As kids read about hero animals last week during the Get to Know a Hero Summer Reading Program at Springfield Township Library, they were visited by a real-life hero.
Ashley, the horse, stopped by with her owner Steve Shapira of Davisburg, who explained how she works with the Camp Casey horseback riding program for children with cancer.
“Something magical happens when she’s with kids,” Shapira said. “She’s a rescue in her 30s ? this keeps her healthy and alive. It takes a special kind of horse, with the right temperament.”
Ashley has been a therapy horse with the program for more than three years so far, said Jessica Leroux, communications director for Camp Casey.
“She’s an invaluable member of the Hero Herd,” Leroux said.
For more information about Camp Casey, based in Royal Oak, call 877-388-8315.