Hidden Gems: Meet Ruth Altman of Cito’s Rescue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruth Altman.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Miami riding horses with a passion for healing. After graduating from Colorado State University I attended University of Florida for Veterinary School and in 2004 purchased Animal Haven Veterinary Clinic.

At the height of the Covid pandemic, my childhood dream of owning an Andalusian became possible when Cito became available for adoption. He had been rehomed four times in his six short years, was green broke, and I was thrilled with the opportunity to open my home as a safe haven to him.

In 2023, I sold Animal Haven Veterinary Clinic and obtained certification in small animal rehabilitation and pain management to create Altman Mobile Veterinary Rehabilitation & Pain management. It also cleared the path to begin helping horses found in the unfortunate life of killpens. Cito’s Rescue is a 501c3 non-profit located in the foothills of Loveland, Colorado that focuses on “last call” killpen horses, fated for a trip to Mexico within 24 hours and a brutal death. Cito’s Rescue is passionate about Andalusians and seniors who are in need and have few options remaining.

These horses often have been let down by society, whether it be racehorses, family pets, Amish work horses, brood mares that no longer produce, even flashy parade horses. We often find they are very ill, emaciated, trauamatized by their past and work to rehabilitate them physically and emotionally in hopes of the next stage of a forever home

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles are the animal’s health on arrival and as they recover, emotional toll it takes to help these horses, and the financial strain of donations to help them obtain a healthy, happy future

We have been evacuated due to fires (August 2024), had several emergency colics, tooth extractions due to the history these horses have of little care, managing longterm health issues they arrive with. All of this requires funding and donations which are limited in our current economy

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Cito’s Rescue is dedicated to providing horses with a safe and nurturing environment while they heal physically, mentally and emotionally from situations of abandonment, neglect and abuse. We firmly believe that to get back on the road to a loving home the horses need time to settle down and begin to heal. We give them all the support they need: time, great vet care, nutritional support and a lot of love.

When training is needed, we fill in any gaps and when necessary, start the training from the ground up. Cito’s Rescue will only use natural horsemanship to instill, or restore, dignity and confidence. All horses will be evaluated when they first arrive at the rescue and then at regular intervals during their time with us. Each horse will be treated as an individual and they themselves will determine how quickly or slowly their training takes place. Our horses will not have to worry about time running out – they will be given the time they need to become confident horses before adoption is considered.

When ready for adoption, great care will be placed on matching horse and human for the most successful partnership. We aim to provide all horses that come through our rescue with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become willing, happy, enthusiastic, and most importantly – safe and much loved partners for life.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Compassion, empathy, resilience

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.citosrescue.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citosrescue/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EHpa33cJi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CitosRescue