After 1100 days in RSPCA NSW care, Pura spent longer with us than any other animal currently awaiting adoption
The 18-year-old thoroughbred with chestnut colouring and a distinctive white mark on her forehead was a former racehorse ready for a peaceful retirement.
Image: Pura at the RSPCA NSW Equine Adoption Centre before being adopted.
Due to their size and care requirements, horses typically wait longer than other animals for adoption, but Pura had waited far longer than most.
Her extended stay at RSPCA NSW eventually captured the attention of local TV and it was this coverage that saw Pura’s perfect person find her.
“Well, it was one of those strange things where I just noticed a report on NBN news on television,” Janet said.
“I used to breed horses, so I’ve had quite a few here, but now I’m down to much less and I have the room, I have the space, I have a hay supplier, I have the time and the energy.
“So, I thought, well, maybe I could take on another retiree. So that’s how it came about.”
Having finally found her forever home, Pura is settling in well and sharing a paddock with another ex-racehorse.
Image: Pura now adopted and settling into her forever home
Janet has had a long affinity with horses having first got them when her kids were teenagers and now describes them as a kind of ‘therapy’.
“I live on my own now and, you know, they’re something to get up for every day and they do reward you,” Janet said.
“They don’t speak, they don’t bark like dogs or whine or whinge, but you can tell after a while that just by the look of them whether they’re pleased to see you.
“They definitely relate to you and I relate to them. I think some people are just born animal people, and I was, so dogs and horses are my thing.”
In late 2025, RSPCA NSW opened a new Equine Adoption Centre at our Hunter shelter to transform the way we care for, rehabilitate, and rehome horses across the state.
Check out the horses currently available for adoption here.
