While she's best known for her career as an actress, Kaley Cuoco is a longtime animal advocate. She's an accomplished equestrian, and her home is filled with rescued dogs, bunnies, horses, and even dwarf ponies. She regularly posts pictures of her rescued family members to social media and encourages fans to adopt, not shop.
Fans enjoy the many photos Cuoco posts of her pets, but recently, the Big Bang Theory actress felt compelled to share an important message. Her recently rescued dwarf pony named Fiona passed away, and Cuoco wants everyone to know what happened.
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According to Cuoco's Instagram, she and husband Karl Cook rescued Fiona when she was in rough shape. She suffered from multiple health issues and had previously been mistreated. Cuoco and her husband did everything they could in a short amount of time, but sadly, Fiona passed away.
Cuoco said on Instagram,
“After a very short time together, our precious dwarf pony rescue Fiona, passed away last night.. she came to us & @pomponioranch @mrtankcook in such terrible shape, we were thrilled we got any time with her at all.”
Along with her heartfelt goodbye, Cuoco also used her platform to raise awareness about a serious issue in the horse world. Dwarf ponies like Fiona are purposefully bred to be small and cute. People fall in love with their miniature stature, and that attraction drives certain breeders to ignore ethical practices. Dwarf ponies are bred despite the extreme risk of the animals being born with serious health issues.
Many dwarf ponies are bought for their cute looks but are neglected and mistreated once their health issues prove too difficult to deal with. Like Fiona, many of these animals can't be saved.
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Cuoco shared her opinion by saying,
"Let me make this very clear...there is a reason she [Fiona] was a rescue. We take on many of these dwarf ponies and it looks so cute and exciting that everyone wants one. It's not. They have severe medical issues and most have been completely mistreated and not taken care of."
She went on to say,
"These animals should not live this way and should not be bred this way. It's WRONG"
Fiona's story and Cuoco's heartfelt post are inspiring others to spread awareness about the dangers of supporting dwarf pony breeders. Thousands of people commented on Cuoco's Instagram post to support her message and offer condolences.
Fiona will be missed, but her memory will help save other animals from similar suffering. And while the world won't change overnight, Cuoco is committed to helping as many rescue animals as she can.
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"We will continue to save everything we can but know days like this will happen. We love you princess Fiona!!"
All images via Instagram/Kaley Cuoco
