When her family moved from the suburbs to a rural community in Breckenridge, Texas, 14-year-old Stella R. had one thing on her mind: animals. More specifically: acquiring a horse.

First, Stella’s family adopted a dog named Peanut, a Catahoula-mix. Two pigs, Brenham and Brazos, followed. But it had always been Stella’s dream to have a horse, too.

The family built a barn on the property before starting their search. Once they began looking, however, they were in for a shock.

“We went to [livestock] auctions at first, not knowing what happens,” recalls Stella. “We became concerned about the welfare of these horses.”

Stella learned that some horses may be purchased for their meat or by bailout operators, who acquire horses cheaply and claim they will go to slaughter by a specified date if they aren’t “rescued” by another buyer. The phony “rescue fees,” or bailouts, fuel the scam, providing significant income for the bailout operators to purchase more horses. While some horses bought at auctions are trucked immediately to Mexico or Canada for slaughter, others change hands several times over, moving from one auction to another, which exposes them to injury and illness.

“We discussed the fate of these horses daily,” says Sarah, Stella’s mother. “Stella educated herself — I was proud of the initiative she took. It became important to all of us.”

Opting for Adoption

The family quickly pivoted to equine adoption from a reputable shelter, which offers many benefits.

“I was relieved and moved to learn that many people care about horses and want to help,” says Stella. “I decided to adopt because so many horses don't have homes.”

Stella with Mabel, left, and Cooper.

After searching online, in July 2023, Stella adopted Mabel and Cooper — a mare and a gelding. But over the winter, Cooper became ill with a host of unexpected medical problems and the family made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him.

“We were all heartbroken, including Mabel,” Sarah says. “We could tell she was mourning.”

Eager to adopt again, Stella visited the equine adoption portal myrighthorse.org . She soon learned about a horse named Voodoo available for adoption at the ASPCA Equine Transition and Adoption Center (ETAC) near Oklahoma City. In August 2024, Stella and her parents drove up to meet her.

Finding Voodoo

In July 2024, 9 horses were transported to ETAC from the Department of Animal Services in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Their previous owner could no longer care for them.

Voodoo after her relinquishment in Louisiana.

One of the horses was Voodoo, a 15-year-old, underweight Quarter Horse. Once settled at ETAC, staff started Voodoo on a refeeding program to get her back to a healthy weight. Her physical condition improved, and she impressed trainers during her behavior assessment, accepting all handling. Her excellent manners led the ETAC team to realize she’d probably been a riding horse.

Voodoo, now Roux, in new pastures.

“She just needed a quick refresher,” says Mindy Hole, ETAC’s equine support and operations manager. “We provided some under-saddle training to knock the rust off.”

Advocating for Adoption

When she met Voodoo, Stella could tell she was a match. The family adopted her that day. Staying true to Voodoo’s Louisiana roots, they renamed her Roux. Stella enjoys taking care of Roux and plans to ride her.

Above and below, Mabel, left, and Roux.

“She’s at home with us and bonded well with Mabel,” says Stella. “Adoption will always be the answer for me. Anyone thinking about buying a horse should consider adopting instead. You could be saving a life.”

Take Action

More than 80% of Americans oppose horse slaughter for human consumption, yet despite Congressional action prohibiting the domestic slaughter of horses for the past two decades, a legal loophole still allows tens of thousands of American horses to be shipped to other countries for slaughter each year.

Help America’s horses TODAY! Please ask your members of Congress to pass the SAFE Act to permanently protect American horses from commercial slaughter.