The story of Forrest, a very sweet donkey born in Villa di Tirano with a serious and disabling malformation in his front legs, has mobilized the entire Valtellina and hundreds of citizens across the peninsula. Cared for from the first moment by Stefano Valbuzzi, who had noticed an extraordinary and unstoppable desire to live in his large eyes, the puppy risked immediate slaughter without urgent surgery.
Faced with this doomed fate, an unprecedented wave of solidarity arose through a fundraiser which, supported by over 800 donations, shattered the initial goal by exceeding the quota of 34 thousand euros. An extraordinary sum intended entirely to cover medical expenses, long hospitalizations and the complex clinical rehabilitation necessary to give the little one an outdoor future.
@Stefano Valbuzzi/Gofundme
The six hours of surgery, the painful infection and the sudden farewell to the garage
Forrest’s clinical journey immediately proved to be an ordeal with obstacles: after an initial and very delicate surgical operation lasting six hours in which the vets applied stabilizing plates to his legs, the donkey had to deal with a serious infection on his left leg which made it essential to remove the metal support and apply new braces.
Despite daily medications, antibiotics and constant care, his young existence suddenly ended at the age of around three months: after a morning spent in apparent tranquility, the puppy was found lifeless in his box by those who took care of him. Stefano Valbuzzi’s words full of pain sealed the end of a titanic struggle conducted with every available energy, remembering however that the animal was never alone and was able to know pure love until his last breath:
It is with a heart full of pain and infinite sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Forrest.
The little one left us suddenly yesterday: in the morning he was fine and seemed calm, then in the afternoon we found him lifeless.
We are sincerely devastated…
In recent months we have fought with all our strength, dedicating to Forrest every single resource, every energy, our time and all the love we were capable of. We are extremely sorry that his story did not end as we all hoped, but we assure you that we really did everything, right up to the last second, to give him a chance and guarantee him the dignified life he deserved. Knowing that we gave it our all is the only consolation we have left in such a dark moment.
As always done since day one, we are keen to maintain maximum transparency towards those who have believed in us and in him.
We will shortly publish here on the platform the last remaining clinical invoices and the documentation relating to cremation costs.
Forrest will in fact be cremated and his ashes will return home with us to be buried offering him the peace he deserves.
Once all veterinary and cremation expenses have been definitively paid, any remaining donations will be entirely donated to associations so that the support received for Forrest can be transformed into concrete help for other animals.
We sincerely thank each of you for your love, generosity and immense support: thanks to all of you, Forrest was never alone and knew pure love until his last breath.
Thank you for accompanying us on this short but intense journey, with gratitude, Stefano.
Hello little Forrest…you will always be in our hearts
As explained by Valbuzzi, the economic resources left over from the generosity of the network, once the veterinary and cremation expenses have been paid, will be donated to animal rights associations, thus transforming the memory of a race that never started into concrete help for many other living beings.
