Forastero is the name of one of the eleven dogs saved by Martn Miranda and his family, who also saved a horse from being delivered to a zoo as food for the lions. Canario, the horse, was severely ill, yet the dog never left him alone until it was too late.

Despite the Canary’s frailty and inability to stand on its own, the family decided to ask the owner if they might attempt to preserve it. They had previously rescued chickens, bunnies, and dogs, and they couldn’t bear the thought of letting this horse die.

Canario lived with Martn’s family for five months, but nothing changed for the better during that time. Canario’s condition deteriorated to the point where he could no longer stand on his own.

Another non-profit group, Volunteers for Our Horses (VPN), contacted members of Ayuda a Caballos Maltratados (ACMA) in Argentina about a horse who was resting on the ground and unable to stand.

The horse had no teeth, was plainly exceedingly old and worn out, had eaten away at its bones, and displayed other wear indications typical of an older horse.

At that moment, the Corse veterinarian realized he wasn’t dealing with another case of horse mistreatment, which is common in the region, where horses are handled like racehorses until they die of exhaustion.

Canary was dying and couldn’t move, so the doctor gave him an injection to put him to sleep and finally give him a reprieve from his ordeal.

The family was startled to learn that the Canary had been sacrificed, but they soon realized that the horse, which they had assumed was young and in bad health, was actually an elderly creature in search of calm.