few weeks, and I love the way he brings joy to others."
One user, Becca Ban, commented: "Thank god you've never given up on him. y'all are soulmates."
Another wrote: "It's kinda scary how willing people are to take a perfectly healthy life out of convenience."
User Bart shared: "Non-human animals also have the right to be sick, have disabilities, and to be cared for even without knowing what the outcome will be. I have had a similar story with my cat, we gave her time and she have beautiful years ahead of her."
"I have never cried so much for something I didn't have any connection to. I'm so happy you didn't give up," another person added.
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