Our namesake, Foreveramber, was destined to be the very special thoroughbred that transformed Michele’s love for horses into a fully realized vision of the animal sanctuary that bears her name. Rescued by a networking partner, in 2006, Amber was deemed “crazy and uptight” by trainers and others in the world of horse events. Amber’s lineage was impressive; her grandsire “Avatar” has won the 1975 Belmont Stakes, the third jewel in the Triple Crown Races. But Amber’s temperamental, hot-blooded nature made her hard to handle, and she never fulfilled the expectations her family’s history had set up for her.

Adopted by Michele in July 2006, she worked with Amber consistently four days a week for months to desensitize her, eventually succeeding in conditioning the once skittish beauty for riding in clinics and pleasure riding. As Michele’s bond with her first rescue deepened, so did her passion for rescue and her desire to make a difference for discarded animals like Amber. Cody followed in August 2007. That summer, the once hot-blooded Amber became lethargic and was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease. Her health compromised and her fate in question due to the disease, Michele began her search for a permanent home for her two rescues. “Forever Amber Acres Farm” was purchased in August 2008.

Amber was diagnosed with Laminitis and Founder in September 2009. At the age of 23, her immune system was profoundly compromised and battling a deadly sinus cavity infection, Amber was humanely euthanized on April 21, 2010. For eight months, struggling to pull through her illness and confined to her stall, her friend Cody came to comfort her throughout the day. These two special horses, bonded as rescues, were inseparable until the very end. Michele chose a spot central to the farm for Amber’s burial, and she now rests on a site that can be seen from all angles, and at the point of highest elevation. Confined for so many months, deprived of pasture and sunlight, her final day was a beautifully sunny one. Accompanied by Passion (another rescued horse at the farm) and with Cody looking on, Amber took one last walk around the entire perimeter of the farm before being guided to her final resting place. In 2013, volunteers hand-painted memorial stones that now serve as her permanent grave markers.

Remembering JoJo the wonder dog...

RIP our girl 2009 - 11.13.20

She exemplified what fighting for your life and being the comeback kid really meant.

On 4.12.12 our lives were blessed with this little lady, an emancipated pup thrown out to the woods to starve during the winter in Doylestown, Ohio. It took us 6 weeks to catch her, but we finally did.

After many weeks of attempting to rehabilitate her it was discovered through testing her body was lacking enzymes and she suffered from a deadly disease called EPI, an endocrine disorder. Without proper enzymes and medications her body couldn’t maintain nutrients from food. So then her healing journey began and she beat the odds.

We named her Joey or JoJo after the Disney character from the movie War Horse, a horse who many know as Sargeant Reckless a WWI equine soldier. They both knew what fighting for your life, service and being the underdog were all about.

With continued 3x daily medications and special diet, Within a year she became so strong and healthy we knew she needed to inspire others in need. Her demeanor was so docile and she loved to greet others with a warm wet kiss with her big tongue, however she knew her place and listened to directions when she needed to. So we sent JoJo and our barn buddy Tara to training through the Gold Star Therapy Dog Training Program and nursing homes and children’s library story times is where their focus would be for the next 5 years together. She also made many appearances at area malls and local feed stores during fundraising efforts. Hundreds of people stopped to pet her and receive a kiss at her kissing booth over the years.

When her body began to slow down and her hips weaken, we listened to her and retired her from therapy and she led the life of a Princess here at the sanctuary. She loved to frolic in the pasture with her BFF Charlie, snooze in the sun and go for walks with Michele and Tara at Hinckley Reservation or the local dog park.

When her hips really began to deteriorate and her wheelchair no longer suited her we enlisted the help of two compassionate and holistic ladies, who became close friends. Jill and Jennifer would come to provide treatment to JoJo nearly every single Sunday afternoon and soothe her with canine massage and Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF).

Her mind and her appetite remained strong and she rallied until the bitter end. JoJo was put to rest and surrounded by the horses, her buddy Charlie nestled under her chin and Tara and Michele comforting her as we sent her off to be with the angels.

She will be forever missed by many, but no nobody more than her loving family here at FAA.

RIP Charlie T 2007-2/29/24

Charlie T was our longest standing resident and family member here. He found his way into our hearts and our barn on 12/26/2008, just weeks after we got Foreveramber and Cody moved into the newly purchased farm. He was once a feral cat found in a parking lot and rescued.

T Bubba as we later referred to him, was our King of the hayloft for many years, before making his way into our farm residence in 2021. In 2022 he was diagnosed with diabetes and received twice daily insulin injections and thrived until this November 2023, when he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Tho his body was failing him, his cuddles, love, purrs and desire to play with his buddy Freddy never failed. He’s remained very comfortable his passing when he had a sudden seizure and we knew it was his time. He knew how much he was loved by Tara and Michele and buddies Cindy, John and Dakota who would take care of him when we needed a helping hand. We miss him very much.

Cody was a wild mustang, born in the Pryor Mountains of Montana in 1986. Captured by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Cody was branded. This branding (pictured here as a series of symbols) reveals his history to us. He was first trained as Revolutionary War Re-Enactment Horse. Later, having survived a barn fire and numerous, severe beatings from humans, he was trained as a lesson horse; a role well suited to this gentle, easy animal. But Cody’s gentle, non-dominant nature did not serve him well, subjecting him to beatings by his own herd! His nose was so severely broken that it caused him to go blind and compromised his breathing.

Cody was later trained as a hippotherapy horse, used to assist severely ill and disabled children who rode him while performing their physical and occupational therapy. Upon being retired from this noble profession, Cody once again found himself without a home. On Aug. 15, 2007, Forever Amber Acres Animal Sanctuary came into his life, rescuing him before possibly finding his way to the Sugar Creek Auction in Ohio and imminent slaughter.

Cody has continued to face physical challenges. In 2010, he was successfully rehabbed from a leg fracture by FAAAS. In 2012, he was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance and is on daily holistic supplements to treat this condition. Cody also requires a special senior feed, high in fat and softer for him to chew because of his previously broken jaw. In the spring of 2013, Cody tore his suspensory ligament and was successfully rehabbed. In 2014 Cody was near death but survived Colic. Despite enduring enormous hardships, Cody was more than 30 years young when he passed on; enjoying the freedom to live out his days in the safety, care, and peace of his forever home at Forever Amber Acres Animal Sanctuary. See some of the heartfelt messages shared by his friends here.

Velvet was more than a twenty-seven-year-old Welsh/Arab pony with the look of an Arab. Adopted by Kathryn F., she had Cushing’s disease and required daily medication. She, along with Fash, was rescued many years ago, and the two horses were very bonded; we know that the two lived out the remainder of their days in health, love, and happiness together.

Born in 1996, the thoroughbred knew on the racetrack as Twinko earned nearly $63,000 during her career. On Nov. 6, 2011, a spotter sent by horse rescue advocates to monitor auction activities, witnessed a kill-buyer purchasing her, and Twinko’s rescue went into high gear. Michele received a call late that evening to help secure an immediate foster home and pick her up. Making a secret deal with a meat buyer, Michele, assisted by a rescue volunteer, arranged to pick Twinko up in an abandoned parking lot the following night. Money was exchanged with the stranger who drove away before the horse was even loaded on the trailer. Thankfully, she was spared more pain and suffering and found foster care with friends that rename her Hope. She was rehabbed from severe injuries and infection and restored to a healthy weight.

Our beloved Teddy Bear was just days away from being shipped to Mexico and slaughtered for human consumption when he was found trapped in the kill pen of the Sugar Creek Auction in Kidron, OH., on July 23, 2010. As with so many of these beautiful, thoroughbred racehorses, discarded after they’ve been deemed “useless” by former owners, Teddy’s fate came down to being at either the right or wrong place at the right or wrong time. For Teddy, marked only as #741 when he was rescued by a coalition that included the ad-hoc group “Fans of Barbaro,” Alex Brown Racing, Deborah Jones, and John Murrell, July 26, 2010, was the “right” day; saved in the nick of time from the horrific, barbaric process of horse slaughter.

Upon arrival at FAAAS, the transporter reported that he had made most of the journey with his head out of the trailer. Teddy, it seemed, instinctively knew he had found freedom and safety. Set free in the paddock that day, the first thing he did was take a “freedom roll” on Amber’s favorite spot. Amber had passed just three months and four days prior to his arrival. Later that day, the unknown thoroughbred was identified through his lip tattoo and other markings as Abovethefacts, a former racehorse that had earned nearly $33,000 in his time on the tracks; very respectable. That said, his racing days were over and someone had deemed him worthless. His auction tags had clearly identified this majestic, gentle giant as straight to slaughter.

Teddy had his first bath on day two. Teddy loved baths! Running free in the pasture that day, it was clear that Teddy was very much at home. Named Teddy Bear to better suit his gentle personality, he remained quarantined, separated from the rest of his new herd for 30 days to ensure his health and keep the others free of possible infectious disease.

Two months after Teddy’s arrival at FAAAS, on Sept. 25, 2010, Michele tested him out bareback for the first time. Without bit or bridle, this fast, former racehorse showed the depth of his gentle soul and won the hearts of everyone he met. Teddy’s time at the sanctuary was tragically brief. On April 10, 2012, the day after his 15th birthday, our Teddy Bear died suddenly of a massive stroke. His normal routine following breakfast was to run out into the paddock and take a roll in what had been Amber’s dirt pit. On this particular morning, Teddy instead galloped at full speed up into the pasture, stopped, rolled in front of Amber’s gravesite, stood up for a moment, and was gone in an instant. His permanent resting place is nearby.

In November of 2014, FAAAS received this 20-year-old ex-broodmare, Trakehner Warmblood mare “Shari”. She was an owner surrender. Originally, Shari was placed with a new home and protected with our First Right of Refusal Contract. When her situation turned sour, we rescued her once again. Unfortunately, she was 450 lbs underweight. A volunteer paired up with Jasper County Sherif Department (South Carolina) to bring her to our sanctuary safely.

During her 5 years with us, Shari continued to suffer from tumors on her reproductive organs due to the neglect she had experienced in her past. She received special treatments and food to mitigate the effects on her health and remained a happy girl throughout the rest of her life. Her gentle, caring nature earned her the nickname “Mama” around the sanctuary. In 2018, she became a much-loved member of our Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy program; a favorite of both our clients and volunteers. Late last year Mama Shari was diagnosed with advanced cancer and received conventional and holistic comfort care until her passing in November 2019. She is buried on our grounds with the “sisters” and “brothers” that preceded her. Sweet Mama Shari is greatly missed here at FAAAS!

Like many of our feline residents at the sanctuary, Tuxie Merry Sprinkles was feral when she first came to us in the winter of 2012. We would always find her lurking about in the fields and playing hide-n-seek with her one good eye. Despite holding tight to her feral instincts, Tuxie was a beloved member of our family for 7 years. She passed away in December 2019.

Hungry, cold, and scared, Jimmy Buffet was found hiding under our hayloft on New Year’s Eve, 2012. Jimmy Buffet likes to hang outside of Freedom’s stall, go hunting with Charlie T during the day, and follow us around the barn when he knows that feeding time is approaching. Sometimes called “Buffet” for short, he has turned into a very social kitty in a very short time and is now trained to come running for dinner when he hears the dinner bell in the evening.

Meet Hap the App. In November of 2016, we happily welcomed this beautiful now 29-year-old Appaloosa gelding to our facility. Now a retiree, Hap the App spends his days frolicking in the fields with his friends here at FAAAS. He was retired to us by a wonderful family who understood that they couldn’t take care of him any longer at the boarding facility that he once called home as a lesson horse and trail riding companion. We are more than happy to give this senior guy a loving home! Hap has already become a healing element to Military Veterans and barn buddies, and many visitors of FAAAS! Hap is the comedian of the herd, always playful playing halter tag with Spirit in the pasture! Hap has a very special bond and connection with Bodi and Spirit. When Spirit struggles with his addictive behavior, Hap is the first in line to nudge his butt and remind him that he needs to go off and enjoy life with the herd, and not let his addictions and stress get the best of him! Hap teaches everyone the beauty of patience around here. He is a wonderful teacher to all who meet him! Give our old friend some love by supporting him monthly.

Known as Big Amos on the race track, this 8-year-old joined us on June 23, 2017. Previously a racehorse on a track in West Virginia, he was sent to auction and purchased by a kill buyer (meat man) to be slaughtered. Luckily our connections at The RACE FUND got ahold of him before he shipped for processing! Emaciated and suffering from many injuries that happened both on and off the track, he is only one of the many racehorses who get abandoned when they stop winning or become injured. We are lucky to be able to provide him with a warm stall and lots of fresh hay. Spirit has been diagnosed with a variety of conditions including severe arthritis, narcolepsy, obsessive-compulsive, and anxiety disorders. Treated terribly after he got off the track, Spirit is safe now. Spirit is now a member of our treatment team for our EAP (Equine Assisted Psychotherapy) Animal Assisted Therapy program. This program officially launched in May of 2018! He will be one of 7 horse residents helping military veterans and others who suffer emotionally through our EAGALA program.

Registered as Pioneer Fashion of Pride, previously called Fash, we renamed him Allegro, meaning swift with the wind, quick tempo, fast moves. He was born on 5/27/94. Allegro was a gorgeous and sweet Tennessee Walker with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder). Allegro had been with various adopters since he was surrendered to us several years ago but then got returned to our sanctuary in November of 2018 when his last adopter could no longer care for him. When he arrived here at FAAAS in November of 2018, his teeth hadn’t been floated for a while and his feet were in need of some extra work. After our farrier examined and trimmed him for the first time after his arrival that November and informed us that “his front feet have a dropped sole, some bruising, and the white line is pretty stretched out. In 2021 he suffered from a severe case of spring laminitis and after rehabilitation, it became obvious he would require therapeutic sneakers/boots to support his once again dropped soles. He was part of our equine therapy treatment team helping heal military veterans, first responders, teens, and adults dealing with trust issues, acceptance, stress, anxiety, and grief. He reminded people of the importance of just breathing!

Fudgie, sometimes called Fudgers, was reminiscent of a piece of swirled, chocolate-peanut-butter fudge. Michele had trapped this little cutie in the woods on a bitterly cold night before Christmas Eve in 2009. Fully grown, Fudgie’s legs were so short that one of our vets, Dr. Slenn, believed her growth was stunted because she had kittens herself before she was even one year old. Fudgie preferred to stay close to home and watch the boys hunt. Her favorite activities included sleeping under a lean-to, playing soccer with spongy balls, and representing our feline contingent as a greeter to visitors to our farm. Sadly, Fudgie passed away in June of 2022, leaving behind many fond memories.

Named Kekoa, the off-the-track thoroughbred registered as “Ain’t Ur Sweety Pie,” was born in Oklahoma on 3/8/12 and sadly passed away due to illness on 9/28/2023. He was rescued by the Race Fund LLC in Oklahoma from a feedlot, narrowly escaping slaughter.

A veteran friend of ours, once stationed in Hawaii, inspired his new name. In Hawaiian, Kekoa means “Brave warrior and soldier.” Despite his challenging past, he had a sweet and kind demeanor. He arrived at our facility on 10/24/22. Our veterinarian found him to be 150 lbs underweight, with abscesses in both hind hooves and severe dental issues due to lifelong neglect. He had an extra molar that might have required surgery. Kekoa required quarterly dental floatings to improve his bite and eating comfort. His refeeding program included unlimited hay, high-quality feed, rice bran oil, probiotics, and gastrointestinal supplements. He received extensive care and love. Through our emotional healing programs, Kekoa began healing others, even as he battled his own health issues. His passing is mourned, and he will always be remembered for his bravery and the solace he brought to many.