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Ranch rescues horse and a local family

Located on 60-plus acres, some three hours west of St. Louis, she takes in horses that have been abused, neglected, abandoned or surrendered.

LINN CREEK, Mo. – Even on the coldest days of the year, it seems there are some who give off warmth.

"We do everything we can to save them," Connie Hendrix said.

For Hendrix, home is where the herd is. In 2011, she started Missouri Forget Me Not, Horse Rescue and Sanctuary.

"I have 53 horses here," she tells us.

Located on 60-plus acres, some three hours west of St. Louis, she takes in horses that have been abused, neglected, abandoned or surrendered.

"A lot of the ones I have here are not rideable. They've got problems of age or eyesight," she noted.

Connie and Forget Me Not are often swamped with phone calls. Sometimes, they take in as many as 10 horses a week. One of the new arrivals is an Appaloosa named Warrior.

"It has a problem called moon blindness and eventually it will be completely blind," she tells us.

And for one family, taking care of Warrior and doing the right thing means everything. Warrior came from a small farm in Brighton, Illinois also owned by horse lovers.

"They're just very magical and they're good for your soul," said Denise Haden, owner of the Brighton farm.

Haden's family bought Warrior a few months ago as a way to bring a little light into their families darkness. In 2015, her grandson Sawyer was killed when police say he was shaken by his father.

"He was so sweet. He was three months old," she said through tears. "And of course we were devastated from the loss."

After their world fell apart, the family put themselves back together by being together.

"We both decided that it was time to try and find something to help us because we needed it," explained Kala Epstein, Sawyer's mom. That's when Warrior arrived. In a sense, he was their spirit animal.

Which is why they desperately wanted to find him a good home when they found out he was going blind. That's when Connie Hendrix stepped in to help. She drove four hours to pick up Warrior.

"After your families gone through something like we had, it's really hard to find your faith in human kindness but what they did was just so selfless," said an emotional Haden.

Horse lovers know that the best trails take you home and Warrior has found his.

"That's why we do it. We do it to help the animal," said Hendrix.

The ranch has no paid employees. Every penny donated goes directly to animal care. Denise's family is planning to visit soon.

"I can't believe that there are people that are so giving. They're just amazing people," Epstein told us.

A place making a difference for animals and sometimes rescuing more than just a horse.

For more information, click here.

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