Colt to get life-saving surgery after Fremont rescue

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- A "Valentine" who stole a lot of hearts was saved from a certain death by rescuers in Fremont. Thanks to the generosity of so many in our community, the baby horse will now be getting a life-saving surgery.

From the looks of it, Valentine is very happy in his new home. His rescuers can hardly believe this is the same colt they saved from a steep ravine two days ago.

"He's a million times better than when we picked him up. When we picked him up out of that ravine, he was lateral and unable to get up. He was exhausted the first day and yesterday as well. This is the most boisterous behavior I have seen out of him," Fremont Animal Services' Sarah Cattaneo said.

When you're as cute as Valentine, you steal a lot of hearts. People have been calling and donating money online to pay for him to have life-saving surgery to repair his broken pelvis.

"We've had over 120, at this point, voicemails of people wanting to donate," Cattaneo said.

Hikers spotted him over the weekend. He was pulled to safety on Sunday, Valentine's Day, and brought to the Owls Crossing Ranch in Pleasanton - a place for retired horses.

They say his mother is nowhere to be found.

"We don't know where she is, so we're going to do the best we can for him. He's 6 days old. We definitely want him to have a great, long life," ranch owner Diane Offutt said.

He's on his way.

The first step Tuesday morning is a vet appointment at UC Davis and even though he looks a bit tentative to step out, his rescuers are feeling confident.

By mid-morning, more than enough donations had come in to cover the cost of his surgery.

"I can't believe it. I really didn't think this would happen. This is a great prognosis. I am excited for him that he is going to get what he needs," Cattaneo said.

If you'd like to help cover Valentine's medical costs, visit the GoFundMe page by clicking here.

In less than a day, the goal of $10,000 had already been reached and exceeded -- it's at $15,000 as of late Tuesday morning.

The money left over after Valentine's surgery will go to help other animals.

Valentine won't be returning for at least a month until he recovers. It's unclear where he will go after that but there's hope that a rescue group will be able to find him a permanent home.