Catillac Goes to Surgery
MVHR's Catillac needs Your Help!
An Opportunity for Catillac this Wednesday!
This handsome colt is heading to surgery at CSU Veterinary Hospital in Ft. Collins Wednesday, April 16th, and we are asking you to join us to raise $35,000 to help Catillac as he embarks on an exceptional Journey of Hope.
This groundbreaking surgery is a first in a horse his size, and a team of surgeons from all over the world, led by Dr. Laurie Goodrich, are donating their time for this extensive procedure, funds needed are only for hospital and rehabilitative costs. The experimental procedure, toggling his joint back together, is in hopes of improving his comfort and mobility, and also gaining experience and knowledge to further the possibility of similar procedures being available for more horses in the future.
With experimental equipment and the extensive hospital stay for recovery, Catillac’s care is estimated to cost nearly $35,000, even with the generous donation of time and talent by all of the surgeons. And this where YOU can help! Read on about Catillac's Journey of Hope and the process of how we came to this opportunity for him.
Will you support Catillac Exceptional Journey of Hope?
Donate TODAY to help MVHR make this happen!
Catillac Intake August 2025 - Underweight and hip injury visable
Catillac Today!
Catillac Today!
Catillac's Extraordinary Journey
Catillac has had a rough life….literally from the moment he was born. His mother died giving birth to him, and then a few months later he sustained a significant hip injury. Understanding the lack of opportunities for treatment, Catillac was left to live his life in pasture, learning to get along with his injured leg. He has now been living with his injury for nearly 2 years.
This handsome little guy arrived with us in August of last year, underweight and surprisingly mobile even with his injury. MVHR immediately went to work, exploring options to give this young man a real shot at a comfortable life.
Local vets evaluated his injury and confirmed a displacement, but still no treatment options were available. Catillac’s condition was further complicated when MVHR realized that he could not reliably get himself up after laying down. This challenge would make it impossible for Catillac to live his life “as a horse” in any sense of the word, and euthanasia was looking more and more like the only option for the sweet colt.
One last phone call was made, to Dr. Laurie Goodrich at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. MVHR’s question was simple: “Is there any option at all for this young horse?” And then Dr. Goodrich got to work. It took many months, and the pulling together of many people and resources both within the University, across the country and even the world, but Dr. Goodrich came back with a possibility that could give Catillac a chance.
Catillac will travel to CSU in Ft. Collins on April 16 for final diagnostics to confirm his suitability, and then to prepare for major orthopedic surgery, planned for April 18 to repair his dislocated hip. This will be the first time a surgery of this type has been attempted on a full size horse, made possible by the extensive planning and collaboration with CSU, led by Dr. Laurie Goodrich. We are hopeful of a good outcome for this wonderful little horse, so that he can live out his life in comfortable.