Kazik

I’m ashamed. I think we all are. The dealer called us because he didn’t know where to look for the people who promised Kazik and him that they would take him.

First, a few words about Kazik. And in the meantime, maybe our adrenaline will die down here. Nobody keeps horses for free. As you can see, Kazik is an old horse – bones covered in skin, as the dealer himself said. If you were to ask if he’d worked recently – yes, he had. Recreation-wise. I have to repeat that aloud, because when I look at these photos, I wonder who got away with such “recreation” without police intervention.

After all, we live in the 21st century, and this horse can barely stand. I can’t imagine anyone still putting a saddle on those bones. Kazik is 31 years old. He gave his entire life to the people who ran him over. And I use the word ran over very deliberately, because it’s hard to call it exploitation. It was heartless, but also – I think – insane. I can’t get my head around it, even though I’ve seen a lot over the past 20 years.

What’s this all about?
One foundation had already come to Kazik. At Centaurus, we have a rule that we never speak ill of other foundations – regardless of what we know. Although sometimes we know a lot and would rather never know certain things. However, you will never learn anything negative from us about any organization. Even one that has fallen foul of the media.

We adopted this rule 20 years ago and we stick to it. Because we never know the whole truth, and besides, we believe that if we’re going to say something positive about someone, we should always say something positive. Let’s surround ourselves with people we can say something positive about. And if we can’t, we simply stop surrounding ourselves with them and stop wasting our time on them.

But it was the dealer himself who called us.
He was desperate to finally pick up the horse because, as he says, we’d taken photos, and he’d been holding Kazik for two weeks. The horse was having trouble getting up, and the dealer wouldn’t wait any longer. We were surprised because we didn’t know what was going on – we hadn’t arranged to buy any horses there.

It turned out there had been some kind of foundation there before – the dealer doesn’t know exactly which one, but it “saves horses.” They took photos and left. They said they’d be back in two or three days. They were enchanted by the horse’s history and appearance. They said it was “media-worthy,” that it would generate publicity, that it would “make a fortune” because all of Poland would be talking about it.

I don’t know what they did with the photos afterward. Normally, I would never have told you this, because we leave such things behind and do our own thing. But when the dealer himself called us and at first bitterly insulted us for not picking up the horse – and then we established that it was not us who took the photos – real anger welled up inside me.

I used to believe that everyone in foundations works to help animals.

Each in their own way – and that’s fine. We don’t have to agree on everything, because everyone has their own vision. People can also choose who they support – it’s good that everyone can find something for themselves and join a common goal.

But I can’t fathom how someone could go to such a place, photograph a horse in such condition, and then – perhaps – use those heartbreaking photos for a fundraiser without ever claiming it.

I’m ashamed.
Whoever these people are, and whoever this “organization” is—if it even was an organization—please be vigilant. If you see photos of this horse anywhere, remember that those who took them left Kazik where he was.

The dealer waited two weeks, and now he’s decided to get in touch. It’s lucky he called us and not immediately went to the slaughterhouse. I named him Kazik. Kazik is still there, waiting—but he won’t be for much longer. The dealer has to lift him several times a day, and soon he’ll have to do a dozen more.

Kazik needs a vet immediately. We want to call one before we take him home. But we have to pay a $545 deposit for Kazik by tomorrow evening, because the dealer said he won’t make a fool of himself again.

I’m not so much concerned about the dealer as about Kazik—because if the dealer feels like a fool, he’ll simply slaughter Kazik.

I beg you – in the name of all those who failed because they were promised and then abandoned – join the action today.