She’s Poured Her Life And Soul Into Wildlife Protection And Then She Needed Help Saving Her Beloved Horse Named Falcon
You can say that every time Joan Embery’s name is brought up, it is always directly associated with animal care and education.
Joan is well-known as an American animal and environmental advocate. She was a Trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation, a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a member of the advisory board of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Health Center, and a founding member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.
Joan has poured her life and soul into wildlife protection and education. She has made many television appearances, educational programs, and wildlife conservation efforts worldwide.
Her love for animals is unassailable. But now, that same woman, who has given so much to so many, needs some help herself.
On April 11, a GoFundMe page was organized by Kim Ulrich on behalf of Joan, asking the community to help save one of Joan’s beloved horses named Falcon.
Falcon is a beautiful white Arabian horse that started showing signs of what appeared to be colic in late March.
“Joan tended to him for hours on end, her daughter Holly spent the night walking him, and everyone at the ranch did all they could to help,” Kim explained.
A few emergency calls and trips to the vet had occurred. Eventually, the doctor discovered that Falcon had two enormous stones in his intestines with his radiograph results.
GoFundMe; pictured above is Joan with her horse Falcon
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According to Kim’s description, one of the stones was as large as a small watermelon, and another one was the size of a grapefruit.
Those stones would have to be removed surgically. And with Falcon’s surgery cost, plus his postoperative care, the medical expense was shooting up to a five-digit number.
Kim had also explained how Joan had been through an unimaginably difficult time for the past year-and-a-half.
With Covid hit, she lost Duane, her husband of 42 years, who loved her deeply, and the two were soulmates.
Following Duane’s passing, Joan also lost “Cowboy,” a Doberman that had stayed by her side through the worst of days, and Belle’s Peppy Boy, a champion cutting horse.
As if the passings weren’t difficult enough for Joan, the San Diego Zoo, an organization to which Joan had given so much of her life, gave her a notice during the worst time of her life that they would not renew her contract.
“After 51 years, there was no notice, no apologies – just the end of an era and the income that went with it,” Kim wrote.
Before the pandemic, Joan had done multiple events held at Pillsbury Ranch. She also did speaking engagements and educational programs as supplemental income. But all of those had frozen due to Covid.
With her daughter Holly staying beside her, Joan tries to be strong for her remaining family, including her beloved animals. But, before she can make another difficult decision, Joan needs to try out all the possibilities for Falcon.
“Joan is truly the most amazing woman I have ever known and ever had the privilege of calling a friend,” Kim wrote.
“She is not good at asking for help when she needs it the most, so I will ask for her and Falcon.”
After the original post, Kim had updated a few times with Falcon’s wellbeing. The doctor had successfully removed Falcon’s two large intestine stones, for which Kim had posted a picture.
The latest update was on April 20. Kim showed that Falcon’s recovery is going well, and he can go on his walk three to four times a day. He has also been putting some weight back on, which is always a good sign of recovery.
Although they have reached their fundraising goal at this point, you may still donate to Joan and her family to help them get through this difficult time. You can visit the page here.
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