(Image Credit: Jill Sperling / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

BC SPCA FUNDRAISER

‘Rescue Me’ showcases improved lives of horses saved through BC SPCA

Nov 18, 2020 | 5:04 PM

KAMLOOPS — After spending six months photographing rescue horses around the province, Leanne Peniuk can now hold a physical copy of her fundraising project.

“We’re just all really proud of this, and with this being such an interesting year, we thought everyone needs a feel good story. This is our feel good story of 2020.”

Rescue Me contains nearly two dozen stories of horses who were rescued by the BC SPCA, showing the quality of life they now enjoy.

Peniuk is a photographer based in Knutsford who was inspired to create the collection after attending an equine photo workshop with others who have done photo fundraisers. The longtime equestrian put her skills toward the animal care non-profit and released the photo book this fall.

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“My really, really good friend Martina Montgomery wrote all of the stories in this book, one of the rescue moms is an editor, designer and publisher — and she came on board with the project to assist me as well. I could not have done it without those ladies.”

Throughout the six months, Peniuk went around B.C to take pictures of rescue horses in their forever homes and gathered information about their backgrounds. Twenty-one different stories are now laid out in the pages.

“We had the standard questions we asked each owner so we could get the baseline of information. And it was all fact-checked by the SPCA so we had everything done properly and we were not impeding on any current cases or anything that was within the courts, or publishing anything that we shouldn’t.”

Leanne Peniuk with one of her own horses at her property in Knutsford (Image Credit: Jill Sperling / CFJC Today)

At $55 each, all proceeds will go toward the 33 horses currently in the care of the BC SPCA’s Equine Division. Peniuk says she and the others behind the publication hope to be able to raise enough money to care for all the horses currently waiting for new homes.

“The profits could essentially pay for their entire care. We did an initial print run of 500 books, ordered an additional 250, so with that we stand to raise just under $25,000 for them.”

With ‘Volume One’ stamped clearly on the front cover, Peniuk says this photo project is only the start of future fundraisers for animal care.

“This book is about humans saving horses and next year’s plan is horses savings humans,” she says. “We’re going to try to show the bond between people who have had mental disabilities, physical disabilities, trauma, injury, and how horses have either helped heal or are helping heal.”

Rescue Me can be purchased through Peniuk’s website or the BC SPCA website. The book can also be found in store at Kamloops Large Animal Vet Clinic, the Horse Barn, Agri-Supply and Purity Feed.