Hanaeleh is a non-profit horse rescue organization in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County. They take in horses given up when their owners can't afford them anymore. Megan Bocchicchio spends a lot of time as a volunteer there and reports that sadly, other horses have come in under more dire conditions.
"The worst we've had, some horses that have been near starving and had to recuperate from that," said Megan. "Very close to starving, their ribs protruding, every bone you can see."
For Megan, the reward for all the work and patience put in comes when she sees a once-ailing horse healthy again.
"Just to be a part of something so great. Just to see a horse that's close to death rise up and become a great horse to ride and to be around. It's one of the best feelings," said Megan.
You can see the devotion Megan has for these animals. But it's obvious to others as well.
"She loves the horses. She really cares about them," said Hanaeleh Founder and President Elizabeth Zarkos. "She thinks about them when she's not here. She thinks about how she can help them when she's not here. She writes about them at school."
Every horse Megan works with has a different story, but she hopes they all get the same result.
"We call it a 'forever home,'" said Megan. "That means they go there and for the rest of their days, however short or long that is, depending on their age, they'll stay there and they'll have a good family or just a person to take care of them and love them for the rest of their life."
Megan Bocchicchio has an extraordinary love for horses and extraordinary passion to make sure they all live a healthy, happy life. That makes her our Cool Kid.
