Adonis
Villa Chardonnay
Adonis is a 17-year-old Mustang originally from the Silver King HMA in Nevada. He was part of a huge neglect case at a rescue/sanctuary called Villa Chardonnay, where authorities discovered over 700 neglected and starved animals on the property, including 165 horses, 450 cats, 30 dogs and various farm animals! The massive operation to rescue them began back in May 2026. We were contacted about a wild horse they couldn't handle or touch. They asked for sanctuary for him. This wasn’t as urgent as a kill pen rescue. That said, euthanasia did become an option for him if we couldn't help him. Adonis did not deserve that after all he's been through. We’re going to give him the best life with a herd of wild boys, where he’ll never be betrayed by humans again.
We have been working with the previous adopter who sent him there believing he was safe and being cared for. The rescue operation was sparked by severe overcrowding and poor living conditions. Very sadly, many of the animals were in such critical condition that they had to be euthanized to prevent further suffering. This was a massive task for the San Diego Humane Society.
Adonis was a difficult case as he couldn’t be touched, so they had little hope of finding him a place to go. We said yes to helping. We strongly believe in assisting when law enforcement takes action against poor rescues where animals are suffering.
Our wonderful hauler Marlene Dodge handled the challenging and tricky rescue of this wild boy. She loaded him, pulled blood for his coggins inside her trailer, and kept him until he could travel across the border to Oregon. She told us he was a kicker, pretty defensive, and hadn't had any hoof care for a decade.
Even with her heads ups, I was speechless when I saw his deformed feet. As he came out of the trailer, snorting, he tripped over his long toes. They were absolutely awful and it's hard to believe the neglect he suffered for so long. We usually give new arrivals a little time before running them through the chute, but turning him out in a pen with rocks underfoot would only have made him more uncomfortable. Janelle got to work right away on his feet. When he trotted out, he looked a little shocked, but happy about how much better they feel.
His former adopter cares about him very deeply. She went to great efforts to find him at Villa Chardonnay. Now she can watch his progress on social media and even visit him at the ranch. I believe many of the people who went to look for horses they sent to this "rescue" weren't as lucky and have no idea what happened to the horses they sent to what they thought was a forever sanctuary. It's heartbreaking.
Adonis in Greek Mythology
Adonis was delivered by his mother, Myrrha, after the Gods of Olympus transformed her into a myrrh tree. He was mortal, but so extraordinarily beautiful that goddesses fell in love with him and mostly women worshiped him. His life ended in the arms of his lover, Aphrodite, after a wild boar fatally injured him. She poured a sweet-smelling nectar over his body, which mixed with his blood. Where it touched the ground, a flower sprang up: the short-lived anemone. Every spring, this flower only blooms for a few weeks, making its bright colors and lovely fragrance a fleeting memory. The name of Adonis is synonymous with male physical perfection, but on a deeper level, the death and resurrection of natural beauty.
Adonis currently has a sponsor
By committing annually to a $100/month sponsorship of a mustang or burro, you help us enormously by supporting our existing rescues so we can continue saving more. To learn more about becoming a sponsor and see which animals need them:
American Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help
In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and two Senators to urge them to support these bills. You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io
Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.
The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 4356) The bill would eliminate the use of helicopters in rounding up wild horses and burros, and require a study into alternative methods for humanely gathering the animals.
Ejiao Act of 2025 (H.R. 5544). To ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.
See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at canned hunt ranches in Texas & Oklahoma, bringing an end to the BLM using Sale Authority to funnel wild equines into the slaughter pipeline, and stopping production of Premarin & other drugs made from pregnant mare urine.