When Natasha and Kirk Hance from Texas moved to a small farm in Fort Worth, their wanted to give their five children and their rescue horses an open space where they could gather and thrive, ilovemydogsomuch writes. But little did they know that they would eventually have more horses in the family.

The couple came across a brutal horse auction taking place on the premises. Most of the buyers were from slaughterhouses. This was in response to the high demand for horse meat in countries such as China, Germany and Switzerland. Kirk eventually rescued two mini horses just before they were transported to the slaughterhouse. Tobias, one of the rescued ponies, showed signs of extreme neglect and abuse. He lowered his head and stared at the ground all day long. He avoided family attempts to touch or pet him. Kirk became seriously concerned about the horse’s severe depression.

But after 48 hours, Tobias finally realised that he had been saved and that the love he received was boundless. He finally accepted Kirk as his father and embraced him with relief and happiness. This video of Tobias hugging his new dad will melt your heart.

 

On the video below you can see Tobias finally realize he’s safe, and give Kirk a hug to express his gratitude.